Newport Canners

The Canners became the first professional baseball team to hail from Newport, Tennessee, when they joined the Class D Appalachian League in 1937.[1] The team was named for the nearby Stokely Brothers cannery.[2] They opened their inaugural season with a 17–10 road victory over the Pennington Gap Lee Bears on May 22.[3] Their first home game was played at the new City Memorial Park on May 26.[4][5] The home team outscored Pennington Gap, 20–6.[5] Despite a good start to the season, Newport failed to win either half of the league's split schedule with a record of 49–56 (.467), placing last of four teams.[6] The next two seasons were the two lowest in franchise history. The 1938 Canners posted a fifth-place 42–66 (.389) record,[7] while the 1939 club finished last of six teams at 30–89 (.252) as an affiliate of the New York Yankees.[8][9]

In 1940, Newport entered into an affiliation with the Washington Senators.[10] Following a season of poor attendance, league directors voted on July 30 to transfer the franchise to Maryville, Tennessee, for the remainder of the season.[11] Their games were subsequently transferred back to Newport on the week of August 11.[12] The Newport/Maryville team compiled a 56–63 (.471) record and earned a spot in the postseason playoffs, but they lost to the Greeneville Burley Cubs in the opening round, two games to one.[13]

Red Lucas was player-manager of the 1942 team.[14]

Returning permanently to Newport as an unaffiliated team in 1941, the Canners finished with a franchise-best 66–52 (.559) mark, again qualifying for the playoffs.[15] Newport was eliminated in the semifinals by the Elizabethton Betsy Red Sox, 3–2.[15] The Canners reaffiliated with Washington for the 1942 season.[16] On June 14, Greeneville surrendered its franchise to the league due to poor attendance, and league directors subsequently voted to drop Newport due to its distance from the remaining clubs and so as to maintain an even four-team league.[17] The club maintained their expulsion was against the league's constitution,[18] and remained in the circuit until being forced out on June 26.[19] Their final game that day was a 12–0 home loss to the Union City Dodgers.[20] Their season record was 19–28 (.404).[21] Over six years of competition in the Appalachian League, the Canners accumulated a 258–354 (.422) record. The city did not field another team from 1943 to 1947.[1]

In 1948, the Newport Canners were revived as members of the Class D Mountain States League.[1] Their first game was a 6–4 loss to the Morristown Red Sox on the road on May 1.[22] They ended the season in fourth place with a 58–59 (.496) record and qualified for the playoffs.[23] Newport was eliminated by Morristown, 3–2, in the semifinals.[23] The 1949 team placed sixth of eight teams with a 59–66 (.472) season.[24]

Canners right-hander Jose Aguiar pitched two no-hitters in 1950. The first occurred on June 23 against the Big Stone Gap Rebels, a 7–0 win in the second game of a seven-inning doubleheader.[25] He tossed a second no-hit game on August 19, beating Morristown 9–0 in the first game of a doubleheader.[26] The Canners ended the season in seventh place at 51–74 (.408).[27] Through three years in the Mountain States League, Newport accumulated a 168–199 (.458) record. Over all nine seasons of competition, their all-time regular season win–loss record was 426–553 (.435).