# Eastern Carolina League

The Eastern Carolina League was a minor league baseball affiliation which operated in the Eastern part of North Carolina. The league had two distinct periods of operation: 1908 to 1910 and a revival of the league in 1928 and 1929. It was classified as a Class D level league.
The most famous person to play in the league was Jim Thorpe, considered by some the greatest athlete of the twentieth century. It was his involvement with the Eastern Carolina League that cost him his amateur status and his 1912 Summer Olympics metals.

## Eastern Carolina League champions

* 1908 – Wilson Tobacconists †
* 1909 – Wilson Tobacconists
* 1910 – Fayetteville Highlanders
* 1928 – Goldsboro Manufacturers
* 1929 – Rocky Mount Buccaneers
† In late August 1908, Eastern North Carolina was hit by what is now known as Tropical Storm #5. The playoffs were abandoned with Wilmington leading Wilson 2 games to 1.

## Cities represented

* Fayetteville, NC: Fayetteville Highlanders 1909–1910
* Goldsboro, NC: Goldsboro Giants 1908–1910; Goldsboro Manufacturers 1928; Goldsboro Goldbugs 1929
* Greenville, NC: Greenville Tobacconists 1928–1929
* Kinston, NC: Kinston 1908; Kinston Eagles 1928–1929
* New Bern, NC: New Bern 1908
* Raleigh, NC: Raleigh Red Birds 1908–1910
* Rocky Mount, NC: Rocky Mount Railroaders 1909–1910; Rocky Mount Buccaneers 1928–1929
* Wilmington, NC: Wilmington Sailors 1908–1910; Wilmington Pirates 1928–1929
* Wilson, NC: Wilson Tobacconists 1908–1910

## Standings & statistics
### 1908 to 1910

1908 schedule
1908 Eastern Carolina League :
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Wilson Tobacconists | 36 | 18 | .667 | – | Earl Holt |
| Wilmington Sailors | 35 | 21 | .625 | 2.0 | Dick Smith |
| Goldsboro Giants | 29 | 28 | .509 | 8.5 | H.E. Kling |
| Raleigh Red Birds | 23 | 36 | .390 | 15.5 | George "King" Kelly / Frank Thompson / Wallace Warren |
| New Bern | 5 | 16 | .238 | NA | NA |
| Kinston | 6 | 12 | .333 | NA | Lloyd Wooten |
New Bern and Kinston withdrew July 15 Playoffs: Abandoned August 27 due to bad weather. Wilmington was leading Wilson 2 games to 1.
Player statistics :
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
| Earl Holt | Wilson | BA | .286 | Harvey Bussey | Wilmington | W | 14 |
| Walker Moore | Wilson | Runs | 28 | Fred Anderson | Wilson | SO | 120 |
| Walker Moore | Wilson | Hits | 57 | Hatton Ogle | Wilson | Pct | .846; 11–2 |
| L. Fox | Kinston/Raleigh | HR | 3 |
1909 schedule
1909 Eastern Carolina League :
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Wilson Tobacconists | 50 | 39 | .562 | – | Earl Holt |
| Wilmington Sailors | 50 | 40 | .556 | 0.5 | Dick Smith |
| Fayetteville Highlanders | 49 | 41 | .544 | 1.5 | Charles Moss / Charles Clancy |
| Raleigh Red Birds | 49 | 41 | .544 | 1.5 | Richard Crozier |
| Goldsboro Giants | 43 | 46 | .486 | 7.0 | H. E. Kling |
| Rocky Mount Railroaders | 27 | 61 | .307 | 22.5 | W. B. Fenner / Joe Walsh |
Playoffs: Wilson awarded Championship after ineligible player violations were enacted.
Player statistics :
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
| Bill Schumaker | Fayetteville | BA | .340 | Harry Otis | Goldsboro | W | 19 |
| Pete Clemens | Fayetteville | Runs | 46 | Bill Luyster | Fayetteville | Pct | .786; 11–3 |
| Charlie Armstrong | Wilson | Hits | 76 |
1910 schedule
1910 Eastern Carolina League :
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Fayetteville Highlanders | 47 | 37 | .560 | – | Charles Clancy |
| Wilson Tobacconists | 44 | 39 | .530 | 2.5 | Charles McGeehan |
| Wilmington Sailors | 42 | 43 | .494 | 5.5 | Bert Kite / L.T. Mills |
| Rocky Mount Railroaders | 43 | 45 | .489 | 6.0 | M.J. Phelan / James Connors |
| Goldsboro Giants | 39 | 44 | .470 | 7.5 | William "King" Kelley |
| Raleigh Red Birds | 38 | 45 | .458 | 8.5 | Richard Crozier |
Playoffs: Fayetteville 4 games, Rocky Mount 1.
Player statistics :
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
| Curly Brown | Goldsboro | BA | .294 | Bunny Hearn | Wilson | W | 16 |
| J. T. Mullins | Fayetteville | Runs | 40 | Erskine Mayer | Fayetteville | Pct | .882; 15–2 |
| Pete Clemens | Raleigh | Hits | 74 |

