The Bi-State League was an American baseball minor league formed in 1934 with teams in Virginia and North Carolina. The league held together for nine seasons, being represented by ten cities from North Carolina and eight from Virginia. Only the Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets, a team that was a combination of those three cities from North Carolina, was able to make the entire nine-year run. This combination also captured the league title in two seasons, 1935 and 1941. The squad from Bassett, Virginia, won four league titles during the span, coming out on top three times in a row, 1936, 1937, 1938 and closing it out with the 1940 pennant before losing in the finals. The league's final season was 1942, as it was not revived after World War II.
List of teams Bassett, Virginia: Bassett Furnituremakers (1935–1940) Burlington, North Carolina: Burlington Bees (1942) Danville, Virginia: Danville Leafs (1934–1938) Danville, Virginia & Schoolfield, Virginia: Danville-Schoolfield Leafs (1939–1942) Fieldale, Virginia: Fieldale Virginians 1934; Fieldale Towlers (1935–1936) Leaksville, North Carolina, Draper, North Carolina, & Spray, North Carolina: Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets (1934–1942) Martinsville, Virginia: Martinsville Manufacturers (1934–1941) Mayodan, North Carolina: Mayodan Senators (1934, 1937; Mayodan Mills (1935); Mayodan Orphans (1936); Mayodan Millers (1938–1941) Mount Airy, North Carolina: Mount Airy Graniteers (1934, 1938–1941); Mount Airy Reds (1935–1937) Reidsville, North Carolina: Reidsville Luckies (1935–1940) Rocky Mount, North Carolina: Rocky Mount Rocks (1942) Sanford, North Carolina: Sanford Spinners (1941–1942) South Boston, Virginia & Halifax, Virginia: South Boston Twins (1937); South Boston-Halifax Wrappers (1938); South Boston Wrappers (1939–1940) Wilson, North Carolina: Wilson Tobs (1942)
Standings & statistics
1934 to 1938 1934 Bi-State League Team standingsWLPCTGB ManagersDanville Leafs5325.679-Herb Brett Martinsville Manufacturers4629.6135½Jimmy Sanders Fieldale Virginians 3641.46816½D. L. Hodge Mount Airy Graniteers 3343.43419Cecil Harris / G. Thomas Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets3245.41620½ Oscar Langley / Blackie Carter Mayodan Senators2946.38722½Zip Payne / Charles Eadmon / Monroe Mitchell Playoff: Danville 4 games, Martinsville 1. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Jimmy SandersMartinsvilleBA.423 Cletus Voss FieldaleW17 Woodrow Williams LeaksvilleRuns86 Cletus Voss FieldaleSO126 Zip Payne MayodanHits134 Spencer Bruce DanvillePct.813; 13-3 Eddie Weston MayodanHR26 1935 Bi-State League Team standingsWLPCTGB ManagersLeaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets7144.617-Blackie Carter Danville Leafs6846.5962½Herb Brett Bassett Furniture Makers 6847.5913Lefty Jenkins Mount Airy Reds 6747.5883½ Mickey Shader Mayodan Mills5162.45119 Phil Lundeen Fieldale Towlers5064.43920½Dixie Parker Martinsville Manufacturers4271.37228 Harold Bohl Reidsville Luckies3975.34231½ Glenn Bickerstaff / L.J. Perry Playoff: Danville 4 games, Bassett 3.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Ralph Hodgin FieldaleBA.387 Fred Pipgras DanvilleW25 Woody WilliamsLeaksvilleRuns111 Jeff Jeffcoat LeaksvilleSO222 Ralph Hodgin FieldaleHits187 Fred Pipgras DanvillePct.806; 25-6 Blackie CarterLeaksvilleHR30 1936 Bi-State League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Bassett Furniture Makers7443.632-Lefty Jenkins Danville Leafs7445.6221Herb Brett Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 6551.5608½Clyde Sukeforth Martinsville Manufacturers 5958.50415Jimmy Sanders Reidsville Luckies5461.47019Jimmy Maus Mount Airy Reds5363.45720½Mickey Shader /Elbert Conway / Frank Packard Fieldale Towlers5262.45620½Joe Guyon / Red Smith Mayodan Orphans3583.29739½ Phil Lundeen / Bill Ragsdale Playoff: Bassett 4 games, Leaksville 2. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Gene HandleyMt. AiryBA.403Lefty Jenkins BassettW25 Ken KeltnerFieldaleRuns120Weaver Nowlin LeaksvilleSO167 Ken KeltnerFieldaleHits175Lefty JenkinsBassettPct.833; 25-5 Woody Traylor DanvilleHR34 Woody Traylor DanvilleRBI120 1937 Bi-State Leagueschedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Bassett Furniture Makers6845.602-Ray White Mayodan Senators6946.600- Harry Daughtry Danville Leafs 6847.5911Herb Brett Martinsville Manufacturers 6350.5585 Arnold Anderson Mount Airy Reds5261.46016 Walt Novak Reidsville Luckies5165.44018½Charley Moore South Boston Twins4368.38724 Jimmy Shelton Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets4173.36027½Clarence Blethen / Dave Lawless / Charles Wills Playoff: Bassett 3 games, Danville 1; Martinsville 3 games, Mayodan 2, (one tie). Finals: Bassett 4 games, Martinsville 3. