The Vandergrift Pioneers played in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, a Westmoreland County mill town, and won the Middle Atlantic League championship in their very first season. They were a Philadelphia Phillies farm club for the whole of their run, from 1947 until they disbanded midway through 1950.
The 1947 season was the one that mattered. Vandergrift finished 76-46 to take the pennant, helped by a late 13-game winning streak that stood as a league record, then swept the Butler Yankees in four straight in the championship series. The Butler rotation that summer included an 18-year-old left-hander named Whitey Ford, who went 13-4 with a 3.48 ERA in his first professional season before moving up the Yankee system and reaching the Bronx in 1950.
Roughly 91,000 people came through Davis Field that first year. That number is the whole story of what happened next. Attendance fell to about 51,000 in 1948 despite another strong club under returning manager Floyd "Pat" Patterson, and it never came back. The Pioneers formally disbanded on July 20, 1950, partway through their fourth season.
Vandergrift itself was a planned industrial town, laid out in the 1890s so that mill workers could buy lots and build their own homes, with the streets, utilities, and mill finished before the first lot was sold. The Pioneers were the only professional baseball team it ever had.
The Middle Atlantic League was a Class C circuit that ran from 1925 through 1951, pausing for three wartime seasons, with teams drawn mostly from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Retro Baseball Revival celebrates historic baseball teams with unique apparel, honoring their legacy and bringing history to one-of-a-kind clothing with our old school retro baseball tees from defunct Minor League Baseball teams. All of our high quality apparel is designed, printed, and shipped within the USA. This collection features 100% original designs based on the history and nicknames of historic minor league teams.
Our crewneck sweatshirts are classics that anyone is sure to recognize. They are thick, durable Gildan brand crews. They are a cotton/poly blend that stands the test of time.
Size Guide: True to size
- Made with a medium-heavy fabric blend of 50% cotton and 50% polyester (8.0 oz/yd² (271.25 g/m²)), this sweatshirt feels cozy and is the perfect choice for those colder months.
- The classic fit along with the crew neckline deliver a comfy wearing experience with a clean-cut style. Meanwhile, the double-needle stitching at the shoulder, armhole, neck, waistband, and cuff seams add top-tier durability.
- Say goodbye to itchiness thanks to the gray, pearlized tear-away label.
- Made using 100% ethically grown US cotton. Gildan is also a proud member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol ensuring ethical and sustainable means of production. The blank shirt's dyes are OEKO-TEX-certified dyes with low environmental impact.
- Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Non-chlorine: bleach as needed; Tumble dry: low heat; Do not iron; Do not dryclean.
