Sandersville Giants

Sandersville first began play as an expansion team in the Class D Georgia State League in 1953.[2]

In their first season of 1953, the Sandersville Wacos finished 48–77 as an affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves. The Wacos were managed by Gabby Grant, Parnell Ruark, Luscius Morgan and Julian Morgan.[3]

In the 1954 season, the unaffiliated Wacos finished 33–97, (52.5 games behind the league champion Vidalia Indians) under managers Dave Madison and Sid West.[4]

In 1955, Sandersville became the Sandersville Giants as an affiliate of the New York Giants. The Giants finished 60–47 under player/manager Pete Pavlick. The 1955 Sandersville Giants had future Hall of Fame player Willie McCovey on the roster, having just signed him to a contract for $175.00 per month. McCovey was 17 years old and in his first professional season out of Mobile, Alabama. McCovey hit .305 with 19 home runs, scoring 113 runs in 107 games. In the playoffs, the Giants defeated the Hazlehurst-Baxley Cardinals 3 games to 1. In the Finals against the Douglas Trojans, the series was tied at 3 games each. Game 7 was cancelled due to rain and the teams were declared co-champions.[5][6][7][8]

Hall of Famer Willie McCovey, 1965. McCovey made his professional baseball debut, playing for the Sandersville Giants as a 17-year-old in 1955.

Said McCovey in his 1986 Baseball Hall of Fame acceptance speech: "My first manager in pro ball, Pete Pavlick; Pete was the skipper of the Class D Sandersville Club in the Georgia State League where I broke in, in 1955. He and his wife were the first to adopt me. They used to invite me to their home after the game and became very close to me. I also remember one of my teammates there, his name was Ralph Crosby, he was out of New York. We were the only two black players on that team and we had to stay in separate parts of town back then, so Ralph and I became good friends."[9]

In the Georgia State League's final season of 1956, the Sandersville Giants finished 70–50 under player/manager Pavlick. They defeated the Thomson Orioles in the first round of the playoffs 3 games to 2. In the last Georgia State League games ever played, the Giants lost to the Douglas Reds 3 games to 1.[5][10]

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