Cotton States League

Last updated
Cotton States League
Sport Baseball
Founded1902
Ceased1955
Country United States

The Cotton States League [1] name was used five times in baseball history. The first Cotton States League ran from 1902 through 1908 as a class D league. After the league shut down, another Cotton States League was reformulated in 1910, with three of the six 1908 members returning for the new campaign and three new teams joining them. This league ran for four seasons, through 1913.

Contents

In 1922, the Cotton States League regrouped after nine years out of existence. This time, despite disbanding July 24, 1923, and resuming the next year, the league held itself together for 11 seasons before folding for good on July 13, 1932. The next revival of the CSL took place in 1936 and lasted six seasons before collapsing, before many other minor leagues did when World War II began. This time, it operated as a class C circuit. The league was reestablished in 1947. Again placed as a class C league, the Cotton States League survived through 1955 before folding for the fifth time in less than half a century. In 1953 the Cotton States League tried to evict the Hot Springs Bathers for attempting to include a black player, Jim Tugerson.

Cotton States League timeline

1902–1913

Cities represented/Teams/Seasons

* Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge Cajuns 1902–1906
* Clarksdale, Mississippi Clarksdale Swamp Angels 1913
* Columbus, Mississippi Columbus Discoverers
Columbus Joy Riders 		1907–1908
1912–1913
* Greenville, Mississippi Greenville Cotton Pickers
Greenville Grays 		1902, 1904–1905
1903
* Greenwood, Mississippi Greenwood Scouts 1910–1912
* Gulfport, Mississippi Gulfport Crabs 1906–1907
* Gulfport/Biloxi, Mississippi Gulfport-Biloxi Crabs 1908
* Hattiesburg, Mississippi Hattiesburg Tar Heels
Hattiesburg Woodpeckers
Hattiesburg Timberjacks 		1905
1910–1911
1912
*Jackson, Mississippi Jackson Senators
Jackson Tigers
Jackson Drummers
Jackson Lawmakers 		1905–1908, 1912
1910
1911
1913
* Meridian, Mississippi Meridian White Ribbons
Meridian Metropolitans 		1905–1908
1910–1913
* Mobile, Alabama Mobile Sea Gulls 1905–1907
* Monroe, Louisiana Monroe Hill Citys
Monroe Municipals 		1903–1904
1908
* Natchez, Mississippi Natchez Indians
Natchez Hill Climbers 		1902–1903
1904–1905
* New Orleans, Louisiana/Yazoo City, Mississippi    New Orleans Little Pels/Yazoo City     1912
* Pensacola, Florida Pensacola Snappers 1913
* Pine Bluff, Arkansas Pine Bluff Lumbermen 1903–1904
* Selma, Alabama Selma Centralites 1913
* Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg Hill Billies 1902–1908, 1910–1912
* Yazoo City, Mississippi Yazoo City Zoos 1910–1911

[2]

1922–1932

Cities represented/Teams/Seasons

* Alexandria, Louisiana Alexandria Reds 1925–1930
* Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge Essos
Baton Rouge Highlanders
Baton Rouge Standards
Baton Rouge Senators 		1929
1930
1931
1932
* Brookhaven, Mississippi    Brookhaven Truckers 1924–1925
* Clarksdale, Mississippi Clarksdale Cubs 1922–1923
* DeQuincy, Louisiana DeQuincy Railroaders 1932
* El Dorado, Arkansas El Dorado Lions 1929–1932
* Greenville, Mississippi Greenville Bucks
Greenville Swamp Angels 		1922
1923
* Greenwood, Mississippi Greenwood Indians 1922–1923
* Gulfport, Mississippi Gulfport Tarpons 1926–1928
* Hattiesburg, Mississippi     Hattiesburg Hubmen
Hattiesburg Hubbers
Hattiesburg Pinetoppers 		1923–1924
1925
1926–1929
* Jackson, Mississippi Jackson Senators
Jackson Mississippians 		1922–1931
1932
* Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles Newporters    1929–1930
* Laurel, Mississippi Laurel Lumberjacks
Laurel Cardinals 		1923–1927
1928–1929
* Meridian, Mississippi Meridian Mets 1922–1923
1925–1929
* Monroe, Louisiana Monroe Drillers
Monroe Twins 		1924–1930
1931–1932
* Opelousas, Louisiana Opelousas Orphans 1932
* Pine Bluff, Arkansas Pine Bluff Judges 1930–1932
* Port Arthur, Texas Port Arthur Refiners 1932
* Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg Hill Billies 1922–1932

[2]

1936–1955

* Clarksdale, Mississippi Clarksdale Ginners
Clarksdale Red Sox
Clarksdale Planters 		1936, 1941
1937–1940
1947–1951
* Cleveland, Mississippi Cleveland A's 1936
* El Dorado, Arkansas El Dorado Lions
El Dorado Oilers 		1936–1940
1941, 1947–1955
* Greenville, Mississippi Greenville Bucks
Greenville Buckshots
Greenville Tigers 		1936–1938, 1955
1939–1941, 1953
1954
* Greenwood, Mississippi     Greenwood Chiefs
Greenwood Giants
Greenwood Dodgers
Greenwood Crackers
Greenwood Choctaws   		1936
1937
1938, 1947–1952
1939
1940
* Helena, Arkansas Helena Seaporters 1936–1941, 1947–1949
* Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs Bathers 1938–1941, 1947–1955
* Jackson, Mississippi Jackson Senators 1936, 1953
* Marshall, Texas Marshall Tigers 1941
* Meridian, Mississippi Meridian Millers 1952–1955
* Monroe, Louisiana Monroe Twins
Monroe White Sox
Monroe Sports 		1937
1938–1941
1950–1955
* Natchez, Mississippi Natchez Indians 1948–1953
* Pine Bluff, Arkansas Pine Bluff Judges
Pine Bluff Cardinals 		1936–1940, 1950–1955
1948–1949
* Texarkana, Texas Texarkana Twins 1941
* Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg Hill Billies 1937, 1941, 1955

[2]

Championship teams

First stage (1902–1908)

Second stage (1909–1913)

 * Greenwood Scouts was declared champion as first half champion Vicksburg had disbanded.

Third stage (1922–1932)

Fourth stage (1936–1941)

Fifth stage (1947–1955)

[2]

Sources

  1. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: The Official Record of Minor League Baseball – Lloyd Johnson, Steve McDonald, Miles Wolff (editors). Publisher: Baseball America, 1997. Format: Paperback, 672pp. Language: English. ISBN   0-9637189-7-5
  2. 1 2 3 4 The Official Record of Minor League Baseball

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