Flint Arrows

The Flint Arrows were a professional Single A baseball team in Flint, Michigan from 1940–41 and 1948–1951 and played their home games at Atwood Stadium. The Arrows were an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians.

Flint Arrows
1940–1951
(1940-1941, 1948-1951)
Flint, Michigan
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesSingle A
Previous leagues
Michigan State League (1940-1941) Central League (1948-1950)
Major league affiliations
Previous teamsCleveland Indians (1940-1941) Detroit Tigers (1948–1950)
Minor league titles
League titles 1948, 1950
Team data
NicknameGems (1940), Arrows (1941, 1948-1951)
BallparkAtwood Stadium

History

A previous Flint Arrows ball team operated in 1940-1941 in the Class C Michigan State League as an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.[1]

The 1948-1951 Arrows were a member of the Central League.[2] Their overall record was 169-102, and they won the Central League Championship in 1948 and 1950.[2][3] With the 1951 riots in Baltimore creating tension, Flint was noted by the Sporting News as being one of five ball teams that had games with single digit attendance.[4]

When the Arrows started playing in Flint in April 1948 (1948-04) as a Detroit Tigers minor league affiliate in the Central League, their manager was Jack Tighe. The league scheduled a 140-game season in 1948.[2] The August 26, 1949 home game with Grand Rapids had a fight break out with catcher Frank House being suspended indefinitely.[5]

The Arrows lost their Tiger affiliation in 1950 after the end of the season despite winning the league championship[2] with an 80 to 53 record. The team's home run leader for 1950 was Edwin Little with 17.[1]

On September 6, 1951, the Arrows had a single digit attendance with two fans watching their game according to the 1952 Sporting News Baseball Guide.[4]

The Flint Journal reported that the team averaged 370 attendees in 1951 and struggled financially. The Arrows ended operations, along with the entire Central League, after the 1951 season. The Arrows were the last professional baseball team based in Flint.[2]

The ballpark

The Arrows played at Atwood Stadium, located at 701 west 3rd Avenue. Atwood Stadium is still in use today. It is owned by Kettering University, was renovated in 2015, and serves as home of Kittering athletic teams and the Flint City Bucks minor league soccer franchise.[6][7][8]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Did you know Flint was once a hub of minor league baseball?". Flint Journal. Mlive Media Group. June 14, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  2. Adams, Dominic (May 1, 2015). "1 comment Flint joins Baltimore on list of pro baseball games with single-digit attendance". The Flint Journal. Mlive Media Group. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  3. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Flint_Arrows
  4. Hagerty, Tim (April 29, 2015). "Six professional baseball games that drew fewer than five fans". The Sporting News. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  5. "Frank House Suspended". The Deseret News. AP. August 27, 1949. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  6. https://www.mapquest.com/us/michigan/atwood-stadium-303078192
  7. https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2018/10/soccer_franchise_to_make_atwoo.html
  8. https://www.kettering.edu/about/atwood-stadium


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