Scranton Miners (baseball)

The Scranton Miners was the name of several minor league baseball clubs that existed in Scranton, Pennsylvania between 1886 and 1953.

Scranton Miners
(1886-1988, 1892-1900, 1907-1917, 1923-1937, 1939-1953)
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes
  • Class A (1895-1899, 1933-1953)
  • Class B (1892, 1904-1932)
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles (9)
  • 1906
  • 1908
  • 1927
  • 1936
  • 1939
  • 1942
  • 1946
  • 1948
  • 1951
Team data
Previous names
  • Scranton Red Sox (1939-1951)
  • Scranton Coal Heavers (1895)
  • Scranton Indians (1886-1887, 1892-1894)
Previous parks
1894-1939 - Brooks Athletic Field aka Sweeney's Field (1935) [3]

1932-1939 - Crystal Gardens Stadium @ Dickson City *Sundays Only [4] [5] 1940-1954 - Scranton Dunmore Stadium [6]

The first Scranton Miners played in 1886 as the Scranton Indians a member of the Pennsylvania State League. The team played as the Miners in 1887, before jumping to the International League and playing as the Indians for the remainder of the season. In 1892, the name was revived again by a team in the Pennsylvania State League and until 1894. In 1895, the team played as the Scranton Coal Heavers. The third Scranton Miners team played in the Eastern League in 1896 and 1897. The Miners name was used again from 1899–1900 in the Atlantic League. The final incarnation of the Scranton team used the Miners' moniker from 1904–1953. The only exceptions were the years 1939–1943 and 1946–1951, when the team was known as the Scranton Red Sox. The 1946 Red Sox were recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.[7]

Season-by-season

(from Indians' Baseball Reference Bullpen) (from Miners' Baseball Reference Bullpen) (from Coal Heavers' Baseball Reference Bullpen) (from Red Sox Baseball Reference Bullpen)

