History

Built in 1939 for the Wilson Tobs of the original Coastal Plain 'D' League, Historic Fleming Stadium has always served as a stepping stone for some of our country's greatest ballplayers, entertainers, and politicians.

From Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle to Elvis Presley, Kevin Costner, and New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia, Historic Fleming Stadium's 81  year history is lined with the heroes of our national pastime and the cultural leaders of our society.

Used primarily today as the home of the modern-era Wilson Tobs of the Coastal Plain League, North Carolina Baseball Museum, and Year-Round Baseball Events, Fleming is still vibrantly hosting our national pastime's past, current and future stars. Fleming's importance in the baseball community has continued to grow with age by hosting over 150 days of baseball annually and operating from February to November. Historic Fleming Stadium is also host to the Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship, NCISA's Spring Single A Baseball Championships, as well as the CPL All-Star game in 2005 and 2012.

Experiencing a number of stadium renovations in the past decade, Fleming is still known in Wilson and eastern North Carolina as 'the place to be' on a sultry, summer evening.

Perhaps it is the moniker that has allowed Historic Fleming Stadium to persevere through seven decades of social revolutions, world wars and more recently, the 'digital age'.

Originally utilized by the Minor League Coastal Plain League, Fleming has also played host to the Bi-State League and the Carolina League. It was last used professionally by a Carolina League co-op franchise in 1973. Currently, Fleming is used by the  Coastal Plain League Summer Team the Wilson Tobs.

During it's Carolina League days, Historic Fleming Stadium was most utilized by the Minnesota Twins/Washington Senators. The Twins/Senators played as the Tobs for 10 years, starting a split season in 1957, and then from 1960 until 1968. Other affiliations while with the Carolina League include the Baltimore Orioles (1 Year), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1 Year) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1 Year). All of these affiliations were under the name, the "Wilson Tobs".

