Harlan Smokies history

The Harlan Smokies won the 1950 Mountain States League championship with a record of 81-44. Harlan defeated Big Stone Gap 3-1 in the playoffs, then swept Middlesboro 3-0 in the championship game. Rex Carr was the manager of the Smokies. It was the second straight league title for the Smokies.

June 21, 2020

From Baseball Reference:

Year Team League W L Attend Avg.
1965 Harlan Red Sox Appalachian League 33 37 23,190 663 Roster Stats
1963 Harlan Yankees Appalachian League 28 39 13,134 392 Roster Stats
1962 Harlan Smokies Appalachian League 25 45 16,056 459 Roster Stats
1961 Harlan Smokies Appalachian League 35 34 19,466 564 Roster Stats
1954 Harlan Smokies Mountain States League 39 33 10,000 278 Roster Stats
1953 Harlan Smokies Mountain States League 53 72 20,630 330 Roster Stats
1952 Harlan Smokies Mountain States League 73 45 32,579 552 Roster Stats
1951 Harlan Smokies Mountain States League 82 43 35,657 571 Roster Stats
1950 Harlan Smokies Mountain States League 81 44 41,707 667 Roster Stats
1949 Harlan Smokies Mountain States League 83 41 49,615 800 Roster Stats
1948 Harlan Smokies Mountain States League 56 63 46,187 776 Roster Stats

Teams and Statistics

1948-1954

1948 Mountain States League
President: Virgil Q. Wacks

Team Standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Morristown Red Sox 70 46 .603 – 37,744 James Grigg
Oak Ridge / Hazard Bombers# 65 43 .602 4 22,533 Hobe Brummitt
Pennington Gap Miners 59 54 .522 9.5 14,988 Joe Santomauro / Buford Rhea
Newport Canners 58 59 .496 12.5 30,054 Michael Balla / Cy Whaley
Harlan Smokies 56 63 .471 15.5 46,187 Bill Sisler / Frank Wilson (minors) / Goda
Jenkins Cavaliers 35 78 .310 33.5 23,276 Ray Russell / Jackson Bell / Mays

# Oak Ridge moved to Hazard June 10, first home game June 12.
Playoffs: Morristown 3 games, Newport 2; Hazard 3 games, Pennington Gap 0.
Finals: Morristown 3 games, Hazard 2.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Cy Whaley Newport BA .382 Mike Clark Newport W 20
Eduardo DeHogues Morristown Runs 109 Dennis Reeder Oak Ridge/Hazard SO 196
Eduardo DeHogues Morristown Hits 145 Dennis Reeder Oak Ridge/Hazard ERA 2.20
Jacob Stirn Morristown RBI 101 Dennis Reeder Oak Ridge/Hazard PCT .773 17-5
Jacob Stirn Morristown HR 12
Eduardo DeHogues Morristown HR 12

1949 Mountain States League
President: Virgil Q. Wacks

Team Standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Harlan Smokies 83 41 .669 – 49,615 George Motto
Morristown Red Sox 72 52 .581 11 44,362 James Grigg
Middlesboro Athletics 69 56 .552 14.5 25,833 Hobe Brummitt / Ted Russ / James Burns
Jenkins Cavaliers 63 61 .508 20 19,654 Joe Vitter
Pennington Gap Miners 62 63 .496 21.5 14,820 Lew Flick / Burgess Wolfenbarger
Newport Canners 59 66 .472 24.5 14,148 Cy Whaley
Big Stone Gap Rebels 55 70 .440 28.5 37,751 Rudolph Parsons / Dale Markert / Fred Marsh
Hazard Bombers 35 89 .282 48 23,543 Fred Marsh / George Mitrus / Hobe Brummitt

Playoffs: Harlan 3 games, Middlesboro 1; Morristown 3 games, Jenkins 2.
Finals: Harlan 3 games, Morristown 2.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Kelly Lunn Pennington Gap BA .358 Frank C. Wilson Harlan W 27
Robert Grose Pennington Gap Runs 127 Frank C. Wilson Harlan SO 176
Kelly Lunn Pennington Gap Hits 179 Frank C. Wilson Harlan ERA 2.77
Kelly Lunn Pennington Gap RBI 126 Frank C. Wilson Harlan PCT .771 27-8
Jack Hall Jenkins HR 18

