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Fitzgerald Pioneers

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Fitzgerald Pioneers
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesClass D
LeagueGeorgia–Florida League (1953–1957)
Previous leagues
Georgia State League (1948–1952)
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
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

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 level Georgia State League and won the league's title in 1948.

Baseball Hall of Fame member Earl Weaver was the player/manager for Fitzgerald in 1957

History

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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.[citation needed]

On July 19, 1952, at Pilots Field against the Statesboro Pilots, Joe Reliford of the visiting Fitzgerald Pioneers, age 12, became the youngest person to play in a professional baseball game. Reliford 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, NY.[1][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.[2]

The ballpark

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

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "Joe Reliford: The Inning of a Lifetime - Society for American Baseball Research". sabr.org.
  2. ^ a b "Baseball's youngest pro made here". www.statesboroherald.com.
  3. ^ "Batboy barrels his way into Hall of Fame".
  4. ^ "The youngest ballplayer ever was HOW old?".
  5. ^ "Blue & Gray Park". Fitzgerald, Ga.
  6. ^ "1948 Fitzgerald Pioneers Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
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