[AZTarHeel]

1914 North Carolina State League -- News & Notes

• There were zero no-hitters again this season, but Raleigh’s Andy Owens tossed a one-hitter and a two-hitter to come close. Nice. He’s 27 years old by the way, so should be in the league for awhile…

• Two players had six-RBI games in 1914. Both came against Asheville. Raleigh SS Jeff Sherman went 5-for-5 with six RBIs against the Mountaineers on April 10, while Winston-Salem SS Carlos Rodriguez (“C-Rod") went 5-for-6 with the six-pack of RBIs on Aug. 4. Rodriguez also was walked in that game, so spent a lot of time on the base paths.

• Winston catcher Richard Franklin had a game against Asheville where he went 2-for-2 and drew four walks. He scored four runs in a 21-3 win over the Mountaineers in April. Wow on a lot of fronts. (What’s up with folks having big games against Asheville anyways?)

• Pitcher Matt King, originally from South Florida, moved to Asheville in 1913 hoping to keep his career alive in the cool mountains of North Carolina. He was 41 years old at the time and posted a 5-3 record with a 2.49 ERA in 11 starts for the Mountaineers. He even had a two-hit shutout against Greensboro in May 1913.

But injuries finally caught up with King. He missed the final two months of 1913 with bone chips in his elbow, then tore a bicep muscle while trying to get ready for the 1914 campaign. He missed the entire '14 season and decided to hang it up for good after that. “I still love the game and have the heart to be out there, but my body is just shot,” he said. "Maybe I'll try to be a manager or pitching coach. I really like Asheville."

• Winston RF Manuel Gutierrez retired after the 1914 season with a .400 average. Nice! Of course, he only came to bat five times in two years, getting two hits. He batted 1.000 in 1913! His one official at-bat was a single (and he scored a run). “It was fun just to be out there,” he said. “I fell in love with Winston-Salem fans, and winning a championship for them will always be one of my favorite memories, even if I watched most of it from the dugout or the bleachers as a reserve player."

• The owners of the Winston-Salem franchise must have a short memory. They fired manager Ollie Spence after the Twins finished fifth in 1914. Spence directed the team to a championship the year before. Go figure.

• It’s amazing Asheville did as well as it did looking deeper into the Mountaineers’ season. The team lost three pitchers to season-ending injuries, as well as its starting 2B. Three of the four injuries happened early in the season.

• Here is some hope for Charlotte fans. The Hornets are deemed to have the second-best farm system in the NCSL (behind Durham). The top prospect in the league continues to be the No. 1 pick from the most recent draft, 19-year-old pitcher Tim Johnston. The Texas-born hurler went 10-11 with a 3.53 ERA in his season with the developmental league. Johnston’s ratings for stuff/movement/control on a 1-20 scale are 9/19/11. He’s got 19 endurance and an 18 work ethic. “Projected stud” is how scouts rate him. Charlotte can use that for sure…

• Watch out for Winston-Salem farmhand Chris Wilson. The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher went 15-1 in the developmental league, with an ERA of 0.64. Now that’s a stud.

• Chris Wilson did not win the NCSL Developmental League top pitcher award. That went to Raleigh’s Alejandro Esobar, who was 16-3. His ERA was 1.39. The rich get richer.

Next up: getting ready for 1915...