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Baseball has been part of West Virginia’s history since Wheeling formed its first team in 1866. By 1920, 14 towns had teams, including Charleston, Fairmont, and Huntington.
Many future stars got their start in West Virginia. Hall of Famers like Lefty Grove, Hack Wilson, Stan Musial, Jim Bunning, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken Jr., Trevor Hoffman, and Dave Parker all played here early in their careers.
Here are a few of the players and moments from Mountain State baseball history.
Wheeling native Jesse Burkett was the first West Virginian elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He hit better than .400 in three seasons, something accomplished by only Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby. He finished his 16-year major league career with ...
John Wesley "Jack" Glasscock from Wheeling was one of the best shortstops of 19th-century baseball. Nicknamed “Pebbly Jack” for his habit of picking up pebbles at shortstop—some say imaginary ones—he played without a glove and helped invent infiel...
In the early 1920s, future Hall of Famers Hack Wilson and Lefty Grove (pictured) played for Martinsburg in the Class D Blue Ridge League. In 1920, Martinsburg traded Grove to the Baltimore Orioles for $3,500—the cost to fix a fence blown down in a...
Wilson is best known for knocking in 191 runs in 1930 for the Chicago Cubs—a major league single-season record that still stands. That same season, he also hit 56 home runs, which was the National League record for decades. He played 12 seasons fo...
In the early 1900s, baseball was a big part of life in West Virginia’s coal towns. Coal companies formed teams to boost morale and often gave good players easier jobs and more time off.Teams like the Raleigh Clippers, Tams Black Sox, and Gary Gray...
This Wood County native had a solid Major League Baseball career—but he's best remembered for being one of Babe Ruth’s first roommates. A natural athlete, Hoblitzell played for the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox, winning World Series titles fo...
Parkersburg native Alfred Earle “Greasy” Neale was one of West Virginia’s best all-around athletes. At West Virginia Wesleyan College, he starred in football, basketball, and baseball. After graduating in 1915, he coached the football team while s...
Thomas was a star outfielder in the Negro Leagues during segregation. Known for his speed and great hitting, he played for the Brooklyn Royal Giants, Detroit Stars, Hilldale Giants, and New York Black Yankees, among others. He once beat legendary ...
Sam Jones was the first African American to pitch a no-hitter in Major League Baseball. Though born in Ohio, he grew up in Monongah, Marion County, where his family moved for the coal mining work. He was a star athlete at Fairmont’s Dunbar High an...
Stone was the first woman to play professional baseball on a previously all-male major league team in the Negro Leagues. Born in Bluefield, she grew up in Minnesota and began playing semi-pro baseball in the 1940s.In 1953, the Indianapolis Clowns ...
Burdette was a star pitcher in Major League Baseball, best known for his time with the Milwaukee Braves. Born in Nitro, he learned to pitch after high school while playing for the local American Viscose Corporation's team.He joined the New York Ya...
Bill Mazeroski was born in Wheeling and grew up in a small home near the Ohio River. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates at age 17. Known for his amazing defense at second base, Mazeroski won eight Gold Glove Awards and still holds records for m...
This Glen Dale native became a hall of fame third baseman for the Kansas City Royals. He grew up in a sports-loving family and was drafted by the Royals in 1971. Brett played 21 seasons, finishing with 3,154 hits and a .305 batting average. His be...
John Kruk was born in Charleston but grew up in Keyser, where he played high school and college baseball. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1981 and made his major league debut in 1986.After a strong 1987 season, Kruk was traded to the Phi...
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