Waynesboro Red Birds
The Waynesboro Red Birds was the final moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania from 1920 to 1930. Waynesboro teams played as exclusively as members of the Class D level Blue Ridge League. The Waynesboro Red Birds were a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1925 and from 1928 to 1930. History. The 1920 Waynesboro Villagers were the first minor league baseball team based in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. The Villagers became members of the reformed Class D level six–team Blue Ridge League. The league reformed after not playing the 1919  season and Waynesboro replaced the Gettysburg Ponies franchise in the 1920 league. On May 19, 1920, Waynesboro won their opening day game at home, an 11-9 victory over the Hanover Raiders. In their first season of play, Waynesboro finished the 1920 season with a 53–42 record to place 3rd in the Blue Ridge League. The Villagers manager was Bill "Country" Morris, who would managed the team through the 1923 season. Waynesboro finished 2.5 games behind the 1st place Hagerstown Champs in the final standings as the league had no playoffs until 1926. Harold Yordy of Waynesboro led the Blue  Ridge League in home runs with 12 and Lefty Clarke had a league leading 150 strikeouts. Returning to play in 1921, the Waynesboro Villagers placed 3rd in the six–team Blue Ridge League. Waynesboro ended the season with a record of 52–45 to finish 6.5 games behind the 1st place Frederick Hustlers, playing under returning manager Bill Morris. Wally Kimmick led the Blue Ridge League with 20 home runs, 47 stolen bases and 146 hits, while Alan "Lefty" Clarke led the circuit with 25 wins and 258 strikeouts. In 1922, the Villagers placed 2nd in the Blue Ridge League final  standings. With a 56–42 record in the six–team league, Waynesboro finished in 2nd place, 9.5 games behind the 1st place Martinsburg Blue Sox under returning manager Bill Morris. Beginning in 1922 and continuing through 1927, the champion of the Blue Ridge League played the champion of the Eastern Shore League in a championship playoff called the "Five-State Championship Series". Waynesboro teams did not advance to any of the playoffs. The 1923 Waynesboro Villagers again placed 2nd in the Blue Ridge League standings. The Villagers finished with a record of 52–45. Playing their final full season under manager Bill  Morris, Waynesboro finished 15.0 games behind the 1st place Martinsburg Blue Sox. In 1924, the unaffiliated Waynesboro Villagers finished last in the Blue Ridge League. The villagers ended the season with a record of 39–56 to place 6th under managers Joe Ward and Joe Conti, finishing 19.0 games behind the champion Martinsburg Blue Sox. Jackson Mathews of Waynesboro led the Blue Ridge League with 115 strikeouts. Waynesboro became an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals for the 1925 season. The "Waynesboro Cardinals" finished the 1925 season with a record of 47–49 to place 4th in the six–team Blue Ridge  League. Under manager John Breckenridge, the Cardinals finished 16.0 games behind the 1st place Hagerstown Hubs in the final standings. George Hammen of Waynesboro led the Blue Ridge in hitting with a batting average of .375 and topped the circuit with 141 hits. Waynesboro returned to the Villagers moniker as an unaffiliated team in 1926. The Villagers finished last. With a regular season record of 34–59, Waynesboro placed 6th, finishing 29.0 games behind the 1st place Hagerstown Hubs. The team was managed by Ed Greene, William Suhre and the returning Bill Morris. The 1927 Waynesboro Villagers finished the season with  a record of 41–57. The Villagers placed 5th in the Blue Ridge League, playing under managers John Perrin and John Ebert. Waynesboro ended the season 23.5 games behind the 1st place Chambersburg Maroons in the final standings. Waynesboro again became a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate in 1928. The Waynesboro Red Birds finished last in the Blue Ridge League. The Red Birds ended the regular season with a record of 37–58 to place 6th in the six–team league. Managed by Ed Miller and Harold Funk, Waynesboro finished 21.0 games behind the 1st place Hanover Raiders in the final standings. Beginning  in 1928, the Blue Ridge League champion was matched in a championship series with the champion of the Middle Atlantic League in the "Tri-State Series." Waynesboro did not advance to play in this series. The 1929 Waynesboro Red Birds finished last in the Blue Ridge League for the second consecutive season. Waynesboro finished the regular season with a record of 40–69 to place 6th in the six–team Blue Ridge League. Under managers Ken Kirkham and Irwin Wimer, Waynesboro finished the season 11.0 games behind the 1st place Martinsburg Blue Sox in the final standings. In their final season  of play, the 1930 Waynesboro Red Birds reached the Blue Ridge League Finals. As the Blue Ridge League compacted to four teams, Waynesboro finished the regular season with an overall record of 56–57 to place 2nd in the standings under manager Bob Rice. The Red Birds ended the regular season 13.0 games behind the 1st place Chambersburg Young Yanks. As the two teams tied for the 1st half title, they met in the playoffs. Waynesboro lost to Chambersburg in the Blue Ridge League playoff 2 games to 1. The Blue Ridge League folded following the 1930 season, greatly affected by  the stock market crash of 1929. Waynesboro, Pennsylvania has not hosted another minor league team. The ballparks. Waynesboro minor league teams were noted to have played home games exclusively at E-B Park. On September 22, 1920, E-B Park hosted an exhibition game featuring the Baltimore Orioles with Lefty Grove, champions of the International League, against a team of Blue Ridge League All–Stars. The game ended in a 5–5 tie after 9–innings with 1,500 in attendance.