The Tampa Smokers was a name used between 1919 and 1954 by a series of minor league baseball teams based in Tampa, Florida . The nickname was a nod to the local cigar industry , which was the most important industry in Tampa during the years in which the Smokers were active. During periods in which the name was not used by a professional team, various local semi-pro and amateur teams took up the Smokers name.
18-517: The original Tampa Smokers were a charter franchise of the original Florida State League , which started play in 1919. The name reflected the importance of the cigar industry to the Tampa area. In 1928, the team was officially known as the Tampa Krewes , a reference to Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the organization which organizes the local Gasparilla Pirate Festival . In 1929, the club moved to
36-623: A controversial move, the Rays chose to remove the image of a cigar which had underlined the word "Smokers" across the front of the old team's jerseys, calling the resulting "stogie-free" logo a "slightly more contemporary version". Florida State League The Florida State League ( FSL ) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida . Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major League Baseball 's 2021 reorganization of
54-473: A four-year (1942–1945) suspension during World War II . Initially, the FSL was classified as a Class D circuit, roughly equivalent to a Rookie-level league today. It was elevated to Class C from 1921 to 1924, roughly equivalent to an Advanced Rookie league in the pre-2021 classification system and a Rookie-level league today. It reverted to Class D from 1925 to 1928. The league went dormant from 1929 to 1935, but
72-759: Is a non-profit association for the promotion and administration of men's and boys fastpitch softball throughout North America with athletes coming from all over the world. The ISC was formed in 1958 as an amalgamation of the National Softball Congress and the International Softball League. The ISC World Tournament is an annual tournament held each August to crown the best softball club in North America. Teams from six regions (US East, US Central, US West, Canada East, Canada West, International) are represented at
90-618: The Southeastern League and restored the Smokers nickname, but it ceased operations when the league folded following the 1930 season. In 1932, the Smokers briefly returned as a charter member of the West Coast Baseball League, which was composed of teams based in peninsular Florida. The club disbanded again when the league collapsed after a single season. The name was revived professionally in 1946, when
108-749: The Tampa Smokers became a charter member of the Florida International League , a Class C circuit which was notable for fielding a team in Havana, Cuba . This incarnation of the Smokers became one of the first three racially integrated teams in Florida when they signed Afro-Cuban outfielder Claro Duany in 1952. The Smokers folded along with the Florida International League after the 1954 season, and
126-476: The Tampa Smokers featured many local ballplayers, including many Latin players from Ybor City and West Tampa , and usually had strong community support. Their most famous alumnus was Al López , who grew up in Ybor City and signed with the Smokers in 1925, when he was just 16 years old. Lopez played for his hometown team for two seasons and eventually became the first Tampa native to play in the major leagues ,
144-563: The World Tournament. The ISC allocates berths by region to qualifying tournaments throughout North America. Teams gain entry by winning one of the allocated berths or by accepting an at-large invitation. The current format has 48 teams taking part in a modified double elimination bracket. The first 16 teams eliminated are relegated to the ISC II Tournament. The ISC II Tournament of Champions originally began play in 2002 as
162-487: The first to be a major league baseball manager , and the first to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame . Several other future or former MLB players played for the Smokers at some point during their career, including Camilo Pascual , Tommy Leach , and Hall of Famer Joe Medwick , who served as the team's player-manager in the early 1950s after finishing his major league career. Another notable Smoker alumnus
180-623: The minor leagues. The league temporarily operated for the 2021 season as the Low-A Southeast before reassuming its original moniker in 2022. Each league member is affiliated with a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and most play in their affiliate's spring training facility. The league originated in 1919 with teams in Bartow , Bradenton , Lakeland , Orlando , Sanford , and Tampa, Florida . The league closed down in 1928 and resumed play in 1936. It has continued uninterrupted, except for
198-400: The name has not been used professionally since. The importance of the cigar industry to Tampa's economy had waned by the 1950s, so when minor league baseball returned to the city in 1957, the new team was called the " Tampa Tarpons ". During times when there was no professional baseball team known as the Tampa Smokers (such as the early 1900s and the period from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s),
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#1732787578264216-623: The name was used by various semi-pro and amateur squads, especially local all-star teams composed of the best Tampa-area players. Alumni of Smokers squads regularly reunited for exhibition games during the 1950s and 1960s, usually against the Tampa Tarpons. These games were played at Al López Field , the Tarpons' home ballpark which was built in 1955 and named after the Smokers' (and Tampa's) most famous baseball figure. The minor league Smokers played their home games at Plant Field , which
234-506: The third rung on the minor league ladder. The championship series' first cancellation was in 2001, when playoffs were canceled after the September 11 attacks . Afterwards, the 2004 playoffs were canceled due to the threat of Hurricane Ivan . Years later, the 2017 FSL Championship finals were canceled on September 5, due to the threat of Hurricane Irma . The winners of the division series playoff games were named co-champions. This marked
252-529: The third time since 2000 that the championship series game was canceled. In 2019, the end of the season and playoffs were cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Dorian . The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. As part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, the Florida State League
270-559: Was Cuban Baseball Hall of Famer Manuel Cueto . The Tampa Bay Smokers , a men's fast-pitch softball team founded in 1995 and based in St. Petersburg , won multiple Amateur Softball Association of America and International Softball Congress championships over their eight seasons of play. On July 2, 2011, the Tampa Bay Rays wore Tampa Smokers throwback uniforms to honor the 1951 Florida International League championship team. In
288-510: Was demoted to Single-A, four rungs below the majors, and temporarily renamed the "Low-A Southeast" for the 2021 season. Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, the Low-A Southeast was renamed the Florida State League effective with the 2022 season. The Florida State League Hall of Fame began in 2009. International Softball Congress The International Softball Congress (ISC)
306-712: Was located just across the Hillsborough River from downtown Tampa . Plant Field had been built by Henry B. Plant as part of his Tampa Bay Hotel resort, and the Smokers shared the large multi-use facility with everything from auto racing to the Florida State Fair . Semi-pro and amateur versions of the Smokers played at smaller ballfields around town, often Cuscaden Park in Ybor City or Macfarlane Park in West Tampa . In all their incarnations,
324-404: Was revived as a Class D circuit from 1936 to 1941. After another period of inactivity from 1942 to 1945, it continued at Class D from 1946 to 1962. When the minor leagues were reconfigured in 1963, the FSL was reclassified as a Class A league, placing it three steps below the majors. There it continued until the next reorganization in 1990 when it was elevated to Class A-Advanced , remaining at
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