1946 Preseason Predictions & Notebook
Here is how the OOTP pundits see this year’s league races shaping up (projected win-loss records included):
Carolina League
Winston-Salem Cardinals 80-58
Raleigh Capitals 76-62
Greensboro Patriots 69-69
Burlington Bees 69-70
Durham Bulls 68-71
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 58-71
Asheville Tourists 64-75
Charlotte Hornets 60-78
Wow, last year’s regular season champs (Hornets) picked to drop off the face of the earth! There was a lot of player movement in the off-season in Charlotte so who knows. Preseason players of the year (looking at the projected top 10 hitters/pitchers): Greensboro CF
Mario Lopez and new Winston-Salem pitcher
Adam “Bird Dog” Parrish, a flame-throwing right-hander who just showed up to the Old North State this season.
Notes:
Winston-Salem has adopted “Cardinals” as its nickname for the 1946 season. The club had been the Twins in 1945. (This matches the club’s real nickname during this early post-war era).
North Carolina State League
Concord Weavers 72-42
Lexington A’s 67-47
Hickory Rebels 65-49
Mount Airy Graniteers 60-54
Mooresville Moors 59-55
Statesville Cubs 55-59
Landis Millers 52-62
Thomasville Dodgers 49-65
Lenoir Red Sox 47-67
Salisbury Pirates 46-68
Concord looks loaded and ready to defend its title (I still have nightmares about how CF
Nate Pfau battered our pitching staff in the playoffs). Newcomer Mount Airy picked among contenders. Preseason players of the year include Statesville 1B
Eddie Schmidt and Concord pitcher
Steve Allen. Absolutely no love for Landis pitcher
John Twitty, who was left off the preseason Top 10 hurlers list after winning MVP last season. Yikes. Landis CF
Phil Durham was voted third-beset among hitters.
Coastal Plain League
Greenville Greenies 70-54
Goldsboro Goldbugs 69-55
Kinston Eagles 64-60
Fayetteville Cubs 63-61
Rocky Mount Rocks 62-62
New Bern Bears 58-66
Tarboro Tars 55-69
Wilson Tobs 55-69
So, the last team to win the Coastal Plain League, Wilson, is picked to finish last in the 1946 relaunch. Greenville features three pitchers listed in the preseason top 10, but projected pitching MVP is Goldsboro’s
Matt Wood. The 35-year-old is well-traveled already, playing for Mooresville and Durham in 1945 (with a 5-10 overall record??). Batting MVP is projected to be Tarboro 1B
Brad Molnar, who spent time with Salisbury and Leaksville-Draper-Spray in 1945 (.269 average).
Tobacco State League
Clinton Blues 70-50
Wilmington Pirates 68-52
Dunn-Erwin Twins 66-54
Smithfield-Selma Leafs 65-55
Angier-Fuquay Springs Bulls 55-65
Sanford Spinners 38-82
Not sure what is going on in Sanford, but they could be bums in their first season (the real Sanford team was one of the top teams in the Tobacco State League – go figure). Your preseason MVPs for the TSL: Wilmington OF
Jesse Winchell (age 25) and Dunn-Erwin pitcher
Brian Zilliox (also age 25).
Though the leagues aren’t playing the same number of games, I have set the Trading Deadline for each as July 15 and Roster Expansion as August 15. The regular season ends for each circuit around the same time in mid-September.
Plans are still being worked out for a possible Champions playoff featuring the playoff series champs of each of the four leagues.
OK, on to the 1946 season!
(Fade out to Appalachian bluegrass music…)