The Bassett Furnituremakers were a minor league baseball team based in the small town of Bassett, Virginia, active from 1935 to 1940. Competing in the Bi-State League throughout those years, the team quickly became a powerhouse in regional baseball, earning playoff berths every season and capturing three straight league championships from 1936 to 1938—each under a different manager. In 1950, the franchise name was briefly revived when the Bassett Statesman relocated mid-season from Wytheville due to a polio outbreak, joining the Class D Blue Ridge League.
Throughout their run, the Furnituremakers held affiliations with three Major League Baseball organizations: the New York Yankees (1936–1937), Cincinnati Reds (1938), and Brooklyn Dodgers (1939). These connections brought talented young players to the team, including future Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto, who made his professional debut with Bassett in 1937 at age 19. That season, Rizzuto hit .310 with five home runs in 64 games and played a key role in securing the team’s second consecutive championship. Reflecting on his time in Bassett, Rizzuto fondly remembered the kindness of the locals, though he admitted the accents on both sides made communication a challenge.
The Furnituremakers played their home games at Riverside Park, which could seat up to 1,800 fans. The ballpark sat almost exactly in the same footprint that the current baseball field is located beside the HJDB Event Center on Riverside Drive, and it featured field dimensions of 325 feet down the lines and 387 feet to center field. Because of its central location, the park served as a community hub where residents gathered to cheer on their team and experience the thrill of America’s pastime.
Although the Bassett Furnituremakers disbanded after the 1940 season, they remain a significant chapter in the area’s sports history. Their success, small-town charm, and brief connection to major league talent left a lasting impression on both the community and the broader fabric of minor league baseball in the American South.
Jarred Marlowe is a local resident and historian. He is a member of the Col. George Waller Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Blue & Gray Education Society, and the committee chair for the Martinsville-Henry County 250 Committee. He may be reached at marloweja15@gmail.com.
