Description
Forty-six page record book for the Florida State League of professional baseball clubs, Class D, 1947. Information provided in the book includes a list of the league's presidents, the 1947 directors, official scorers, umpires, a photograph of the pennant-winning St. Augustine Saints, an editorial by League Secretary-Treasurer-Statistician Peter Schaal, the season in facts and figures, a list of members from every Florida State League all-star team from 1936 to 1947, photographs of some of the 1947 headliners, and a hand-drawn map of the area included in the league.
Sanford entered the world of pro ball in 1919 with the formation of the Class D Florida State League. In its inaugural season, the Celeryfeds won the first half pennant, finishing in a tie with Orlando for the best overall record. Although the league folded in 1928, it was revived in 1936, and once again included a team from Sanford called the Lookouts, which was part of the Senators family of clubs. This struggling team finally turned around when they acquired former Major League star, Dale Alexander, as manager and first baseman in 1939. In over 80 years of Florida State League history, no team has ever matched their .737 winning percentage that season. The next season, the Sanford Seminoles emerged as the city's baseball team.
External Reference
Land, Chris. Blackout: The Untold Story of Jackie Robinson's First Spring Training. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 2004.
McCarthy, Kevin. Baseball in Florida. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, 1996.
Singletary, Wes. Florida's First Big League Baseball Players: A Narrative History. Charleston, South Carolina: History Press, 2006.