The Alabama Florida League Web Site

The eighth AFL season saw the Greenville Lions dominate the league from beginning to end. It also marked a return to the original eight team format with original franchise cities Andalusia and Enterprise returning to the fold. With the Lions easily the most talented team in the league, the pennant race wasn't much of a race at all. Greenville surged ahead early in the season, with the Brewton Millers a distant second, and it stayed that way throughout the season. The Lions pitching staff was powered by the superb pitching of Max Peterson and the phenomenal hitting of first baseman, Perry Roberts. Roberts had an incredible season, setting the all-time AFL RBI record with 152, and the all time hits record with 228. Roberts batted .389 for the season and hit 15 homers. Roberts not only terrorized the league with his bat, but he was known as a tough character who would scowl at opponents trying to engage in friendly chatter at first base. Max Peterson, like Virgil Trucks before him. was a step above the rest of the league's pitchers. Peterson won 27 games, the all-time league record (later tied by Russell Harris), with a 2.02 ERA and 299 strikeouts. After winning 47 games in two seasons, Peterson moved on the Utica in the Eastern League, and then to Toronto in 1949. Peterson spent three season with Toronto in the International League and made a few other high minor stops in Columbus and San Antonio before calling it a career. Despite reasonable success in AAA ball, Peterson never made the jump to the majors.
Offense was plentiful in the league as a whole in 1947: Over 30 batters averaged .300 or better. Prior to 1947, only Tallassee's Ray Knowles came close to 200 hits (199). Both Perry Roberts and McDonald Turner surpassed the 200-hit milestone, and three other players had more than 180 hits. Four of the all-time top 10 hit leaders set their marks in the 1947 season. The main reason for this was the new 140-game season, longer than most earlier years. Managers were also using their heavy hitters as often as possible: In 1947, 24 players had 500+ at bats, compared to 2 in 1946.
The Greenville Lions were in first place on July 1st which gave them the right to host the annual all star contest, which the Lions won easily, 10-0. Max Peterson pitched an 8-hit shutout for the Lions against the best of the other seven teams.
Perry Roberts' success didn't translate into a promotion to a higher league. In 1948, he moved on to the Florida State league where he continued to have great success, especially in Deland, where in 1951 he batted .356 with 129 RBIs. Roberts also pitched for Deland, going 15-2 with a 1.94 ERA.

In an August game between Dothan and Brewton, Brewton catcher Leslie McGarrity also demonstrated how Class D ball could provide baseball scenarios that the majors just couldn't: McGarrity was caught in a run down between third and home when he suddenly yelled "Time out". The umpire, caught up in the moment, granted McGarrity time and McGarrity returned to third base where he then called out, "Play ball". A 10 minute heated arguement ensued and the umpire finally corrected the play and called McGarrity out.

In the playoffs, Enterprise and Brewton gave Greenville a minor challenge, but the Lions ended the season where they belonged, on top.

. The Andalusia Arrows, got their nickname from the Arrow shirt factory in town. They were originally listed by the Montgomery Advertiser as the Cubs when the league schedule was published. Whether the Cub nickname was ever official or not is unknown.

Doyle Nunnally, Geneva's star hitter, caught 23 games for the Red Birds. Nunnally was one of the few left-handed catchers in baseball.

ELSEWHERE IN 1947

Bill Serena hit 13 home runs in 10 playoff games while playing for Lubbock in the West Texas-New Mexico League. Serena hit 57 homers in 137 games during the regular season, giving him 70 for the year

Hoyt Wilhelm of the Moorsville Moors of the North Carolina State League posted 5 wins in the league playoffs.

Bill Martin of Montgomery in the Southeastern League, stole 9 bases in a double-header versus Selma.