Pensacola Senators
The Pensacola Senators are a defunct minor league baseball team that competed in the Class-D Alabama-Florida League from 1961-1962. The Senators were an affliate of the Washington Senators of Major League Baseball. The league operated from 1936-1939, and then from 1951-1962 typically from April through August. The Senators fit into Pensacola's baseball heritage with the Pensacola Pilots, the Pensacola Fliers, the Pensacola Dons, the Pensacola Angels and currently the Pensacola Pelicans.
The Senators home field was Admiral Mason Park, a 2,000 seat stadium located on 9th Avenue at the edge of Pensacola Bay (what is now the corner of 9th and Bayfront Parkway). The stadium was actually a miserable place to watch baseball. A sewage treatment plant was located directly across the street which meant a westerly breeze could choke even the most loyal fan. The lone parking lot was small and the dusky, humid summer evenings mixed with a large body of water brought mosquitoes. Admiral Mason Park was nicknamed "Stinko Stadium."
The General Manaager was Doc McCormick and owner Joe Pannicione. In a list of the 25 greatest Alabama-Florida League teams, the 1962 Senators team was ranked third while the 1961 squad placed 21st. The Senators were preceded by the Dons (1957-1959), who would later be renamed the Angels (1960) and then the Senators (1961-1962).
1961
Selma posted the league's best record with a 76-43 record with Pensacola second at 70-47. The league sports only six teams: Panama City, Montgomery, Dothan, and Ft. Walton Beach rounding out the league. The Senators manager is Archie Wilson.
The roster was: Roger McCombs, Lew Abrahams, Don Loun, Whitey Nichols, Jay Franklin, Bob Decker, Juan Gomez, John Kennedy, Ed Brinkman, Denny Hill, Walt Holloway, and Fred Waters.
1962
The league is comprised of seven teams: Andalusia, Ozark, Montgomery, Selma, Dothan representing Alabama, with Ft. Walton Beach and Pensacola the lone Florida clubs. The Senators are managed by Wayne Terwilliger and took first place in the league with a 79-38 record (675.). Pensacola won the league by 22 games ahead of second place Ft. Walton (58-61) and oddly enough, was the only team to post a winning record. The Senators would also lead the league in attendance. In the playoffs, the Senators defeated fourth-seeded Dothan two games to one, and then was shocked by Selma (55-63 regular season record) in the finals three games to one.
The league would fold after the 1962 season for refusing to accept black players.
