MPTLL History Project: 1953



1953 Champion Hotpoint Team

 After chartering with Little League and starting play in 1952, the Myers Park Civitan League went through some changes in its second season. With the popularity of youth baseball spreading in Charlotte in 1953, the Dilworth League was created, and the existing leagues introduced farm teams. This was the birth of our Minor League division, and the predecessor of what we now call at Myers Park the National League.

There was also a change of Major League sponsors. Al Browne's Service, which had been one of the original teams the year before, became one of the first farm teams in 1953. The returning major league players from Al Browne's became the original Hotpoint team. Al would continue to sponsor a farm team until returning to the Major League Division in 1961 and taking over the returning Farmers Dairy team.

1953 was a hard fought season. As usual there were several newspaper clippings to report on all the action. You might see some familiar names. I did.

And best of all, as you can see in this first-hand account from former Al Browne and Hotpoint player, Barrow Mullis, Hotpoint won the league championship after some wild games and a little controversy over at Farmers Dairy. Hotpoint was the champ in its first year as a sponsor, and by temporarily changing its sponsorship to a farm team, Al Browne would wait 53 years before capturing its first league title.