Greenville Spinners

Minor league baseball team

1907–1972
(1907–1912, 1919–1931, 1938–1942, 1946–1952, 1954–1955, 1962)
Greenville, South Carolina

Minor league affiliationsPrevious classes

Class A (1962)
Class B (1951–1955)
Class A (1946–1950)
Class B (1938–1942)
Class D (1931)
Class B (1921–1930)
Class C (1919–1920)
Class D (1907–1912)

LeagueWestern Carolinas League (1962–1972)

Previous leagues

South Atlantic League (1961–1962)
Tri-State League (1951–1955)
South Atlantic League (1938–1950)
Palmetto League (1931)
South Atlantic League (1919–1930)
Carolina Association (1908–1912)
South Carolina League (1907)

Major league affiliationsPrevious teams

Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1947–1950, 1961–1962)
Chicago White Sox (1946)
Washington Senators (1939–1941)

Minor league titlesLeague titles 7 (1910, 1926, 1927, 1930, 1948Team data

Previous names

Greenville Spinners (1908–1912, 1919–1931, 1938–1942, 1946–1955, 1961–1962)
Greenville Edistoes (1907)

Previous parks

Meadowbrook Park

The Greenville Spinners was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams located in Greenville, South Carolina between 1907 and 1962. Greenville teams played as members of the South Carolina League in 1907, Carolina Association (1908–1912), the South Atlantic League (1919–1930, 1946–1950 and 1961–1962), the Palmetto League in 1931, and the Tri-State League (1954–1955).

Greenville was an affiliate of the Washington Senators (1939–1941), Chicago White Sox (1946), Brooklyn Dodgers (1947–1950) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1961–1962).

Baseball Hall of Fame member Tommy Lasorda (1949) and Greenville native Shoeless Joe Jackson (1908).

Greenville Spinners

A native of the Greenville, South Carolina area, Shoeless Joe Jackson played for the 1908 Greenville Spinners. Jackson hit .346 to lead the Carolina Association, while earning a salary of $75.00 a month. In August, 1908, Jackson's contract was purchased by the Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics for $900.00. Jackson immediately reported to the Athletics and made his major league debut. Today, there is a museum and numerous locales honoring Jackson in Greenville.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Tommy Lasorda pitched for the Greenville Spinners in 1949 at age 21. Lasorda compiled a 7-7 record and a 2.93 ERA with 138 walks and 158 strikeouts in 178 innings for the Brooklyn Dodgers affiliate.^[4]^[5]

Notable alumni

Tommy Lasorda (1949) Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1997
Rocky Bridges (1948) MLB All-Star
Como Cotelle (1940)
Oscar Grimes (1950) MLB All-Star
Clem Labine (1947) 2 x MLB All-Star
Pepper Martin (1947) 4 x MLB All-Star
Ray Moore (1948)
Sherry Robertson (1941)
Mickey Vernon (1938) 7 x MLB All Star; 2 x NL Batting Title (1946, 1953)
Dixie Walker (1930) 5 x MLB All-Star; 1944 NL Batting Title
Harry Walker (1938) 2 x MLB All-Star; 1947 NL Batting Title
Tillie Walker (1928–1929) 1918 Al Home Run Leader

References

^ "Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum". Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum.
^ "Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park".
^ "Shoeless Joe Jackson – Society for American Baseball Research".
^ "Tommy Lasorda Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
^ "1949 Greenville Spinners Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.