Carlsbad Potashers
| Carlsbad Potashers | |
|---|---|
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes | Class D (1958-1961) Class B (1956-1957) Class C (1953-1955) |
Previous leagues | Sophomore League (1958-1961) Southwestern League (1956-1957) Longhorn League (1953-1955) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams | Chicago Cubs (1958-1961) |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 1953 |
| Team data | |
| Name | Potashers (1953-1961) |
| Ballpark | Montgomery Field |
The Carlsbad Potashers was a minor league baseball franchise in Carlsbad, New Mexico played in three leagues in its existence from 1953-1961. Carlsbad was an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs (1958-1961). The team moniker derives from potash mining.
History
Carlsbad played in the Class D Sophomore League (1958-1961), the Class B Southwestern League (1956-1957) and the Class C Longhorn League (1953-1955).[1]
In their first season, the 1953 Potashers went 80-52 and captured the Longhorn League Championship. The 1954 and 1959 teams lost in the league Finals.[2]
The Potashers attendance was 83,462 in their first season of 1953, an average of 1,265 per game. In their last season, 1961, they drew 14,974 an average of 236 per game.[3]
The ballpark
The Potashers played at Montgomery Field. The ballpark is no longer in existence.[2][4]
Longest Home Run? in History
As reported in The Sporting News, Potashers player Gil Carter hit a majestic shot at Montgomery Field: "On a hot August night in 1959, former heavyweight boxer Gil Carter smashed a pitch through Carlsbad's high-elevated air and out of Montgomery Field. The ball carried over the left field wall, soared past two city streets and landed in a peach tree. A newspaper reporter later took an aerial photo from a plane and used the picture to estimate the ball traveled 733 feet. Carter's hometown paper, The Topeka Capital-Journal, said "the blast is considered the longest home run in baseball history."[5][6][7][8]
Notable alumni
- Billy Connors (1961)
- Merv Connors (1953)
- Jimmy Stewart (1960)
- Thurman Tucker (1955-1956) MLB All-Star
References
- ^ "Carlsbad, New Mexico Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ a b "Carlsbad Potashers - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ "Montgomery Field in Carlsbad, NM history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Chicago Cubs Minor League Affiliations and Baseball Stadium History". digitalballparks.com.
- ^ "Where was baseball's longest home run? A five-city mystery". Sporting News. 11 January 2016.
- ^ "This Day in History - MiLB.com History - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com.
- ^ "The longest homerun in baseball history was measured at 733 ft". 5 January 2018.
- ^ "Elysian Fields Quarterly - The Baseball Review". www.efqreview.com.