1950 Mountain States League
President: Virgil Q. Wacks

Team Standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Harlan Smokies 81 44 .648 – 41,707 Rex Carr
Hazard Bombers 76 49 .608 5 55,184 Max Macon
Big Stone Gap Rebels 75 51 .595 6.5 38,878 Jack Rothrock
Middlesboro Athletics 59 67 .468 22.5 20,248 James Burns
Jenkins Cavaliers 58 66 .468 22.5 13,880 Bob Bowman / Stewart / Scopetone
Morristown Red Sox 56 67 .455 24 30,448 Fred Hartman / Pinky Doyle
Newport Canners 51 74 .408 30 20,920 Robert Mitchell / Matthew Zidich
Pennington Gap Miners 44 82 .349 37.5 11,164 Lew Flick / Brelich / Pankovits

Playoffs: Harlan 3 games, Big Stone Gap 1; Middlesboro 3 games, Hazard 0.
Finals: Harlan 3 games, Middlesboro 0.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Max Macon Hazard BA .392 Nick Bunato Middlesboro W 22
Joseph Christian Harlan Runs 127 Nick Bunato Middlesboro SO 132
Joseph Christian Harlan Hits 173 Michael Hudak Big Stone Gap ERA 2.89
Joe Riola Morristown RBI 130 Michael Hudak Big Stone Gap PCT .875 21-3
Joseph Christian Harlan HR 27

1951 Mountain States League
President: Virgil Q. Wacks

Team Standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Hazard Bombers 93 33 .738 – 35,129 Max Macon
Morristown Red Sox 86 39 .688 6.5 22,184 James Burns
Harlan Smokies 82 43 .656 10.5 35,657 Bones Sanders / John Streza
Middlesboro Athletics 59 66 .472 33.5 19,228 Ted Russ / George Kennis
Pennington Gap Miners 54 71 .432 38.5 14,994 Vince Pankovits
Norton Braves 53 72 .424 39.5 12,314 Bob Bowman / George Sifft / George Motto
Big Stone Gap Rebels 49 75 .395 43 13,737 Ham Schulte / Lew Flick
Jenkins Cavaliers 24 101 .192 68.5 12,250 James Grigg / Tom McBride

Playoffs: Hazard 3 games, Harlan 0; Morristown 3 games, Middlesboro 0.
Finals: Hazard 3 games, Morristown 0.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Orville Kitts Morristown BA .424 Dan Hayling Hazard W 24
Max Macon Hazard Runs 139 Johnny Podres Hazard SO 228
Len Feriancek Pennington Gap Hits 216 Johnny Podres Hazard ERA 1.67
Max Macon Hazard RBI 148 Johnny Podres Hazard PCT .875 21-3
Bill Halstead Pennington Gap HR 34

1952 Mountain States League
President: Virgil Q. Wacks

Team Standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Hazard Bombers 87 32 .731 – 14,600 Mervin Dornburg
Harlan Smokies 73 45 .619 13.5 32,579 Rex Carr
Morristown Red Sox 61 58 .513 26 10,597 James Burns
Big Stone Gap Rebels 57 60 .487 29 11,161 Len Cross
Middlesboro Athletics 47 72 .395 40 15,364 Leon Culberson / Red Goff / Joe McManus
Norton Braves 30 88 .254 56.5 10,025 George Motto / Bill Fitchko / Mark Muslin

Playoffs: Morristown 3 games, Hazard 1; Harlan 3 games, Big Stone Gap 2.
Finals: Harlan 3 games, Morristown 0.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Orville Kitts Morristown BA .372 Michael DelPiano Harlan W 22
Ken Johnson Hazard Runs 146 Michael DelPiano Harlan SO 144
Len Cross Big Stone Gap Hits 138 Rafael Codinachs Middlesboro ERA 2.78
Joe McManus Middlesboro Hits 138 McKinley Mosley Hazard PCT 1.000 10-0
Len Cross Big Stone Gap RBI 125 Ken Johnson Hazard BB 197
Len Cross Big Stone Gap HR 40

