Fitzgerald Pioneers

The Fitzgerald Pioneers were a minor league baseball team, based in Fitzgerald, Georgia that played from 1948 until 1957. The team played in the Class D Georgia State League and won the league's title in 1948.

Fitzgerald Pioneers
1948–1957
Fitzgerald, Georgia
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesClass D
LeagueGeorgia–Florida League (1953–1957)
Previous leagues
Georgia State League (1948–1952)
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
  • Baltimore Orioles (1957)
  • Kansas City Athletics (1956)
  • Cincinnati Redlegs (1953–1954)
Minor league titles
League titles 1 (1948)
Team data
Previous names
  • Fitzgerald Orioles (1957)
  • Fitzgerald Athletics (1956)
  • Fitzgerald Redlegs (1954)
  • Fitzgerald Pioneers (1948–1953)
Previous parks
Blue & Gray Park

History

In 1953, the team joined the Georgia–Florida League and became an affiliate of the Cincinnati Redlegs. The following year the team name changed to the Fitzgerald Redlegs, to match their affiliate. In 1956 the team became and affiliate of the Kansas City Athletics and was renamed the Fitzgerald Athletics. Finally in 1957, the team became affiliated with Baltimore Orioles and were renamed the Fitzgerald Orioles and were managed by player/manager Earl Weaver, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. [1]

On July 19, 1952, at Pilots Field against the Statesboro Pilots, Joe Louis Reliford of the visiting Fitzgerald Pioneers, age 12, became the youngest person to play in a professional baseball game. Relaford simultaneously broke the racial barrier for the segregated Georgia State League. A photo of Reliford in uniform is housed in the Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown, N.Y.[2][3][4]

During the game, Reliford, playing outfield for one inning, made a catch over the wall, robbing Pilot player Jim Shuster of a home run to end the game. He was congratulated by Pilot fans, who came on the field and cheered him. [3]

The ballpark

Fitzgerald played at Blue & Grey Park, located at 301 East Palm Street Fitzgerald, Georgia 31750. [5][6]

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

Notable alumni
  • Joe Reliford (1952) Youngest professional and broke league color barrier
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References
  1. "Fitzgerald Orioles - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
  2. "Joe Reliford: The Inning of a Lifetime - Society for American Baseball Research". sabr.org.
  3. "Baseball's youngest pro made here". www.statesboroherald.com.
  4. https://www.milb.com/milb/news/batboy-barrels-his-way-into-hall-of-fame/c-150202
  5. "Blue & Gray Park". Fitzgerald, Ga.
  6. "1948 Fitzgerald Pioneers Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
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