Chambersburg Maroons

Chambersburg Maroons Founded in 1895 Chambersburg, PA

Team Logo Cap Insignia

League affiliations

West Shore Twilight Baseball League (2004-Present) Blue Ridge Adult League (1987-2003) Franklin County Adult League (1930-1986) Independent (1918-1919) Blue Ridge League (Class D for New York Yankees) (1915-1917, 1920-1929) Industrial League (1901-1914) Cumberland Valley League (1895-1900)

Name

Chambersburg Maroons (1895-present)

Other nicknames

Team Colors

Maroon, Grey, Black, White

Cities

Chambersburg, PA (1895-present)

Ballpark

Henninger Field (1895-present)

Championships

League titles: Cumberland Valley League- 1 (1895) Blue Ridge League-1 (1916) Franklin County Adult League -3 (1979, 1983, 1986)

Front Office

Owner: Steve Patterson General Manager: Steve Patterson Field Manager: Steve Patterson Bart Patterson (3rd Base) Mascot: None

Media:

Website: Chambersburg Maroons

The Chambersburg Maroons are currently a twilight league baseball team located in Chambersburg, PA. They call historic Henninger Field their home, and have done so since the club's creation in 1895.

History

The Maroons in 1895

Cumberland Valley League

The Maroons are created by local Chambersburg businessman Clay Henninger in 1895, and begin play at Wolf Park, the same location where they play today. The Maroons are charter members of the Cumberland Valley League, a Class D minor league ^[1], and win the first league title in 1895.^[2]. In the following season, the Maroons finish in second place in the league, boasting a 22-14 record. The 1896 Maroons squad boasted a total of seven future Major League Players.

Following the 1901 Season, the Maroons left the Cumberland Valley League to join the Industrial League.

Blue Ridge League

The 1915 Chambersburg Maroons

After the 1914 season, the Maroons join the newly formed Class D Blue Ridge League in 1915. The Maroons gain instant credibility when former Major League Player Gus Dorner took the managerial position of his hometown team.

1916 Championship Season

In 1916, the Maroons brought in a new manager in Eddie Hooper. The Maroons club president, named Kottcamp, worked out a deal with Jack Dunn's Baltimore Orioles, who had returned to the International League, after the demise of the Federal League during the off-season. Two pitchers, Hank Thormahlen and Al Ehmling, and a catcher named Alex Schaufele joined the Maroons, along with a former Federal League player, first baseman Karl Kolseth, and outfielder James "Bugs" Snyder to combine for one of the strongest overall teams in the league in 1916.^[3] Hanson Horsey is also showcased on the squad's roster.

The end result would see Chambersburg take the league crown in 1916, with Hooper edging Frederick's Clyde Barnhart for the league batting title (.330). The Maroons' pennant did not come easy, as the Martinsburg Mountaineers battled with the Maroons for first place throughout the season. Despite finishing the season with more wins than another Blue Ridge League team, Martinsburg had to settle for second for the second straight season, this time by just one-tenth of a percentage point. The Maroons finished the season with a record of 53-40-4.^[4]

1917

The 1917 squad was a far cry from the 1916 championship team, and finished with a measley record of 36-63, good for last place in the Blue Ridge League.^[5]. The Maroons refused to pay a $450 forfeit fee for the league, and things started to go downhill from there. The Maroons were plagued by injuries in the 1917 season, most notably to first baseman Karl Kolseth. Kolseth, the most feared hitter in the league at the time, broke his leg sliding into second base during the first week of the season, and was out for the remainder of the season. The Maroons also suffered from being at odds with fans, one of the local newspapers, and club directors. ^[6]

1920

The Maroons returned to the Blue Ridge League in 1920, and finished with a record of 38-56 ^[7]. Maroons player Bill Satterlee led the Blue Ridge League with a .355 batting average, turning in a stellar season for the Maroons.

1921

Major league connections

Mike Mowrey played for and managed the Maroons in the 1922 season, following his playing days with several major league teams. His ventures included a World Series appearance for the Brooklyn Robins in 1916. In 1922, he batted .351 in the 75 games he played. Despite his efforts, Chambersburg finished next to last in the Blue Ridge League, and Mowrey left professional baseball for a quiet life in the town. Mowrey died in 1947 and his memorial service was held at Henninger Field.^[8]

Herb Thormahlen also played for the Maroons in 1916 while the club was still a part of the Blue Ridge League. The Maroons pitcher ended playing in the Major Leagues for the New York Yankees (1917–1920), Boston Red Sox (1921), and Brooklyn Robins (1925). Thormahlen's pitching helped lead the Maroons to the 1916 Blue Ridge League pennant.^[9]

What follows is a list of Major League Players who have played for the Chambersburg Maroons by year.^[10][11]

1896	1915	1916	1917	1921	1922	1923	1926
George Barclay	Bill Clay	Joe Boley	Ivan Bigler	Harry Hinchman	Mike Mowrey	Red McDermott	Rankid Johnson
Billy Goeckel	Gus Dorner	Hanson Horsey	Joe Cobb			Mike Mowrey
Con Lucid	Norman Pitt	Karl Kolseth	Hanson Horsey
Togie Pittinger	Charlie Snell	Herb Thormahlen	Leo Meyer
Jimmy Sheckard		Al Ehmling	Elmer Steele
Archie Stimmel
Harry Wilhelm

1927	1928	1929	1930
Mickey Keliher	Mickey Keliher	Dick Barrett	Tom Carey
Rusty Saunders	Mike Meola		Vito Tamulis
			Clay Bryant
			Dee Miles

Roster

Chambersburg Maroons roster 7-day disabled list * On [[{{{MLBAffiliation}}} |{{{MLBAffiliation}}}]] 40-man roster ∞ Reserve list § Suspended list ‡ Restricted list # Rehab assignment → More rosters

External links

• Official site of the Chambersburg Maroons

References

1. ^ Baseball-Reference, Cumberland Valley League
2. ^ Maroons Website
3. ^ 1916 Blue Ridge Stummary
4. ^ Official 1916 Blue Ridge League Statistics
5. ^ 1917 Blue Ridge League Standings
6. ^ Blue Ridge League 1917 Summary
7. ^ Blue Ridge 1920 Standnigs and Statistics
8. ^ Mike Mowrey Biography
9. ^ Blue Ridge Official Historical Site
10. ^ Blue Ridge Official Histrical Site
11. ^ Baseball Reference Maroons History