In 1939 they were renamed the Red Hats, and featured many players who were to be Washington Senators, such as starting pitcher Mickey Haefner.
The club was unaffiliated the next season and, during World War II, was part of the Florida East Coast League, as the FSL ceased operations temporarily.
The major-league St. Louis Browns used Conrad Park in 1942 for spring training, for only that year, but were not affiliated with the club otherwise.
Pirtle never made the majors,[3][4] but his presence heralded a four-year run of success for the club.
Attendance was down all across the FSL, a trend attributed to television,[7] and the DeLand club was relocated to Gainesville.