The Meridian Millers were a minor league baseball team based in Meridian, Mississippi. Between 1937 and 1950, Meridian teams played as a member of the Southeastern League under various nicknames. Meridian became known as the "Millers" beginning in 1949. The Millers continued as members of the Class D level Cotton States League from 1952 to 1955 and won Cotton League championships in 1952 and 1953.
Meridien teams first hosted home minor league games at Fairgrounds Park and relocated when Buckwalter Stadium was constructed to host the team, beginning in 1947.
Meridian teams played as minor league affiliates of the St. Louis Browns (1937–1938, 1941), Brooklyn Dodgers (1946), Cleveland Indians (1947–1948) and Baltimore Orioles (1955).
History Early Meridian minor league teams Meridian, Mississippi first hosted minor league baseball, when the 1893 Meridian "Bluebirds" began play as a member of the independent Mississippi State League. The Mississippi League folded after the 1894 season.
The 1929 Meridian Mets of the Cotton States League ended a fifteen-season tenure of Meridian membership in the Class D level league. The 1929 team directly preceded the Meriden Scrappers in minor league play.
1937 to 1942 – Southeastern League
In 1937, Meridian returned to minor league play, when the Meridian "Scrappers" were formed and became members of the six-team Class B level Southeastern League. The Jackson Mississippians (New York Yankees affiliate), Mobile Shippers (St. Louis Cardinals), Montgomery Bombers (Cleveland Indians), Pensacola Fliers and Selma Cloverleafs (Washington Senators) teams joined with Meridian in beginning league play on April 15, 1937.
The Meridian Scrappers joined the Southeastern League playing as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns. The 1937 Meridian season ended with a 58–78 record and a fifth place finish, playing the season under managers Leonard McNair, Emmett Lipscomb and Harry Whitehouse. The Scrappers ended their initial season 25.5 games behind first place Pensacola and did not qualify for the four-teams playoffs, which were won by the Mobile Shippers.Fred Williams, who played for both Jackson and Meridian during the season, led the league with 175 total hits.
Tom Cafego played briefly for the St. Louis Browns in 1937 and also played for Meridian that season. Tom was the older brother of College Football Hall of Fame member George Cafego, who played halfback at the University of Tennessee and was the first overall selection in the 1940 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals. Tom Cafego supported his family, and helped his brother finish college, by playing professional baseball and also mining coal in the offseasons.
Continuing as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns in 1938, the Meriden Scrappers continued a stretch where Meriden did not make a playoff appearance. The 1938 Southeastern League expanded to become an eight-team league, adding the Anniston Rams and Gadsden Pilots teams to the league. The Scrappers again missed the playoffs with a fifth-place finish. Meriden ended the 1938 regular season with a record of 69–78, finishing 25.5 gamed behind the pennant winning Pensacola Pilots. With their fifth-place finish under returning manager Harry Whitehouse, Meriden did not qualify for the playoffs again won by the Mobile Shippers.
Continuing play in the 1939 Class B level Southeastern league, the Meridian Scrappers ended the season in last place. With a record of 55–83, Meriden placed eighth in the eight-team league regular season. Playing the season under managers Mel Simons, Harry Hughes and Bill Hughes, Meriden Did not qualify for the playoffs, finishing 33.5 games behind the first please and eventual league champion Pensacola Pilots. Bill McGhee of Meridian won the league batting championship, hitting.384. Player/manager Bill Hughes was a long-time minor league pitcher, winning 270 games in 20 minor league seasons.
In 1940, Clarence Mitchell was hired to manage the Meridian team. Mitchell was a long-time major league pitcher, known as a player who was grandfathered in being able to throw a spitball in the major leagues. Becoming manager of Meridian in 1940, Mitchell made his final appearance as a player during the season, pitching two innings at age 49. Mitchell is noted in baseball history for hitting into a triple play in 1920 World Series for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Cleveland Indians player Bill Wambsganss made the only triple-play in World Series history on Mitchell's batted ball.
The Meridian team became known as the "Bears" in 1940, continuing the season as members of the Southeastern League. The Bears ended the regular season with a final record of 64–80, to finish in seventh place in the eight-team league. Clarence Mitchell and Bernie DeViveiros were the Meriden managers. Meridian did not qualify for the playoffs, finishing 24.5 games behind the first place and eventual league champion Jackson Senators. Pitcher Ewald Pyle of Meridian led the Southeastern League with 180 strikeouts.
As the Southeastern League continued play in the 1941 season, the team became known as Meridian "Eagles," playing as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns. With fifth-place finish in the eight-team league, the Eagles ended the season with a record 65–74 record. The Eagles were led by manager Bennie Tate and ended the regular season 25.0 games behind the pennant winning Mobile Shippers. Meridian did not qualify for the playoffs won by Mobile, who won eight straight games en route to the championship. Eugene Nance of Meridian won the league batting championship, hitting .386. Teammate Fred Stroble led the league with both 25 home runs and 115 RBI, while Meridian's Jim Russell (baseball) scored a league leading 112 runs.
