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Hagerstown Owls
The Hagerstown Owls were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The team played in the Inter-State League (1941–1952) and the Piedmont League (1953–1955). Their home games were played in Municipal Stadium.
After the departure of the Hagerstown Hubs in 1931, there was no professional baseball in Hagerstown. The Inter-State League began play in 1939 as a class C league with teams in Trenton, New Jersey and Sunbury, Hazleton and Allentown, Pennsylvania. The league grew to class B status with the addition of four additional teams from Wilmington, Delaware and Reading, Harrisburg and York, Pennsylvania. Professional baseball returned to Hagerstown in 1941 when Oren E. Sterling moved his Sunbury Indians franchise to town and became a Detroit Tigers affiliate. The team was named the Owls for Oren, Win, Luck and Sterling.
The Owls did well in their first year, posting a record of 75-48 and finishing 5.5 games behind the first place Harrisburg Senators in 1941. Emil Brinsky tied for the league runs batted in (RBI) title with 104. Brinsky also led the team with 7 home runs. Batters with a .300 plus batting average for Hagerstown were Brinsky (.318), future major leaguer Turkey Tyson (.316), Roy Kennedy (.315) and future major leaguer Ferrell Anderson (.304). The dominant pitcher for Hagerstown was Anderson Bush. He led the Inter-State League in wins (20), strikeouts (170), earned run average (ERA, 1.61) and winning percentage (.833, 20–4). The Owls made the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by the Trenton Senators. Outfielder Brinsky and manager Dutch Dorman were selected for the 1941 Inter-State League End of Season All-Star Team.
World War II was having its impact in 1942, with the Inter-State League shrinking to 6 teams. Tyson led the team with a .291 batting average. Earl Rapp had a team leading 8 home runs. Pitcher Walter Wilson had a record of 16-8 and an ERA of 2.32 to lead the Owls. The most interesting game of the season occurred on August 24. Trenton Packers pitcher Jack Casey pitched a no-hitter against Hagerstown, but lost the game 3–2. Hagerstown finished the regular season in first place, 0.5 games ahead of the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Hagerstown defeated the Harrisburg Senators 3 games to 1 in the first round of the playoffs. However, in the league championship series, Wilmington captured the title by defeating Hagerstown 4 games to 1.
1943 was a spectacular year for returning player Bob Maier. He set an Interstate League single season record with 52 doubles. The 52 doubles were also a high for all of professional baseball in 1943. Maier also led the club with a .363 batting average. Maier would go on to be the starting third baseman for the World Series champion Detroit Tigers in 1945. Thomas Davis provided power with 16 home runs. Pitcher Charles Miller tied for the league lead with 20 wins and set the league record for innings pitched (260). Norman Shope, who split time between the Owls and the York White Roses, led the league with a 2.65 ERA. Even though Hagerstown won more games in 1943 than 1942, they missed repeating as the regular season leader in 1943, finishing 1 game behind the Lancaster Red Roses. The Owls still qualified for the postseason but were eliminated in the first round by York 3 games to 1.
The Owls slumped to fifth place in the six team league in 1944. They finished with a 65–73 record, finishing 11.5 games behind the leader Allentown Cardinals. For the first time since the club's inception, the Owls did not reach the postseason. Hank Nowak led the team with 10 home runs, while having a .341 batting average. Joe Slotter won 14 games, but set the Inter-State League record with 19 wild pitches during the season. Duke Brett's 2.94 ERA was the only one below 4.00.
The Owls affiliated with the Chicago Cubs in 1945. An even worse year was had by the Owls as they finished last, 25.5 games behind Lancaster. William Baskin was the leader of the pitching staff, with a 12–12 record and a 4.38 ERA. Frederick Danek it 7 home runs to lead the team. Charles Fitzgerald hit .370 in 63 games, while Tony Mattarazzo hit .315 in 133 games. Hank Nowak returned to the Owls with a league record-tying 22 game hitting streak.
The Hubs returned to winning form in 1946, finishing in 3rd place 10.5 games behind league leader Wilmington. The end of the war meant better times for the Inter-State League as well as it expanded from six teams to its original eight with the re-entries of the Harrisburg and Sunbury franchises. Offensively, the leaders were Tom Mattazrazzo with a .327 batting average and Charles Fitzgerald with 12 home runs. The two best pitchers for 1946 were left-handers Eddie Ancherico and Bill Stratton. Ancherico had a 16–8 record and a 3.69 ERA, while Stratton had a 14–7 record with a 3.62 ERA. The Owls qualified for the playoffs, playing in the best of seven game format that had been adopted by the Inter-State League in 1944. In a close series, Wilmington defeated Hagerstown 4 games to 3.
