Rock Hill Cardinals
Baseball Hall of Fame members Sparky Anderson managed the teams in 1965, and Steve Carlton pitched for the Cardinals in 1964 at age 19.
[6] In 1963, Rock Hill joined the Gastonia Pirates, Greenville Braves (Milwaukee Braves minor league affiliate), Lexington Giants (San Francisco Giants), Salisbury Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers), Shelby Colonels (New York Yankees), Spartanburg Phillies (Philadelphia Phillies) and Statesville Owls teams in beginning Western Carolinas League play on April 24, 1963.
[8] Rock Hill finished 10.5 games behind the first place Gastonia Pirates, who had the league's best overall record but did not qualify for the playoff.
Before his Rock Hill position, Ferrell had last managed in the minor leagues in 1949 when he was a player/manager of the Tampa Bay Smokers.
[11][10] The team became known as the Rock Hill "Cardinals" as the franchise continued play in the 1964 Class A level Western Carolinas League.
On June 10, 1961, after catching 42 of the Cardinals' first 48 games, Smith complained of chest and abdominal pains and He was admitted to Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, where he was diagnosed with a "coronary artery condition.
in 1963 he worked as a catching coach with the St. Louis Cardinals minor league teams before accepting the Rock Hill Position.
[14] The 1964 Rock Hill Cardinals placed second in the eight-team Western Carolinas League overall regular season standings.
[16][15] At age 19, n his first professional season, Baseball Hall of Fame member Steve Carlton pitched for the 1964 Rock Hill Cardinals.
[18] A pitcher at Miami-Dade Community College, Carlton had received a $5,000 bonus when he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals organization in October 1963.
[20][21] In 24 seasons of major league pitching, Carlton won 329 games and four Cy Young Awards.
[23][24] After placing fifth in the regular season overall standings with a 59–63 record, Rock Hill qualified for the playoffs by winning the second–half pennant, as the league had a split–season format.
[26][27][3] Rock Hill pitcher Felix Roque won 18 games to lead the Western Carolinas League.
[3] Baseball Hall of Fame member Nolan Ryan of the Greenville Mets complied a 17–2 record with a Western Carolinas League leading 272 strikeouts.
[31][32] While pitching for Rock Hill in 1966, Cardinal pitcher Mike Torrez won two games in one day.
For the season, Torrez made the league All-Star team, posting a 7–4 record, with a 2.50 ERA in 90 innings.
[3] Rock Hill manager Pinky May had played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1939 to 1943 before his major league career was interrupted by his service during World War II.
Playing shortstop and left field, Rein led the Buckeyes in stolen bases in 1965 and 1966, and in doubles and runs in 1966.
[42] In 1969, Rein was playing for the Class AAA level Portland Beavers, when Achilles tendon and hamstring injuries ended his baseball career.
[50] In 1976, Rein became the youngest college football head coach when he was hired by North Carolina State to replace Holtz.
On January 10, 1980, Rein was returning from recruiting trip to Shreveport, Louisiana when his private aircraft crashed, leaving no survivors.
[55] With an overall record of 54–67, playing the season under returning manager Pinky May, Rock Hill finished 17.5 games behind the first place Greenwood Braves.
[61][62] In the era, the ballpark was located at the corner of York Avenue & Cherry Road in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
[63][64][65][66] Today, the ballpark site is home to the Rock Hill District Three Stadium, which is adjacent to the campus of Winthrop University.
