Charleston Charlies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Charleston Charlies was the name of the third and most recent Class AAA minor league baseball franchise that was located in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. The Charlies played in the International League from 1971-76 as the relocated Columbus Jets franchise, and from 1977-83 as the former Memphis Blues. The Charlies were affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971-76), Houston Astros (1977-79), Texas Rangers (1980) and Cleveland Indians (1981-83). The 1977 edition won the Governor's Cup, emblematic of the IL's playoff championship, and the 1978 team copped the league's regular-season title. The franchise decamped in 1984 to Old Orchard Beach, Maine, playing as the Maine Guides, and now plays as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

Many former major leaguers spent time with the Charlies including Pirates All-Stars Dave Parker, Richie Zisk, John Candelaria and Kent Tekulve. Others include reliever Gene Garber, the Astros' Terry Puhl, Yankee fan favorite Rick Cerone, Phillies star Von Hayes, slugger Tony Armas, current St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa and current New York Mets manager Willie Randolph.

Six former Charleston Charlies players have been major league managers: the aforementioned LaRussa and Randolph as well as Bobby VAlentine, Luis Pujols, Art Howe, and Ken Macha. Interestingly Valentine (1996-2002), Howe (2003-2004) and Randolph (2005-current) all managed the New York Mets and LaRussa (1988-1995), Howe (1996-2002) and Macha (2003-2006) all managed the Oakland Athletics.

Many Charleston residents will fondly remember the logo of the Charlies, which was a baseball with a derby hat on and smiling while a cigar hung from the corner of his mouth. In the morning paper of the Charleston Gazette on the front page the day after a Charlies game, the logo would be displayed with either a smile if the Charlies won or a frown if the Charlies lost.

The Charlies team was owned and founded by Bob Levine, who the bought the International League baseball franchise in 1971 and named it the Charleston Charlies in honor of his father, Charlie Levine, who was an avid baseball fan who watched the Charlies seated in a wheelchair, wearing a derby hat, and smoking a cigar. Levine referred to himself as "Poor Charlie" during his earlier years as a scrap-metal dealer in Beckley. He died in 1981 at age 89.

Charleston's first AAA club, the Charleston Senators, moved to town on June 23, 1952, when the original Toledo Mud Hens franchise shifted there. The Senators played in the American Association through the 1960 season. They were farm clubs of the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators at various times during this period.

On May 19, 1961, after only five weeks of play, the St. Louis Cardinals abandoned their plans to place their AAA International League affiliate in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moved the team, nicknamed the Marlins, to Charleston to finish out the season. This club - Charleston's second AAA franchise - stayed only those few months and relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, for the 1962 season to become the Atlanta Crackers.

Charleston currently has a team, the West Virginia Power, in the Low A South Atlantic League. Historically, it has also been represented in the Eastern League and the mid-20th century Middle Atlantic League, among others.