Portland Pilots (minor league)

For the college athletics program in Oregon, seePortland Pilots.

ThePortland Pilotswere aminor league baseballteam inPortland, Maine,who played as members of theClass BlevelNew England Leaguefrom 1946 to 1949. First playing in 1946 as thePortland Gulls,the Pilots played through the 1949 season, when the New England League permanently folded. The Pilots were an affiliate of thePhiladelphia Philliesin 1948 and 1949. The Portland Gulls and Portland Pilots team played home games atPortland Stadium.

Preceding the Portland Pilots and Gulls, Portland, Maine had a long history of play in the New England League, beginning in 1886. The Pilots were preceded as members of the New England League byPortland(1886–1888, 1891–1896), thePortland Phenoms(1899), Portland (1901),Portland Duffs(1913–1915),Portland Blue Sox(1919),Portland Eskimos(1926–1927) andPortland Mariners(1928–1930).

Until thePortland Sea Dogsexpanded into the minor leagueEastern Leagueas theFlorida Marlins' AA affiliate, the Pilots were the last professional baseball team in Portland.

The Portland Sea Dogs were preceded in the Eastern League by the Portland Duffs (1916) andPortland Paramounts(1917).

Year by year record

1946: 20-99-1

1947: 45-80

1948: 78-47

1949: 66-57 (league champions)

Notable people

• Del Bissonettemanaged the squad from 1947–48
• Skeeter Newsomemanaged the 1949 squad