Charleston Senators
Charleston, West Virginia had a minor league baseball team named the Senators off and on from 1910-1960. During their existence the Senators played in the Virginia Valley League (1910), the Mountain States League (1911-1912), the Ohio State League (1913-1916), the Mid-Atlantic League (1931-1942), the Central League (1949-1951) and finally the American Association (1952-1960). The Senators played in Watt Powell Park from 1948-1960.
The last iteration of the Senators were moved to Charleston from Toledo, mid-season 1952. This team played at AAA level in the American Association and being a AAA team, one level down from Major League Baseball, this last version of the Senators produced quite a few big leaguers. Some of the interesting names that played for this last version of the Senators were:
Al Cicotte – the great-nephew of infamous “Black Sox” pitcher Eddie Cicotte, banned from baseball for helping throw the 1919 World Series. Al Cicotte pitched in 111 MLB games.
Chuck Harmon – Harmon was the first African-American player for the Cincinnati Reds when he appeared for them for the first time in 1954 and appeared for the Senators in 1959.
Jim Kaat – Kaat was a 21 year old pitcher on the 1960 Senators roster. He would go on to also play for the 1965 AL Pennant winning Twins, win the World Series with the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals and ultimately be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame after his 25 year major league career was over.
For the earlier versions of the Senators, Joe Nuxhall is the most famous name. Nuxhall appeared for the first time with the Senators as a 20 year old in 1949, he was already five years removed from his major league debut as a 15 year old in 1944 for the Cincinnati Reds! He finally would make it back to the Reds in 1951 where he would put up a 135-117 record with a 3.90 ERA across 16 seasons, almost all of them with Cincinnati. After his retirement he would go on to a long second career as the beloved color man on the Reds Radio Network.
While the Charleston Senators ceased to exist after the 1960 season, professional baseball in Charleston did not. The franchise changed their name to the Charleston Indians and played three more seasons before professional baseball took a hiatus in Charleston. However in 1971 the Columbus Jets would move to Charleston and become the Charleston Charlies. This would usher in a period when the Charlies, now a AAA farm team for the Pittsburgh Pirates, would see many of the 1979 World Series winning Pittsburgh Pirates pass through Charleston on their way to glory. Players like Richie Zisk, Art Howe, Renny Stennett, Bruce Kison, Frank Taveras, Omar Moreno, Ed Ott, John Candelaria and Hall of Famer Dave Parker would all pass through Charleston in a 3-4 year period. But that is a story for another day (and another t-shirt!)