TEAM HISTORY

Year Team League Class Affiliate W L Place Manager Attendance Notes
1908 Tobacconists Eastern Carolina D None 36 18 1 Earl Holt NA Playoffs canceled due to weather
1909 Tobacconists Eastern Carolina D None 50 39 1 Earl Holt NA No playoffs - Wilson wins pennant
1910 Tobacconists Eastern Carolina D None 44 39 2 Charles McGheehan NA Bunn Hearn's 16 wins led league
1920 Bugs Virginia B None 44 71 8 John Castle NA Rasty Walters bats .435, wins title
1921 Bugs Virginia B None 74 52 T1 Tom Clarke NA Playoff ban - salary cap violations
1922 Bugs Virginia B None 68 52 1 Bunn Hearn NA Bugs win league pennant
1923 Tobacconists Virginia B None 70 52 1 Rube Oldring NA Club wins second pennant in a row
1924 Bugs Virginia B None 66 70 5 Marshall/Nunamaker NA Bugs finish 10.5 games back
1925 Bugs Virginia B None 68 64 4 H.E. Winston NA Bugs finish 10 games back
1926 Bugs Virginia B None 85 69 2 Bunn Hearn NA Bugs just miss pennant by .5 game
1927 Bugs Virginia B None 65 67 4 Bunn Hearn NA Frank Wiel posts 20 win season
1939 Tobs Coastal Plain D None 64 61 6 Frank Rodgers NA Tobs open Fleming Stadium in June
1940 Tobs Coastal Plain D None 77 49 1 Frank Rodgers NA Tobs take pennant, lose in playoffs
1941 Tobs Coastal Plain D None 87 30 1 Bill Herring NA Tobs win the pennant and playoffs
1942 Tobs Bi-State D None 69 53 1 Bill Herring NA Tobs win another pennant
1946 Tobs Coastal Plain D None 67 57 3 Irv Dickins 108,229 Red Benton no-hits Kinston on 7/7
1947 Tobs Coastal Plain D None 79 61 1 Max Wilkins 138,549 Record crowds see pennant winner
1948 Tobs Coastal Plain D None 61 79 6 Wilson/Dickens/Latshaw 95,238 Lead league in attendance again
1949 Tobs Coastal Plain D None 57 79 8 Ross Morrow 71,413 Last place finish - first time since1920
1950 Tobs Coastal Plain D None 68 70 5 Bill Herring 84,159 Irv Dickens named all-star shortstop
1951 Tobs Coastal Plain D None 69 57 4 J. Antilock/A. Rehm 54,753 Jim McComas hits 20 homers
1952 Tobs Coastal Plain D None 71 51 2 J. McComas/A. Rehm 57,565 Final season of the old CPL
1956 Tobs Carolina B Phillies 72 79 6 Charlie Gassaway 80,409 Earl Hunsinger posts 232 strikeouts
1957 Tobs Carolina B Senators 51 89 6 Pete Suder 51,500 Kinston moves to Wilson on May 1
1958 Tobs Carolina B Orioles 60 78 8 B. Hooper/B. Lutz 56,163 Fred Valentine wins batting title
1959 Tobs Carolina B Pirates 71 58 2 H. Peterson/D. Osborn 54,922 Wilson wins playoffs
1960 Tobs Carolina B Senators 73 65 2 Jack McKeon 45,447 "Trader" Jack takes over Tobs
1961 Tobs Carolina B Twins 83 56 1 Jack McKeon 37,893 Weatherspoon blasts 31 homers
1962 Tobs Carolina B Twins 65 75 5 Harry Warner 40,669 Pete Cimino tosses no-hitter on 7/1
1963 Tobs Carolina A Twins 77 62 E2 Ralph Rowe 44,789 Tobs win playoff championship
1964 Tobs Carolina A Twins 57 82 E5 Ralph Rowe 24,599 Tarrolly, Holle on all-star team
1965 Tobs Carolina A Twins 68 75 E4 Vern Morgan 26,850 Wayne McAlphin wins 16 games
1966 Tobs Carolina A Twins 72 65 E3 Vern Morgan 23,501 Rod Carew plays for Tobs
1967 Tobs Carolina A Twins 61 72 E5 Vern Morgan 20,108 Tobs struggle on field and at gate
1968 Tobs Carolina A Twins 71 68 E4 Vern Morgan 22,811 Team moves to Red Springs, NC
1973 Pennants Carolina A Co-op 52 88 6 R. Hathaway/D. Lock 45,132 Steve Hardin throws perfect game
1997 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 20 30 6 Troy Heustess 10,689 The Tobs and CPL return to Wilson
1998 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 26 23 3 Mike Rikkard 25,247 Curt Fiore wins batting title (.362)
1999 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 25 24 4 Tom Hager 37,485 Taft Cable named top pitcher
2000 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 30 20 N1 Jeff Bock 32,252 Mark English named league MVP
2001 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 31 19 N1 Brandon Hall 36,656 Tobs lose in championship series
2002 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 16 34 S4 J.P. Burwell 34,886 Mike Reese named top player
2003 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 19 28 S4 Brad Stromdahl 40,749 Wilson tops in league attendance
2004 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 28 22 S1 Todd Wilkinson 33,262 Tobs sweep divisional playoffs
2005 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 27 29 S4 Chris Cooke/Jeff Steele 41,429 Tobs reach playoffs with late-season surge
2006 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 29 24 S3 Jeff Steele 37,933 Offensive records fall for Tobs
2007 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 27 29 N3 Jeff Steele 44,141 Team sets attendance/10 offensive records
2008 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 31 24 S2 Jeff Steele 46,551 Tobs finish first in 2nd half
2009 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 35 21 S1 Jeff Steele 42,171 Tobs finish in first place in south
2010 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 37 19 N1 Jeff Steele 50,934 Tobs set CPL era record for wins
2011 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 25 31 N4 Bruce Johnson Ryan Matthews leads league in homers with 15
2012 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 20 34 E6 Bryan Hill 36,076
2013 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 29 24 E5 Austin Love 35,924 Tobs are first team in modern CPL era to finish with a winning record and not make the playoffs
2014 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 27 27 E5 Justin Hay
37,689
Tobs came within one game of making it to the Petitt Cup Championship Series, falling to Peninsula Pilots.
2015 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 23 32 E6 Bryant Gaines 36,150
2016 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 30 24 E2 Aaron Lynch 35,705 Tobs came within one game of making it to the Petitt Cup Championship Series, falling to the Peninsula Pilots.
2017 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 22 37 E7 Aaron Lynch 32,980
2018 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 22 23 E1 Bryan Hill  37,592 Tobs came within one game of making it to the Petitt Cup Championship Series, falling to the Morehead City Marlins.
2019 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 29 21 E1 Bryan Hill 39,789 Tobs were the North Division Champions for two years in a row. Tobs came within one game of making it to the Petitt Cup Championship Series, falling to the Morehead City Marlins.
2020 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 17 5 MA1 Harry Markotay n/a (COVID) Tobs were the Mid-Atlantic Division Champions for the 3rd year in a row. There were no playoffs due to limitations of teams and travel due to COVID-19 virus.
2021 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 31 19 E3 Harry Markotay 40,980
2022 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 26 21 E2 Harry Markotay 42,110 Tobs were the East Division Champions beating Morehead City to advance to the Pettit Cup Championship vs Savannah
2023 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 27 24 E3 Tony Rosselli 40,517
2024 Tobs Coastal Plain NCAA 28 20 E3 Noah Cartwright 39,210