In June 1942, Ed Wright rejected his move from the Memphis Chicks to the Meridian Eagles. Wright sought to be sent closer to his Dyersburg, Tennessee home where he could continue working as a machinist at a local textile mill while also playing baseball. After rejecting a move to the Hopkinsville Hoppers in Kentucky, Wright returned to Dyersburg until he was sent by Meridian to the Jackson Generals.
In their last season before play was interrupted due to World War II, the Meridian Eagles finished in last place in the 1942 Class B level Southeastern League. The league reduced to six teams, as the Gadsden Pilots and Selma Cloverleafs teams did not return to play following the 1941 season. Meriden ended the 1942 Southeastern League regular season with a final record of 55–89, finishing in sixth place in the six-team league. The Eagles ended the regular season 33.5 games behind the first place Montgomery Rebels in the final standings. Led by managers Rip Fanning and Andy Reese, Meridian did not qualify for the playoffs, won by Montgomery. Eagles player Marion DeJarnett tied for the league lead scoring 111 runs.
Pitcher Bill Reeder played for Meridian in 1942. Following the season, Reeder enlisted in the U.S. Army. As a member of the 381st Infantry Regiment of the 96th Infantry Division, Reeder was in combat at the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. With his unit under attack from Japanese Army mortar fire, Reeder successfully threw hand grenades at the enemy emplacement, stopping the mortar fire. For his military action, Reeder was awarded a Silver Star.
1946 to 1950 – Southeastern League Meridian resumed minor league play in 1946 following World War II, when the Meridien "Peps" team rejoined the Class B level Southeastern League which reformed for the 1946 season with eight teams. The Anniston Rams, Gadsden Pilots, Jackson Senators, Montgomery Rebels, Pensacola Fliers, Selma Cloverleafs and Vicksburg Billies teams joined Meridian in returning to league play beginning on April 12. 1946.
The "Peps" were named by their owner. The team was owned by local Pepsi-Cola bottler Charles Buckwalter, who owned the team through the 1948 season.
Meridian native Fred Williams began the 1945 season with the Cleveland Indians before being sent to the minor leagues. In March 1946, Williams signed with the Meridian Peps to play the upcoming season. During the season, Williams was named as the Meridian manager on July 30, 1946, replacing Walt Tauscher.
Hired before the 1946 season to manage the team, Walt Tauscher was a long-time player and manager in the minor leagues. A pitcher, Tauscher won 263 games in 23 minor league seasons. The 1946 season was the final season in which Tauscher appeared as a player, as he appeared in 8 games for Meridian as pitcher, throwing 19 innings at age 44.
The Meridian "Peps" were a minor league affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946 and finished in last place in the Southeastern League final standings. The Peps finished the regular season with a record of 68–78, to finish in eighth place in the Southeastern League. The managers were [Walt Tauscher and Fred Williams as the Pepe finished 29.5 games behind first place Pensacola. Meridian missed the playoffs won by the Anniston Rams. After having played home games at Fairgrounds Park since beginning Southwestern League play in 1937, the Peps played their final season at the ballpark in 1946.
Following the 1946 season, Meridian team owner Charles Buckwalter reported that the franchise was losing money. The team spent about $5,000 for rent at the Fairgrounds Park in 1946 and Buckwalter pointed out that other teams often had pay only a token fee for the entire year of rent in their ballparks. The owners of the Fairground Field baseball park also would not allow the team to receive revenue on ballpark advertisements, worth an estimated $2,500 annually. With the team in jeopardy of remaining in Meridian, in January 1947, Buckwalter reached an affiliate agreement with the Cleveland Indians and sold shares of 75% the team, retaining 25% of the stocks for himself and he continued as team president. This new revenue funded a new ballpark for the team, with Buckwalter Stadium being built in time for the 1947 season.
Roxie Lawson became the Meridian manager in 1947. In November 1942, Lawson paused his professional baseball career and enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II. After concluding his military service with the Navy, Lawson was hired in January 1947 as the manager of the Meridian Peps for the upcoming season. Former manager Fred Williams returned to Meridian as a player for 1947, with Roxie Lawson taking over for him as manager. Williams played well for Meridian, hitting .321 in 1946 and .300 in 1947, and having 97 and 100 RBI in those seasons.
The 1947 Meridian Peps placed sixth and again did not qualify for the Southeastern League playoffs, with the franchise becoming a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The 1947 Meridian Peps finished with a 67–73 regular season record in the eight-team, playing the season under manager Roxy Lawson. Meridian ended the season 10.5 games behind the first place Jackson Generals in the regular season final standings. In the playoffs, the Montgomery Rebels won the league championship. Pitcher Wendell Davis of Meridian won 21 games to lead the league.
After his 1947 season leading Meridian, Roxie Lawson was hired in January 1948 to become the manager of the Green Bay Bluejays of the Wisconsin State League.
On March 26, 1948, former player and manager Fred Williams was released by Meridian.