Hampton Crabs

The Hampton Crabs were a minor league baseball team based in Hampton, Virginia. In 1900, the Crabs played as members of the Class D level Virginia League, placing second as the league folded during the season. The Crabs were succeeded by the 1911 Hampton team of the Tidewater League, who also finished in second place in the league standings.

Hampton Crabs
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass D (1900, 1911)
LeagueVirginia League (1900)
Tidewater League (1911)
Major league affiliations
TeamNone
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Team data
NameHampton Crabs (1900)
Hampton (1911)
BallparkUnknown (1900, 1900)

History

The 1900 Hampton "Crabs" began play as members of the six–team, Class D level Virginia League.[1] Hampton joined the Newport News Shipbuilders, Norfolk Phenoms, Petersburg Farmers, Portsmouth Boers and Richmond Bluebirds teams in beginning league play on April 30, 1900.[2][3]

The Hampton "Crabs' nickname corresponds to local industry, history and geography. Located on Chesapeake Bay, Hampton became known as "Crabtown" as the local seafood industry flourished, beginning after the conclusion of the Civil War.[4][5][6]

On July 11, 1900, the Virginia League folded. The Hampton Crabs placed second in the Atlantic League standings in the shortened season.[7] When the league folded, the Crabs ended the season with a record of 29–29, playing the season under player/manager Ed Ashenback.[8] Hampton finished 14.0 games behind the first place Norfolk Phenoms, with Christy Mathewson, in the final standings.[3]

(2012) Hampton Marinas

The Crabs were succeeded by the 1911 "Hampton" team, who resumed minor league play as members of the Class D level Tidewater League.[9] Hampton began play with the Tidewater League on May 11, 1911. The six–team league was composed of charter teams, all without known monikers, representing Elizabeth City, North Carolina and the Virginia cities of Hampton, Newport News, Old Point Comfort, Portsmouth and Suffolk. Elizabeth City and Portsmouth then folded during the season.[10][11][12][3]

The Tidewater League regular season ended on August 1, 1911, with Hampton in second place, playing under manager Steve Griffin. Suffolk finished with a regular season record of 16–5 to claim the Tidewater League Championship.[13] They were followed by Hampton (11–9),[14] Elizabeth City (8–5),[15] Newport News (10–11),[16] Old Point Comfort (7–13)[17] and Portsmouth (4–12) in the league standings.[18][11][3]

The Tidewater League permanently folded after the 1911 season.[3] In 1948, the Newport News Dodgers began play at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, where they played through 1955.[19] Hampton next hosted a minor league team at the stadium when the 1963 Peninsula Senators began play as members of the Class A level Carolina League.[20]

The ballpark

The name of home ballpark for the Hampton minor league teams in 1900 and 1911 is not directly referenced.[21] It is known in the era, that the 1895 and 1896 Philadelphia Phillies held spring training at the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Hampton. The team utilized the Hampton Soldiers' Home athletic grounds, located 300 yards from the team hotel on the property.[22][23]

Timeline
Year(s)# Yrs.TeamLevelLeague
19001Hampton CrabsClass DVirginia League
19111HamptonTidewater League

Year–by–year records
YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs/notes
190029–292ndEd AshenbackLeague folded July 11
191111-92ndSteve GriffinNo playoffs held

Notable alumni

See also

Hampton Crabs players

References
  1. "1900 Hampton Crabs Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  2. "1900 Virginia League (VL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  3. Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  4. "Becoming Hampton: A seafood industry". Daily Press.
  5. "Seafood Industry - Seafood Industry | Hampton History Museum". hampton.pastperfectonline.com.
  6. Woods, Shannon (May 9, 2020). "Every day is Seafood Saturday in Hampton". Visit Hampton, VA.
  7. "1900 Virginia League (VL) Minor League Baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  8. "1900 Hampton Crabs minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  9. "1911 Norfolk/Hampton Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  10. "Tidewater League (TL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  11. "1911 Tidewater League (TL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  12. "1911 Tidewater League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  13. "1911 Hampton minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  14. "1911 Hampton Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  15. "1911 Elizabeth City Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  16. "1911 Newport News Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  17. "1911 Old Point Comfort Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  18. "1911 Portsmouth Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  19. "War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, VA minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  20. "1963 Peninsula Senators Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  21. "Unknown in Hampton, VA minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  22. "Phillies Begin Practice To-Day". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. March 22, 1895. p. 6.
  23. "Southern Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers , 100 Emancipation Drive, Hampton, Hampton, VA". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
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