PLAYOFF HISTORY

1908 Playoffs canceled due to weather (Wilmington led Wilson 2 games-0 at the time of cancelation)
1922 Class B Southern Championship Series: Charleston, SC (SAL) 4 games, Wilson 2 (1 tie)
1923 Class B Southern Championship Series: Charlotte (SAL) 4 games, Wilson 2
1940 Playoffs: Kinston 4 games, Wilson 3
1941 Playoffs: Wilson 4 games, Rocky Mount 1; Coastal Plain League Finals: Wilson 4 games, Greenville 2
1942 Playoffs: Rocky Mount 4 games, Wilson 3
1946 Playoffs: Kinston 4 games, Wilson 3
1947 Playoffs: Wilson 4 games, New Bern 1; Coastal Plain League Finals: Kinston 4 games, Wilson 2
1951 Playoffs: Wilson 4 games, Kinston 2; Coastal Plain League Finals: New Bern 4 games, Wilson 3
1952 Playoffs: Edenton 4 games, Wilson 0
1959 Playoffs: Wilson 3 games, Durham 0; Carolina League Finals: Wilson 4 games, Raleigh 0
1963 Playoffs: Wilson 3 games, Kinston 0; Carolina League Finals: Wilson 2 games, Greensboro 1
1968 East Playoffs: Wilson 1 game, Portsmouth 0; Raleigh-Durham 2 games, Wilson 1
1997 Coastal Plain League Finals: Raleigh 2 games, Wilson 0
2000 Divisional Playoff: Petersburg 1 game, Wilson 0
2001 Coastal Plain League Finals: Durham 2 games, Wilson 0
2004 Petitt Cup Tournament (Double Elimination) Wilson 2, Asheboro 1; Outer Banks 6, Wilson 1; Wilson 6, Florence 5; Outer Banks 7, Wilson 1 (Wilson finished third place)
2005 Special Division Playoff Game: Wilson 3, Florence 1; Petitt Cup Tournament (First-Round Single Elimination) Fayetteville 3, Wilson 0
2006 Pettit Cup Tournament (Double Elimination) Wilson 7, Martinsville 2; Fayetteville 2, Wilson 1; Thomasville 10, Wilson 1 (Wilson finished fourth place)
2007 Pettit Cup Tournament (Single elimination First Game) Fayetteville 6, Wilson 5
2008 Pettit Cup Tournament (Single elimination First Game) Peninsula 4, Wilson 2
2009 Pettit Cup Tournament (Single elimination First Game) Fayetteville 3, Wilson 2
2010 Pettit Cup Tournament (Best 2 out of 3) Wilson 0 games, Peninsula 2 games
2014 Pettit Cup Tournament (Single Game) Peninsula 2, Wilson 1
2016 Pettit Cup Tournament (Single Game) Peninsula 5, Wilson 3
2018 Pettit Cup Tournament (Conference Championship)

Morehead City 4, Wilson 2
2019 Pettit Cup Tournament (Conference Championship)

Morehead City 4, Wilson 1
2020 Mid-Atlantic Division Champions

No Playoffs
2022 East Division Champions

Lost to Savannah in CPL Championship