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Hagerstown Owls
The Hagerstown Owls were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The team played in the Inter-State League (1941–1952) and the Piedmont League (1953–1955). Their home games were played in Municipal Stadium.
After the departure of the Hagerstown Hubs in 1931, there was no professional baseball in Hagerstown. The Inter-State League began play in 1939 as a class C league with teams in Trenton, New Jersey and Sunbury, Hazleton and Allentown, Pennsylvania. The league grew to class B status with the addition of four additional teams from Wilmington, Delaware and Reading, Harrisburg and York, Pennsylvania. Professional baseball returned to Hagerstown in 1941 when Oren E. Sterling moved his Sunbury Indians franchise to town and became a Detroit Tigers affiliate. The team was named the Owls for Oren, Win, Luck and Sterling.
The Owls did well in their first year, posting a record of 75-48 and finishing 5.5 games behind the first place Harrisburg Senators in 1941. Emil Brinsky tied for the league runs batted in (RBI) title with 104. Brinsky also led the team with 7 home runs. Batters with a .300 plus batting average for Hagerstown were Brinsky (.318), future major leaguer Turkey Tyson (.316), Roy Kennedy (.315) and future major leaguer Ferrell Anderson (.304). The dominant pitcher for Hagerstown was Anderson Bush. He led the Inter-State League in wins (20), strikeouts (170), earned run average (ERA, 1.61) and winning percentage (.833, 20–4). The Owls made the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by the Trenton Senators. Outfielder Brinsky and manager Dutch Dorman were selected for the 1941 Inter-State League End of Season All-Star Team.
World War II was having its impact in 1942, with the Inter-State League shrinking to 6 teams. Tyson led the team with a .291 batting average. Earl Rapp had a team leading 8 home runs. Pitcher Walter Wilson had a record of 16-8 and an ERA of 2.32 to lead the Owls. The most interesting game of the season occurred on August 24. Trenton Packers pitcher Jack Casey pitched a no-hitter against Hagerstown, but lost the game 3–2. Hagerstown finished the regular season in first place, 0.5 games ahead of the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Hagerstown defeated the Harrisburg Senators 3 games to 1 in the first round of the playoffs. However, in the league championship series, Wilmington captured the title by defeating Hagerstown 4 games to 1.
1943 was a spectacular year for returning player Bob Maier. He set an Interstate League single season record with 52 doubles. The 52 doubles were also a high for all of professional baseball in 1943. Maier also led the club with a .363 batting average. Maier would go on to be the starting third baseman for the World Series champion Detroit Tigers in 1945. Thomas Davis provided power with 16 home runs. Pitcher Charles Miller tied for the league lead with 20 wins and set the league record for innings pitched (260). Norman Shope, who split time between the Owls and the York White Roses, led the league with a 2.65 ERA. Even though Hagerstown won more games in 1943 than 1942, they missed repeating as the regular season leader in 1943, finishing 1 game behind the Lancaster Red Roses. The Owls still qualified for the postseason but were eliminated in the first round by York 3 games to 1.
The Owls slumped to fifth place in the six team league in 1944. They finished with a 65–73 record, finishing 11.5 games behind the leader Allentown Cardinals. For the first time since the club's inception, the Owls did not reach the postseason. Hank Nowak led the team with 10 home runs, while having a .341 batting average. Joe Slotter won 14 games, but set the Inter-State League record with 19 wild pitches during the season. Duke Brett's 2.94 ERA was the only one below 4.00.
The Owls affiliated with the Chicago Cubs in 1945. An even worse year was had by the Owls as they finished last, 25.5 games behind Lancaster. William Baskin was the leader of the pitching staff, with a 12–12 record and a 4.38 ERA. Frederick Danek it 7 home runs to lead the team. Charles Fitzgerald hit .370 in 63 games, while Tony Mattarazzo hit .315 in 133 games. Hank Nowak returned to the Owls with a league record-tying 22 game hitting streak.
The Hubs returned to winning form in 1946, finishing in 3rd place 10.5 games behind league leader Wilmington. The end of the war meant better times for the Inter-State League as well as it expanded from six teams to its original eight with the re-entries of the Harrisburg and Sunbury franchises. Offensively, the leaders were Tom Mattazrazzo with a .327 batting average and Charles Fitzgerald with 12 home runs. The two best pitchers for 1946 were left-handers Eddie Ancherico and Bill Stratton. Ancherico had a 16–8 record and a 3.69 ERA, while Stratton had a 14–7 record with a 3.62 ERA. The Owls qualified for the playoffs, playing in the best of seven game format that had been adopted by the Inter-State League in 1944. In a close series, Wilmington defeated Hagerstown 4 games to 3.