Petersburg, Virginia minor league baseball history

Petersburg teams were a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1923 and Cincinnati Reds in 1954.

Baseball Hall of Fame member Sam Rice played for the 1914 and 1915 Petersburg Goobers.

[2][3] The Petersburg Farmers finished 72–44 in the regular season to capture the title, as there were no league playoffs.

[4][5][1] After finishing 55–69, to place fifth in the 1895 Virginia League, the Petersburg Farmers started 1896 with a 32–60 record.

On August 13, 1896, the Petersburg Farmers moved to Hampton, Virginia to become the Hampton-Newport News Clamdiggers for the remainder of the season.

Petersburg, also going by the "Hustlers" moniker in 1911, finished first, with a record of 68–51 to capture the Virginia League championship.

The 1913 Petersburg Goobers captured the Virginia League Championship with their first-place finish and 89–46 record.

[1] Baseball Hall of Fame member Sam Rice played for the Petersburg Goobers in 1914–1915.

In 1912, Rice was in the preseason, playing for the Galesburg Pavers when his wife, two children, his parents and two sisters were killed in a tornado.

On July 28, 1915, Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith purchased Rice from Leigh and Petersburg.

The Virginia League suspended play after the 1942 season due to World War II.

[23][1] After World War II, the Petersburg Generals joined the reformed Virginia League V in 1948.

Petersburg finished 72–54, placing second in the Virginal League regular season standings.

In the Finals, the Petersburg Generals defeated the Franklin Kildees 4 games to 2 to win the championship.

The team moved to play home games at Shepherd Park in Colonial Heights.

Reviving the previous moniker, the current "Generals" became members of the Coastal Plain League.

[31] Petersburg minor league teams from 1910 to 1913 were noted to have played home games at Parkinson Park.

[32] From 1914 to 1950, Petersburg minor league teams were noted to have played at McKenzie Street Park.

[33] In 1951 and 1954, Colonial Heights-Petersburg minor league home games were referenced to have been played at Shepherd Park.