Fayetteville A's

Lore & Background

The Fayetteville Athletics began play in the 1950 Carolina League, joining the Burlington Bees, Danville Leafs, Durham Bulls, Greensboro Patriots, Raleigh Capitals, Reidsville Luckies, and Winston-Salem Cardinals. The team was managed by former major league player Mule Haas, who had won two World Series with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1929 and 1930. Haas had previously managed the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League in 1948 and the Montgomery Rebels of the Southeastern League in 1949.

Reader's Guide

The Fayetteville Athletics represent a brief chapter in the history of minor league baseball in Fayetteville, following the championship-winning Fayetteville Cubs and the short-lived Fayetteville Scotties. As an affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics, the team continued the city's tradition of hosting affiliated minor league baseball. The team's manager, Mule Haas, brought major league experience and a World Series pedigree, though his tenure in Fayetteville was unsuccessful and marked the end of his minor league managing career. The Athletics played at Cumberland County Memorial Stadium, a venue that hosted multiple Fayetteville teams in the era. The team's existence from 1950 to 1952 filled the gap before later Fayetteville teams, and its affiliation with the Philadelphia Athletics connected the city to a major league organization. The team's last-place finish in 1950 under Haas contributed to his departure from professional baseball management.

Did You Know?

• The Fayetteville Athletics replaced the Martinsville Athletics as the Philadelphia Athletics' affiliate in the Carolina League.
• Mule Haas, the team's manager in 1950, hit a three-run inside-the-park home run in the 1929 World Series.
• After managing the Fayetteville Athletics, Haas never managed in the minor leagues again and became athletic director at Fort Montclair Army base.
• The Fayetteville Athletics played home games at Cumberland County Memorial Stadium, later renamed Pittman Stadium.