The first Western Carolina League operated from 1948-1952 as a Class D league.  The most recent WCL was formed as a Class A league in 1960, then was renamed to Western Carolinas League in 1963.  It was finally rechristened as the South Atlantic League for the 1980 season.

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John H. Moss  1960-1979

An interesting note about this ball:  It’s signed by members of the 1978 and 1979 Gastonia Cardinals, but the league stamp (Carolina rather than Carolinas) would date the ball no later than 1963.  Did they have such a surplus of Carolina balls that they were still using them 16 years later?  Did somebody have a ball laying around from 1963 and took it to a game for autographs in 1979?  More than likely “Carolina” and “Carolinas” was interchangeable between 1963 and 1979.