### 1928 to 1929

1928 Eastern Carolina League :
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Wilmington Pirates | 68 | 46 | .596 | – | Hal Weafer |
| Goldsboro Manufacturers | 66 | 48 | .579 | 2.0 | Jim Teague |
| Rocky Mount Buccaneers | 55 | 56 | .495 | 11.5 | Charles McMillan |
| Kinston Eagles | 55 | 59 | .482 | 13.0 | Paul Bennett / Marty Walters |
| Fayetteville Highlanders | 53 | 60 | .469 | 14.5 | Lee Gooch / Pooly Hubert |
| Greenville Tobacconists | 43 | 71 | .377 | 25 | Taylor Jolliff / Tom Abbott |
Playoffs: Goldsboro 4 games, Wilmington 2.
Player statistics :
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
| Frank Roscoe | Wilmington | BA | .387 | Ralph Carver | Goldsboro | W | 17 |
| Charles Hamel | Goldsboro | Runs | 101 | Bobo Newsom | Greenville/Wilmington | SO | 114 |
| Frank Roscoe | Wilmington | Hits | 154 | Eddie Alsobrook | Fayetteville/Rocky Mt. | ERA | 2.70 |
| Frank Roscoe | Wilmington | RBI | 101 | Ralph Carver | Goldsboro | PCT | .944; 17–1 |
| Frank Roscoe | Wilmington | HR | 36 |
1929 Eastern Carolina League :
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Rocky Mount Buccaneers | 69 | 47 | .595 | – | Zip King / Charles Moore |
| Goldsboro Goldbugs | 68 | 50 | .576 | 2.0 | Jim Teague / Spoke Emery |
| Wilmington Pirates | 67 | 52 | .563 | 3.5 | Hal Weafer |
| Fayetteville Highlanders | 55 | 62 | .470 | 14.5 | Cy Chisholm / Marty Walters |
| Greenville Tobacconists | 45 | 68 | .398 | 22.5 | Lester Bangs / Guy Smith / Dan Pasquella |
| Kinston Eagles | 46 | 71 | .393 | 23.5 | Clarence Roper |
Playoffs: Rocky Mount 4 games, Wilmington 2.
Player statistics :
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
| Clarence Roper | Kinston | BA | .368 | Edward Heller | Goldsboro | W | 17 |
| Sam Fayonsky | Rocky Mount | Runs | 94 | Eddie Alsobrook | Rocky Mount | W | 17 |
| Roland Robins | Wilmington | Hits | 154 | Edward Heller | Goldsboro | ERA | 2.37 |
| Tom Young | Fayette/Wilmington | RBI | 89 | Henry Thormahlen | Wilmington | SO | 135 |
| Tom Young | Fayette/Wilmington | HR | 21 | Henry Thormahlen | Wilmington | PCT | .875; 14–2 |