Year League Record Finish Manager Playoffs
1886Penn. State League34-444thDan O'Leary / Harry Fisher
1887Penn. State League11-10NAHarry Fisher / John FogartyPlayed the remainder of season as the Scranton Indians in the Eastern League
1887Eastern League19-55NADenny Mack / Chris Meisel / Fergy MalonePlayed first half of the season in the Penn. State League as the Miners
1888Central League55-514thSam CraneNo playoffs
1892Penn. State League2-22NALarry Ketrick
1893Penn. State League45-577thMartin Swift
1894Penn. State League45-285th (tied)Martin Swift / George GoetzTeam jumped to Eastern League and was replaced by Shenandoah Huns on August 2
1894Eastern League8-317thTom Cahill / Martin SwiftTeam moved from Pennsylvania State League to replace the Troy Washerwomen on July 26
1895Eastern League44-726thBilly Barnie
1896Eastern League44-678thMichael McDermott / Sandy Griffin
1897Eastern League53-606thSandy Griffin
1899Atlantic League25-38--Marty SwiftTeam disbanded on July 9
1900Atlantic League26-71stWalt BurnhamLeague disbanded on June 12
1904NY. State League27-367thBen Ellis / Lou O'Neal / Tom BannonTeam relocated from Schenectady on July 17
1905NY. State League56-676thJim Garry / Edward AshenbachNo playoffs
1906NY. State League82-481stEdward AshenbachLeague Champs
No playoffs
1907NY. State League81-542ndHenry RamseyNo playoffs
1908NY. State League84-511stMalachi KittridgeLeague Champs
No playoffs
1909NY. State League55-818thAugust ZeimerNo playoffs
1910NY. State League72-664thMonte CrossNo playoffs
1911NY. State League63-747thMonte CrossNo playoffs
1912NY. State League62-695thJohn FreemanNo playoffs
1913NY. State League49-918thRichard Smith / Bob Peterson / John KellyNo playoffs
1914NY. State League42-948thJohn Kelly / Bill CoughlinNo playoffs
1915NY. State League68-554thBill CoughlinNo playoffs
1916NY. State League67-522ndBill CoughlinNo playoffs
1917NY. State League38-846thBill Coughlin / Jack ConnorsNo playoffs
1923NY.-Penn. League68-543rdJoe WardNo playoffs
1924NY.-Penn. League72-613rdJack EganNo playoffs
1925NY.-Penn. League64-695thJack Egan
1926NY.-Penn. League84-501stJack EganLeague Champs
No playoffs
1927NY.-Penn. League61-725thGus GetzNo playoffs
1928NY.-Penn. League58-777thGus GetzNo playoffs
1929NY.-Penn. League64-756thMike O'NeillNo playoffs
1930NY.-Penn. League62-768thBuck ElliottNo playoffs
1931NY.-Penn. League69-706thBuck Elliott / Ernie VickNo playoffs
1932NY.-Penn. League72-684thBill Clymer (30-41) / Bob Shawkey (41-27)No playoffs
1933NY.-Penn. League64-705thBob ShawkeyNo playoffs
1934NY.-Penn. League71-674thJake Pitler
1935NY.-Penn. League81-541stJoe ShauteLost League Finals
1936NY.-Penn. League78-602ndElmer YoterLeague Champs
1937NY.-Penn. League63-756thBob Coleman
1939Eastern League80-601stNemo LeiboldLeague Champs
1940Eastern League79-601stNemo LeiboldLost in 1st round
1941Eastern League71-684thNemo LeiboldLost in 1st round
1942Eastern League83-572ndNemo LeiboldLeague Champs
1943Eastern League87-511stNemo LeiboldLost League Finals
1944Eastern League56-837thHeinie Manush
1945Eastern League67-695thElmer Yoter
1946Eastern League96-431stElmer YoterLeague Champs
1947Eastern League78-624thEddie PopowskiLost in 1st round
1948Eastern League89-511stMike RybaLeague Champs
1949Eastern League79-612ndMike Ryba (14-16) / Jack Burns (65-45)Lost in 1st round
1950Eastern League54-858thJack Burns
1951Eastern League77-602ndJack BurnsLeague Champs
1952Eastern League66-736thZack Taylor
1953Eastern League51-1008thSmut Aderholt

Baseball Parks

From 1894 until 1939, the Scranton Miners played at various iterations of "Brooks Athletic Field" which also was known as "Brooks Field", "Athletic Field", and in 1935 as "Sweeney's Field" after James T. Sweeney bought the property. The ballpark was located on Providence Road in Scranton and also was utilized by the St. Thomas College of Scranton Football team.

In 1932 the team began playing their Sunday games at Crystal Gardens Stadium in Dickson City due to Blue Laws banning games from being played on the Sabbath. According to the May 17th 1932 article in the Hazleton Plain Speaker, Centerfield at the new Crystal Gardens Stadium was so large (788 feet) that anyone who could hit a home run out of the new ballpark would "inherit the new stadium". The Left Field fence was 315 feet. Right Field was 416 feet. [8]

In 1940 a baseball stadium called "Scranton Stadium" aka "Scranton Dunmore Stadium" was built for the "Scranton Red Sox" who were often interchangeable with the "Scranton Miners" with the name going back and forth between the two from 1939 until 1954. The stadium existed for 14 years before it was demolished. It was located at 1350 Monroe Avenue in Dunmore Pennsylvania. [9]

References
  1. http://digitalballparks.com/DoubleAIndex.html
  2. http://minorleaguesource.com/eastern2399.htm
  3. http://digitalballparks.com/DoubleAIndex.html
  4. http://digitalballparks.com/DoubleAIndex.html
  5. Times-Tribune Scranton, May 7 1932
  6. http://digitalballparks.com/DoubleAIndex.html
  7. "Top 100 Teams". MiLB.com. 2001. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  8. http://digitalballparks.com/Eastern/ScrDunmore.html
  9. http://digitalballparks.com/Eastern/ScrDunmore.html
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