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Doug Wheeler MayodanBA.359 Jesse Plummer MayodanW21 Doug Wheeler MayodanRuns111 Weaver Nowlin ReidsvilleSO168 Cecil PayneMayodanHits167 Jack Zerblis BassettERA2.23 Doug Wheeler MayodanRBI71 Herb Leary ReidsvilleHR29 1938 Bi-State League Team standingsWLPCTGB ManagersBassett Furniture Makers7640.655- Walter Novak Mayodan Millers7346.6134½ Harry Daughtry Reidsville Luckies 7148.5976½Jim Poole Danville Leafs 6355.53414Red Barnes Martinsville Manufacturers6156.52115½ Arnold Anderson Mount Airy Graniteers4969.41528 Dick Goldberg South Boston-Halifax Wrappers4377.35835 James Calleran Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets3782.31140½ Joe Feori Playoff: Bassett 3 games, Reidsville 2; Danville 3 games, Mayodan 0. Finals: Bassett 4 games, Danville 2. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Americo Rossomando BassettBA.390Wes Livengood BassettW21 Ray Scantling ReidsvilleRuns130 Raymon Voight ReidsvilleSO200 Harry Lee Daughtry MayodanHits174Wes LivengoodBassettERA3.06 Ray Scantling ReidsvilleRBI147 Ray Scantling ReidsvilleHR33
1939 to 1942 1939 Bi-State League Team standingsWLPCTGB ManagersDanville-Schoolfield Leafs7044.614-Red Barnes Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets6748.5833½ Arnold Anderson Bassett Furnituremakers 6051.5418½ Walter Novak Martinsville Manufacturers6152.5408½Jim Poole / Al Krupski Harry Daughtry Mayodan Millers5857.50412½Harry Daughtry / Ramon Couto Chink Outen Reidsville Luckies4865.42521½Watty Clark / Broaddus Culler South Boston Wrappers4665.41422½Dixie Parker Mount Airy Graniteers4270.37527Guy Lacy / Walter Stephenson Playoff: Leaksville 4 games, Martinsville 1; Danville 4 games, Bassett 3. Finals: Danville 4 games, Leaksville 2. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Sam GentileDanvilleBA.392 Joseph WeirDanvilleW19 Jim Gruzdis LeaksvilleRuns145 George KadisDanvilleSO199 Sam GentileDanvilleHits199Frank HoerstMayodanERA2.82 James Payne LeaksvilleRBI126 Amerigo ScagliariniMayodanHR27 1940 Bi-State League Team standingsWLPCTGB ManagersBassett Furnituremakers7344.624- Einar Sorenson Martinsville Manufacturers6849.5815 Harry Daughtry Mount Airy Graniteers 6356.52911 Walter Novak Danville-Schoolfield Leafs 5958.50414Red Barnes South Boston Wrappers5660.48316½Jack Crosswhite / H.A. Mobley Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets5663.47118 Arnold Anderson Mayodan Millers5366.44521 Pete Siciliano Reidsville Luckies4375.36430½ Jim Callahan / Jim Gruzdis Playoff: Martinsville 4 games, Danville 2; Bassett 4 games, Mt Airy 1. Finals: Martinsville 4 games, Bassett 3. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Dan Amaral MayodanBA.387 Roy Peeler BassettW17 Alex Johnson MayodanRuns119Flory Wojcik BassettW17 Alex JohnsonMayodanHits178 Flory Wojcik BassettERA2.95 Clyde VollmerBassettRBI117 Paige Dennis Reid/Mt.AirSO187 Orville Nesselrode South BostonHR25 1941 Bi-State League Team standingsWLPCTGB ManagersLeaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets6446.582-Tim Murchison / Wes Ferrell Martinsville Manufacturers6349.5632 George Ferrell Danville-Schoolfield Leafs 6450.5612Elmer Yoter Sanford Spinners 5854.5187 Zeb Harrington Mount Airy Graniteers4270.37523 Jimmy Maus Mayodan Millers2547.347NATaylor Sanford Mayodan disbanded July 18. Playoff: Sanford 4 games, Martinsville 3,(one tie); Danville-Schoolfield, 4 games, Leaksville 1. Finals: Sanford 4 games, Danville-Schoolfield 2. +Player StatisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Albert Behrends MartinsvilleBA.378Dave Odom SanfordW16 Richard Kalal DanvilleRuns119 Charles Cuellar LeaksvilleW16 Albert Behrends MartinsvilleHits171Dave Odom SanfordSO190 Tom Burnette MartinsvilleRBI114Roy Boles Mt. AiryPct.714; 10-4 Tom Burnette MartinsvilleHR29 George Ferrell MartinsvilleRBI114 1942 Bi-State League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Wilson Tobs6953.566-Bill Herring Sanford Spinners6259.5126½ Frank Rodgers Rocky Mount Rocks 6360.5126½ George Ferrell Burlington Bees 6262.5008 Rube Wilson Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets5766.46312½ Zip Payne Danville-Schoolfield Leafs5467.44614½Elmer Yoter Playoff: Rocky Mount 4 games, Wilson 3; Sanford 4 games, Burlington 1. Finals: Rocky Mount 4 games, Sanford 1. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Richard Hoyle WilsonBA.338 Charles Cuellar LeaksvilleW22 Richard Hoyle WilsonRuns108 Charles Cuellar LeaksvilleSO204 George Biershenk Rocky MountHits151 Charles Cuellar LeaksvilleERA1.67 George Ferrell Rocky MountRBI105 Harry Soufas Rocky MountHR29
League champions 1934: Danville Leafs 1935: Danville Leafs 1936: Bassett Furniture Makers 1937: Bassett Furniture Makers 1938: Bassett Furniture Makers 1939: Danville-Schoolfield Leafs 1940: Martinsville Manufacturers 1941: Sanford Spinners 1942: Rocky Mount Rocks
Sources Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Lloyd Johnson, Miles Wolff. Publisher: Baseball America, 1993. Language: English. Format: Softcover, 420pp.
References
This article is based on the "Bi-States League" article at Baseball-Reference.com Bullpen. The Bullpen is a wiki, and its content is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.