DeLand Red Hats
| DeLand Red Hats | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes | Class D |
| League | Florida State League (1946–1954) |
Previous leagues |
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| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
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| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 2 (1950, 1951) |
| Team data | |
Previous names |
|
Previous parks | Conrad Park |
The DeLand Red Hats were a minor-league baseball team in DeLand, Florida that played in the Florida State League (FSL) from 1936–1954. They played in Conrad Park, near Stetson University.
Early years
[edit]After the FSL was re-organized in 1936 the Red Hats were called simply the DeLand Reds and were affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds as a Class D team.[1] In 1938 they moved into the Chicago White Sox organization. In 1939 they were renamed the Red Hats and featured many players who were to be Washington Senators, such as starting pitcher Mickey Haefner. As a result, the Senators made DeLand part of its minor-league organization in 1940. The club was again unaffiliated the next season and for the duration of World War II, becoming part of the Florida East Coast League after the FSL ceased operations early in the 1942 season. The major-league St. Louis Browns used Conrad Park that year for spring training but were not affiliated with the club otherwise. In fact the Red Hats would not be affiliated with any major-league organization again, even after returning to the rebooted FSL in 1946.
1950s Champions
[edit]The biggest Red Hats star may have been Al Pirtle,[2] a career minor-leaguer and FSL star whom they acquired in 1950. Pirtle never made the majors[3][4] but his presence heralded a four-year run of success for the club. The team in 1950 posted a record of 82-57 while Pirtle batted .345 and had 38 doubles.[5] After several playoff disappointments they finally won their first FSL championship that year. They came back in 1951 even stronger, winning 90 games and a second FSL title.[5] Now clearly the best team in the league, 1952 was their best year statistically, with a 95-40 (.703) record.[6] However they lost the first playoff round and would not three-peat. In 1953 they won a modest 78 games but made it back to the FSL championship series again. They would not win a third title, losing to the Daytona Beach Islanders.
1954 would prove to be the final season for the Red Hats. Attendance was down all across the FSL, a trend attributed to television,[7] and the DeLand club was relocated to Gainesville.
The Ballpark
[edit]DeLand's teams played at Conrad Park. The ballpark was also home of several other clubs, notably: the Sun Caps and the Suns, the Stetson University Hatters, and the Daytona Cubs. The original Conrad Park was demolished in 1998 and the site today is home to Melching Field at Conrad Park.
Notable alumni
[edit]- Mickey Haefner (1939)
- Harry Rice (1938-1939)
- Bama Rowell (1954)
Year by year results
[edit]| Season | Name | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Reds | 60-80 | First season of "new" FSL; became Cincinnati Reds minor-league affiliate |
| 1937 | Reds | 79-61 | Made playoffs, lost first round |
| 1938 | Reds | 54-86 | White Sox minor-league affiliate for one season |
| 1939 | Red Hats | 69-69 | Independent team ("co-op"); made playoffs, lost first round |
| 1940 | Red Hats | ??? | Washington Senators minor-league affiliate for one season |
| 1941 | Red Hats | 78-47 | Made playoffs, lost in second round (championship) to Leesburg Anglers |
| 1942 | Red Hats | 13-13 | FSL suspended operations in May, due to World War II |
| 1943 | Red Hats | ??? | Joined Florida East Coast League for duration of war |
| 1944 | Red Hats | ??? | |
| 1945 | Red Hats | ??? | |
| 1946 | Red Hats | 68-68 | Resumption of FSL; made playoffs, lost first round |
| 1947 | Red Hats | 80-58 | Made playoffs, lost first round |
| 1948 | Red Hats | 50-90 | |
| 1949 | Red Hats | 64-70 | |
| 1950 | Red Hats | 82-57 | FSL champions |
| 1951 | Red Hats | 90-50 | FSL champions |
| 1952 | Red Hats | 95-40 | Made playoffs, lost first round |
| 1953 | Red Hats | 78-56 | Made playoffs, lost in championship to Daytona Beach Islanders |
| 1954 | Red Hats | 77-62 | Team moves to Gainesville after season |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Conrad Park - Deland Florida - Former Home of the DeLand Red Hats". Digitalballparks.com. August 11, 2001. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ↑ "Al Pirtle". Baseball in Wartime. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ↑ in fact Pirtle played his entire seven-year career in Class D ball despite a .333 batting average. He stayed in the FSL because he liked living in Florida and had business interests there.
- ↑ "Al Pirtle Minor Leagues Statistics & History".
- 1 2 "Conrad Park - Deland Florida - Former Home of the DeLand Red Hats". Digitalballparks.com. August 11, 2001. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ↑ "Conrad Park - Deland Florida - Former Home of the DeLand Red Hats". Digitalballparks.com. August 11, 2001. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ↑ "Conrad Park - Deland Florida - Former Home of the DeLand Red Hats". Digitalballparks.com. August 11, 2001. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ↑ "Conrad Park - Deland Florida - Former Home of the DeLand Red Hats". Digitalballparks.com. August 11, 2001. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- Baseball teams established in 1936
- Defunct Florida State League teams
- Chicago White Sox minor league affiliates
- Cincinnati Reds minor league affiliates
- Washington Senators (1901–1960) minor league affiliates
- Defunct baseball teams in Florida
- 1936 establishments in Florida
- Baseball teams disestablished in 1954
- 1954 disestablishments in Florida
- Sports in DeLand, Florida
- Florida East Coast League teams