1953 Mountain States League
President: Virgil Q. Wacks

Team Standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Maryville-Alcoa Twins 78 46 .629 – 25,000 Jim Poole
Knoxville Smokies 70 55 .560 8.5 36,255 Vince Pankovits
Kingsport Cherokees 69 56 .552 9.5 46,717 Muscle Shoals
Morristown Red Sox 64 62 .508 15 37,384 Napoleon Reyes
Norton Braves 63 63 .500 16 21,873 Walt Dixon
Big Stone Gap Rebels 55 70 .440 23.5 8,230 Kelly Lunn
Harlan Smokies 53 72 .424 25.5 20,630 Cliff Melton / Barry Cox / James Grigg
Middlesboro Athletics 48 76 .387 30 12,600 Julian Morgan / Ben Pardue

Playoffs: Maryville-Alcoa 3 games, Kingsport 2; Knoxville 3 games, Morristown 1.
Finals: Knoxville 3 games, Maryville-Alcoa 1.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Muscle Shoals Kingsport BA .427 Jim Tugerson Knoxville W 29
Hugh Hamil Maryville-Alcoa Runs 165 Jim Tugerson Knoxville SO 286
Walt Dixon Norton Hits 197 Raymond Johnston Maryville-Alcoa ERA 1.90
Willie Kirkland Maryville-Alcoa RBI 164 Ned Jilton Kingsport PCT .864 19-3
Walt Dixon Norton HR 37

1954 Mountain States League
President: Virgil Q. Wacks

Team Standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Middlesboro Athletics 48 34 .585 – 9,031 Walt Dixon
Harlan Smokies 39 33 .542 4 10,000 Bill Steinecke
Kingsport Cherokees 41 40 .506 6.5 33,000 Muscle Shoals
Oak Ridge Pioneers 35 43 .449 11 18,286 Bert Niehoff
Morristown Red Sox # 7 7 .500 NA NA Napoleon Reyes
Lexington Colts ### 30 36 .455 NA 4,000 Zeke Bonura
Maryville-Alcoa ## / Morristown Twins 29 36 .446 NA 9,559 Tuck McWilliams

# Morristown disbanded May 15.
## Maryville-Alcoa moved to Morristown June 19, then disbanded July 7.
### Lexington disbanded July 20.
The league disbanded July 20.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Ray Adams Oak Ridge BA .352 Norman Hughes Harlan W 16
Aldo Salvent Kingsport Runs 84 Norman Hughes Harlan SO 85
Ray Adams Oak Ridge Hits 112 Raymond Johnston Oak Ridge ERA 2.28
Walt Dixon Middlesboro RBI 80 Don Vaughn Maryville-Alcoa/Morristown PCT .917 11-1
Muscle Shoals Kingsport HR 18

League Records 1948-1954

Batting
Player Team Stat Tot Yr Player Team Stat Tot Yr
Gorge Kennis Morristown GA 126 50 Clifton Patrick Harlan GA 126 53
Muscle Shoals Kingsport BA .427 53 Lew Flick Big Stone AB 526 51
Hugh Hamil Maryville-Alcoa Runs 165 53 Len Feriancek Pennington Hits 216 51
Willie Kirkland Maryville RBI 164 53 Max Macon Hazard 2B 54 51
Willie Kirkland Maryville 3B 24 53 Len Cross Big Stone HR 40 52
Walt Dixon Norton Ebh 79 53 Willie Kirkland Maryville Ebh 79 53
Walt Dixon Norton TB 357 53 Earl Motsinger Big Stone HS 22 51
Ceferino Sanabria Newport Sac 23 50 Carl Lucas Kingsport SB 76 53
Ken Johnson Hazard BB 197 52 Armenio Badea Kingsport SO 145 53
Pitching
Player Team Stat Tot Yr Player Team Stat Tot Yr
James Mays Jenkins GA 47 49 Jim Tugerson Knoxville CG 35 53
Jim Tugerson Knoxville W 29 53 John Perechinsky Jenkins L 21 51
Mike Hudak Big Stone Pct .905,19-2 50 Johnny Podres Hazard ERA 1.67 51
Jim Tugerson Knoxville IP 330 53 Dan Hayling Hazard WS 19 51
Michael Del Piano Harlan ShO 5 52 Jim Tugerson Knoxville ShO 5 53
Eric Doughtie Norton BB 178 53 Jim Tugerson Knoxville SO 286 53
The Harlan Smokies are pictured in 1948, their first year in the Mountain States League. (Photo submitted by Johnny Ashurst)