Greeneville Burley Cubs

The Burley Cubs became the first professional baseball team to hail from Greeneville, Tennessee, when they joined the Appalachian League in 1921.[1] They opened their inaugural season with a 2–1 road victory over the Johnson City Soldiers on May 12.[2] Greeneville won the first half of the league's split season on the way to compiling a full season record of 58–48 (.547).[3] In the postseason championship playoffs, the Burley Cubs lost to Johnson City, five games to one.[3]

Greeneville ended the 1922 season last of six teams with a record of 50–70 (.417).[4] The 1923 team improved to 51–56 (.477).[5] From 1924 to 1925, the club was managed by former Baltimore Terrapins catcher Harvey Russell.[6] He led the team to a third-place 54–52 (.509) finish in 1924, but they missed the playoffs having not won either half of the season.[7] On July 15, 1925, the Bristol State Liners dropped out of the league due to financial difficulties, and the remaining three-team league disbanded the same day.[8] The Burley Cubs lost both games of a doubleheader to the Morristown Roosters, 3–2 and 10–4, on July 15.[8] At the time of the disbandment, Greeneville was in first place with a 28–16 (.636) record, making them the de facto pennant winners.[9] Over five years of competition, the team's all-time record was 250–222 (.530).

Burley Cub Dale Alexander (1923–1924, 1942) was a native of Greeneville.

The Appalachian League reorganized 12 years later in 1937 without a Greeneville team.[10] The Burley Cubs were revived in 1938 as an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.[1][11] They won their May 12 Opening Day road game versus the Newport Canners, 9–4.[12] They were defeated in the next day's home opener against Newport, 10–3.[13] Greeneville ended the season in third place, qualifying for the playoffs, at 60–45 (.571).[14] They won the semifinals, defeating the Elizabethton Betsy Red Sox, two games to none.[14] They then won the Appalachian League championship against the Kingsport Cherokees, 3–1.[14]

In 1939, the team became an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.[15] They qualified for the playoffs again with a fourth-place 65–54 (.546) finish,[16] but were eliminated by Elizabethton in the first round, 2–1.[16] The 1940 club, which had re-affiliated with the Chicago Cubs,[17] qualified for the league's expanded playoffs with a fifth-place mark at 55–63 (.466).[18] They defeated Newport, 2–1, to advance to the semifinals, where they lost to the Johnson City Cardinals, 2–1.[18] An unaffiliated 1941 team placed fifth, missing a contracted version of the playoffs, at 43–75 (.364).[19]

The Burly Cubs affiliated with the Boston Braves for 1942 and were managed by ex-major leaguer Dale Alexander.[20] On June 15, standing last of six teams, Greeneville surrendered its franchise to the Appalachian League.[21] Their 9–27 (.250) record hampered attendance, resulting in financial problems for owner Carl Lyerly.[21][22] They dropped their final two games to Elizabethton, a June 12 home doubleheader, 5–0 and 9–4.[23] Over their second five-year run, the team accumulated a record of 232–264 (.468). Combining all 10 years of competition, their all-time record was 482–486 (.498).

Greeneville did not return to professional baseball until the Greeneville Astros began competition in the Appalachian League in 2004.[1]