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 premium lightweight shirts are the hugely popular Bella+Canvas brand 3001 tees. They are much lighter and thinner feeling than a traditional heavyweight tee. They also are more form fitting and feel more snug. These are generally 90% to 100% cotton, although please note that heather colors in this item are 52% cotton.
Size Guide: Fit is true to size or a little snug. Considering ordering one size up if you are normally between sizes.
Brand: Bella Canvas | Product ID: 3001
- Made with 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²)) that is easy to layer, breathable. Perfect for active and leisure wear.
- The retail fit that is perfect for casual and semi-formal settings. The crew neckline adds a classic, neat style that's perfect for accessorizing.
- Bella+Canvas manufactures all its products in the US and internationally in humane, no-sweat-shop, sustainable way and is part of the Fair Labor Association as well as Platinum WRAP certified.
- The tear-away label minimizes skin irritations.
- Fabric blends: Ash and Heather Prism colors - 99% cotton, 1% polyester; Heather and Solid Blend colors - 52% cotton, 48% polyester; Athletic Heather and Black Heather - 90% cotton, 10% polyester.
