Leesburg Athletics

The Leesburg Athletics was the final name of a professional minor league baseball team, based in Leesburg, Florida. The club was first formed in 1937 as the Leesburg Gondoliers, a Florida State League team that did not share an affiliation with a big-league club. From 1939–1941 the team became known as the Leesburg Anglers, who again were a non-affiliated minor league team. After not hosting a team from 1942–1945 the Anglers would return in 1946.

Leesburg Athletics
1937–1968
(1937–1941, 1946–1953, 1956–1957, 1960–1961, 1965–1968)
Leesburg, Florida
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes
  • Class A (1963–1968)
  • Class D (1937–1962)
LeagueFlorida State League (1937–1968)
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles (2)
  • 1941
  • 1966
Team data
Previous names
  • Leesburg Athletics (1965–1968)
  • Leesburg Orioles (1960–1961)
  • Leesburg Braves (1956–1957)
  • Leesburg Lakers (1953)
  • Leesburg Packers (1950–1952)
  • Leesburg Dodgers (1949)
  • Leesburg Pirates (1947–1948)
  • Leesburg Anglers (1938–1941, 1946)
  • Leesburg Gondoliers (1937–1938)
Previous parks
Pat Thomas Stadium

From 1947–1948 the team became the Leesburg Pirates, and were a Class-D affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1949 the Brooklyn Dodgers operated the team as the Leesburg Dodgers. They used four different managers as the Dodgers and went 37-97. 44-year-old Luke Hamlin, who managed for them, also pitched in eight games for them. From 1950–1952 they would again become an un-affiliated team known as the Leesburg Packers. In 1953 the team would change its name to the Leesburg Lakers but would remain independent of any affiliation. The team would go on hiatus for two seasons and would then emerge in 1956 as an affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves, known as the Leesburg Braves. They would remain that way until the end of the 1957 season. After that, they would become the Leesburg Orioles from 1960–1961 and were affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles. Again breaking for a few years the team would re-emerge for a final time, this time as the Leesburg A's from 1965–1968, they would be an affiliate of the Kansas City/Oakland A's during this stint.[1]

The Leesburg teams won Florida State League championships in 1941 and 1966.[2]

Notable Alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

Notable alumni

  • Cal Ripken, Sr. (1961)
  • Gene Tenace (1966-1967) MLB All-Star; 1972 World Series Most Valuable Player

Year-by-year record

(from Baseball Reference Bullpen)

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
193771-674thSpec MeadowsLost in 1st round
193887-521stNelson LeachLost League Finals
193972-653rdNellie LeachLost in 1st round
194062-776thEmil Yde
194163-664thWilbur Good Jr.League Champs
194663-715thBill Good
194754-817thBill Good
194860-776thEd Leip
194937-978thLou Haneles, Julian Acosta & Luke Hamlin
195054-847thFrank Piet, Floyd Clift & Bill Steinecke
195171-694thFloyd Clift, Mickey BurnettLost in 1st round
195252-847thWalt Chipple, Don Anderson, John Pawlick & Bob Latshaw
195356-776thRed Dulaney / Frank Barrett
195658-827thTommy Giordano
195764-755thTommy Giordano
196053-808thBob Hooper
196156-807thBilly DeMars, Cal Ripken Sr. & Ray Scarborough
196553-809thTony Frulio
196687-442ndJames WilliamsLeague Champs
196764-715thJames Williams
196851-9210thAl Ronning


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References
  1. BR Minors
  2. "Championship Trophy". Florida State League official website. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
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