Cotton States League

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.

Cotton States League

Sport	Baseball
Founded	1902
Ceased	1955
Country	United States

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)

• 1902 – Natchez Indians
• 1903 – Baton Rouge Cajuns
• 1904 – Pine Bluff Lumbermen
• 1905 – Greenville Cotton Pickers
• 1906 – Mobile Sea Gulls
• 1907 – Mobile Sea Gulls
• 1908 – Jackson Senators
• 1909 – The league did not play

Second stage (1909–1913)

• 1910 – Greenwood Scouts
• 1911 – Vicksburg Hill Billies
• 1912 – Vicksburg Hill Billies *
• 1913 – Jackson Lawmakers

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

• From 1914 through 1921 the league did not play

Third stage (1922–1932)

• 1922 – Greenwood Indians
  Playoff: Greenwood beat Meridian, four to zero games
• 1923 – Greenville Swamp Angels
  No playoff after the league disbanded
• 1924 – Hattiesburg Hubmen
• 1925 – Meridian Mets
• 1926 – Hattiesburg Pinetoppers
• 1927 – Jackson Red Sox
  Playoff: Jackson beat Monroe, four to one games
• 1928 – Jackson Red Sox
  Playoffs:
  Hattiesburg Pinetoppers beat Meridian, four to one games
  Vicksburg Hill Billies beat Jackson, four to two games
  Final series: Vicksburg beat Hattiesburg, four to three games
• 1929 – Alexandria Reds
  Playoffs:
  El Dorado Lions beat Laurel, four to one games
  Jackson Red Sox beat Alexandria, four to two games
  Final series: El Dorado beat Jackson, four to one games
• 1930 – El Dorado Lions
  Playoff: Pine Bluff Judges beat El Dorado, four to three games
• 1931 – Jackson Red Sox
  Playoff: Jackson beat Vicksburg, four to zero games
• 1932 – Baton Rouge Senators
  No playoff after the disbanding of the league
• From 1933 through 1935 the league did not play

Fourth stage (1936–1941)

• 1936 – Greenwood Giants
  Playoffs:
  El Dorado Lions beat Greenwood, three to one games
  Greenville Bucks beat Pine Bluff, three to one games
  Final series: El Dorado beat Greenville, four to one games
• 1937 – Pine Bluff Judges
  Playoffs:
  Pine Bluff beat Greenville, four to one games
  El Dorado beat Greenwood, four to one games
  Final series: El Dorado beat Pine Bluff, four to one games
• 1938 – Greenville Bucks
  Playoffs:
  Monroe White Sox beat Helena, three to one games
  Greenville beat El Dorado, three to one games
  Final series: Monroe beat Greenville, four to two games
• 1939 – Monroe White Sox
  Playoffs:
  Hot Springs Bathers beat Monroe, three to two games
  Greenville Buckshots beat Clarksdale, three to one games
  Final series: Greenville beat Hot Springs, four to one games
• 1940 – Monroe White Sox
  Playoffs:
  Monroe beat Greenville, three to one games
  El Dorado Oilers beat Helena, three to one games
  Final series: Monroe beat El Dorado, four to one games
• 1941 – Monroe White Sox
  Playoffs:
  Vicksburg Hill Billies beat Monroe, three to two games
  Hot Springs Bathers beat Greenville, three to zero games
  Final series: Hot Springs beat Vicksburg, four to zero games
• From 1942 through 1946 the league did not play

Fifth stage (1947–1955)

• 1947 – Greenwood Dodgers
  Playoffs:
  Greenwood beat Clarksdale, three to one games
  Greenville Bucks beat El Dorado, three to two games
  Final series: Greenwood beat Greenville, four to three games
• 1948 – Greenwood Dodgers
  Playoffs:
  Greenwood beat Natchez, three to zero games
  Hot Springs Bathers beat Clarksdale, three to zero games
  Final series: Hot Springs beat Greenwood, four to three games
• 1949 – Greenwood Dodgers
  Playoffs:
  Natchez Indians beat El Dorado, four to three games
  Pine Bluff Cardinals beat Greenwood, four to two games
  Final series: Natchez beat Pine Bluff, four to one games
• 1950 – Pine Bluff Judges
  Playoffs:
  Hot Springs Bathers beat Monroe, four to two games
  Natchez Indians beat Pine Bluff, four to one games
  Final series: Hot Springs beat Natchez, four to three games
• 1951 – Monroe Sports
  Playoffs:
  Natchez Indians beat Monroe, four to three games
  Pine Bluff Judges beat Greenwood, four to three games
  Final series: Natchez beat Pine Bluff, four to one games
• 1952 – Meridian Millers
  Playoffs:
  Meridian beat Monroe, four to two games
  Natchez Indians beat Greenwood, four to two games
  Final series: Meridian beat Natchez, four to three games
• 1953 – Meridian Millers
  Playoffs: Meridian beat Jackson, four to two games
  El Dorado Oilers beat Pine Bluff, four to zero games
  Final series: Meridian beat El Dorado, four to zero games
• 1954 – Greenville Tigers
  Playoffs:
  Greenville beat Monroe, four to one games
  El Dorado Oilers beat Meridian, four to three games
  Final series: El Dorado beat Greenville, four to two games

^[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. The Official Record of Minor League Baseball

External links

• Cotton States League memorabilia
• Mike McCann website – Minor League Baseball History