| Harlan Smokies | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class |
|
| League |
|
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team |
|
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 1949, 1950, 1952 |
| Team data | |
| Name |
|
| Ballpark | Browning-Leonard Park[1] |
Harlan Smokies was the primary name of a minor league baseball team based in Harlan, Kentucky. The team complete for a total of 11 seasons during 1948–1965, first in the Mountain States League and later in the Appalachian League.[2]: 86 The team was known as the Harlan Yankees in 1963 and Harlan Red Sox in 1965, due to affiliations with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
The Smokies qualified for the Mountain States League postseason in four consecutive seasons, 1949–1952, and were league champions in three of those years (1949, 1950, and 1952).
Multiple players with Harlan also made appearances in Major League Baseball:
|
|
| Season | Nickname | Affiliation | Record (win %) | Finish | Manager | Playoffs (games) | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Smokies | — | 56–63 (.471) | 5th of 6 | Bill Sisler Frank Wilson Michael Goda |
did not qualify | 46,187 | [2]: 424 |
| 1949 | Smokies | — | 83–41 (.669) | 1st of 8 | George Motto | defeated Middlesboro Athletics (3–1) defeated Morristown Red Sox (3–2) |
49,615 | [2]: 434 |
| 1950 | Smokies | — | 81–44 (.648) | 1st of 8 | Rex Carr | defeated Big Stone Gap Rebels (3–1) defeated Middlesboro Athletics (3–0) |
41,707 | [2]: 445 |
| 1951 | Smokies | — | 82–43 (.656) | 3rd of 8 | Bones Sanders John Streza |
lost to Hazard Bombers (0–3) | 35,657 | [2]: 454 |
| 1952 | Smokies | Boston Braves | 73–45 (.619) | 2nd of 6 | Rex Carr | defeated Big Stone Gap Rebels (3–2) defeated Morristown Red Sox (3–0) |
32,579 | [2]: 464 |
| 1953 | Smokies | — | 53–72 (.424) | 7th of 8 | Cliff Melton Barry Cox James Grigg |
did not qualify | 20,630 | [2]: 472 |
| 1954 | Smokies | — | 39–33 (.542) | 2nd of 6 | Bill Steinecke | † | unknown | [2]: 477 |
| 1961 | Smokies | Chicago White Sox & New York Yankees |
35–34 (.507) | 3rd of 8 | Frank Parenti Ed Lyons |
none held | 19,466 | [2]: 512 |
| 1962 | Smokies | 25–45 (.357) | 6th of 6 | Chips Sobek Lamar North |
none held | 16,056 | [2]: 516 | |
| 1963 | Yankees | New York Yankees | 28–39 (.418) | 6th of 6 | Gary Blaylock | none held | 13,134 | [2]: 523 |
| 1965 | Red Sox | Boston Red Sox | 33–37 (.471) | 4th of 6 | Rac Slider | none held | 23,190 | [2]: 531 |
† In 1954, the Mountain States League disbanded in July,[14] thus no playoffs were held.