Virginia League (1948–1951)

The Virginia League of 1948–1951 was a Class D level American minor baseball league. The league was the last of five professional baseball circuits to be known by that name dating to 1894. The post-World War II league revived the previous incarnation of the Virginia League that had ceased operation after concluding the 1942 season.

History
The 1948–1951 Virginia League played each of its four seasons as a six-team league. The Virginia League headquarters were in Petersburg, with teams in North Carolina and Virginia. The Washington Senators of the American League (who used Nationals as one of their nicknames for many years) sponsored the Emporia club from 1948 to 1950. The New York Yankees (Blackstone) and St. Louis Cardinals (Lawrenceville) also had affiliates in the Virginia League in 1948.

Among the future Major Leaguer players who played in the Virginia League of 1948–1951, a future All-Star was shortstop Eddie Kasko, a member of the 1961 National League squad (and a future MLB manager and executive), who played for the 1950 Suffolk Goobers.

1948–1951 Virginia League cities represented

 * Blackstone, VA: Blackstone Barristers 1948
 * Colonial Heights, VA & Petersburg, VA: Colonial Heights-Petersburg Generals 1951
 * Edenton, NC: Edenton Colonials 1951
 * Elizabeth City, NC: Elizabeth City Albemarles 1950–1951
 * Emporia, VA: Emporia Nationals 1948–1950; Emporia Rebels 1951
 * Franklin, VA: Franklin Cubs 1948; Franklin Kildees 1949–1951
 * Hopewell, VA: Hopewell Blue Sox 1949–1950
 * Lawrenceville, VA: Lawrenceville Cardinals 1948; Lawrenceville Robins 1949
 * Petersburg, VA: Petersburg Generals 1948–1950
 * Suffolk, VA: Suffolk Goobers 1948–1951

Standings & statistics
1948 Virginia League Finals: Blackstone 4 games, Petersburg 3.

1949 Virginia League Finals: Petersburg 4 games, Franklin 2.

1950 Virginia League Finals: Emporia 4 games, Petersburg 2. 1951 Virginia League Finals: Elizabeth City 4 games, Colonial Heights-Petersburg 1.