UNIONTWON COAL BARONS

1947 – 1949

REHOBOTH BASEBALL

In 1947 to 1949 the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliiate Uniontown Coal Barons were a Middle

Atlantic League baseball team which trained at Rehoboth Beach. This team had played baseball

since 1909 in a Pennsylvania-Ohio-Maryland League and later in a Pennsylvania - West Virginia

League.

This is an abstract of a newspaper article, Monday, April 28, 1947, “The Morning Herald”

Uniontown, Pennsylvania, by Jimmy Gismonid, Herald Sports Editor, titled “Adieu to Rehoboth”

He tells that the interest in the Uniontown Coal Barons is reflected by the questions the

reporter is asked about Players, managers and camp life.

This story is set to tell of the 'camp life' for the boys on and off the field.

“ There is no reason to think the players are any different than any other group of young

boys away from home. They take advantage of any opportunity to sleep late. They like to get in

as much recreation as possible. Every other day practice starts at 1 pm so they gather extra winks.

Other days the workout start at 10 am. Each morning after breakfast there is the two mile hike to the field. Manage Stutzke does not allow the team bus to transport them unless there is real bad weather.

The hike is a good way to get them off on the right foot , says Stetzke, who with Manager Chris

Wagner, does the distance at doubletme.

Most of the team live at hotels, but there are some put up a local homes, and upon their return ,

clean up, and slip into street cloths, and at 5 they are to be at the restaruant to dig in the chow, which is a sight to behold.

The team club pays all expenses and all express the good teatment received. And by the way,

at dinner, the 'big five' of Fayette county are found in a huddle. They are Frank Smodie, Joe Potsklan, Melvin McCoy, George Varguich and Randy King.

It is imagined that the team will look back with fond memories of preseason camp, now that

they are headed back to Uniontown. While at Rehoboth, the boys gathered in groups of four or five, visited the movies, the roller rink, stops at the soda fountain, Snyders, and talk baseball ”.