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20-640: Norton gained a minor league team during the 1929 season when the Beatrice Blues franchise of the Class D level Nebraska State League moved from Beatrice, Nebraska to Norton, Kansas. Norton had previously sought admission to the Nebraska State League, but had been denied. The Norton Jayhawks then played the 1929 and 1930 seasons in the Nebraska State League. The stock market crash of 1928 greatly affected minor league baseball as The Great Depression gripped

40-836: A minor leaguer. However, in 1953 the Athletics abandoned Lincoln and were replaced by the Milwaukee Braves , who fielded a club identified by its final nickname, the Lincoln Chiefs. The Chiefs struggled on the field for their first three seasons, but in 1956, in the team's second year as an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates , they won the Western League's first half and playoff championships. The 1956 Chiefs, managed by Larry Shepard , were paced by two standout performances. First baseman Dick Stuart clubbed 66 home runs — still

60-740: Is located at 400 South State in Norton, Kansas. Beatrice Blues The Beatrice Blues was the final and primary name of the minor league baseball teams located in Beatrice, Nebraska . Beatrice teams played as members of the Nebraska State League in 1892, from 1913 to 1915, 1922 to 1923, 1928, 1932 to 1938, the Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League in 1912 and the Tri-State League in 1924. They were affiliated with

80-659: The Brooklyn Dodgers from 1936 to 1938. The Beatrice Blues played at the High School Athletic Park. The field acquired lights in the early 1930s. The field still exists as the local high school football stadium. Prior to the Blues, Beatrice was represented in the Nebraska State League in 1892. In partnership with neighboring Fairbury, Nebraska , the Beatrice-Fairbury Milkskimmers played as members in

100-435: The Brooklyn Dodgers . They were in 4th place in 1936, third in 1937 and again in third in 1938. Lincoln Links The Lincoln Links were an American minor league baseball franchise that represented Lincoln, Nebraska , for 18 seasons over a 23-year period (1917–39) during the 20th century. They played in the Class A Western League (1917; 1924–27), the Class D Nebraska State League (1922–23; 1928–36; 1938) and

120-426: The Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League (MINK) in 1912. The Beatrice Milkskimmers played in the Nebraska State League from 1913 until the league disbanded in 1915. In 1922 Beatrice, Nebraska was represented in the short-lived Nebraska State League by the Blues. The league had a split season. The Blue's were 25–28 in the first half and 31–32 in the second half and wound up in 4th place. Ralph Kirchner managed

140-634: The Nebraska State League was restarted with eight teams. The 1928 Blue's were led by Jack Ellison . He was named to the All Star team and the Pinconning MI native had a 15–8 record. Spud Owen averaged .343 and was also named to the All Star team. In 1929 the Norton Jayhawks took over the franchise. When the York Dukes dropped out of the Nebraska State League after the 1931 season Beatrice reentered

160-441: The 1929 Beatrice/Norton team ended the season in fifth place in the eight–team Nebraska State League standings. The Beatrice/Norton team ended the season with a 54–60 overall record, playing the 1929 season under manager Hal Brokaw in both locations. Norton finished 19.0 games behind the first place McCook Generals in the final Nebraska State League standings. The Norton Jayhawks franchise continued play in 1930 but folded days before

180-662: The 1958 campaign, one in which the Chiefs placed third in the league and in home attendance. The Chiefs played for three more seasons in organized baseball as a member of the Class B Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League and an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox . But the Three-I League was also suffering from the woes that plagued the Western circuit, and it disbanded after the 1961 season. Lincoln would be without professional baseball until

200-717: The Class D Western League of 1939–41 (1939). Lincoln was first represented in organized baseball in 1886 as the Tree Planters in the reorganized original Western League . Lincoln's 19th-century teams played in various leagues between 1886 and 1895. In 1906, Lincoln joined the Class A Western League as the Ducklings (1906), Treeplanters (1907), Railsplitters (1908–13) and Tigers (1914–16). During this time, team nicknames were often unofficially assigned by sportswriters, and The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball , published by Baseball America in 2007, lists other nicknames for

220-480: The Lincoln franchise of the time, including Greenbackers and Antelopes. Adopted in 1917, Links was the most widely used of the several nicknames associated with Lincoln teams during the 20th century. They played home games at Antelope Park (through 1917) and Landis Field (after 1922) and won Nebraska State League championships in 1923 (under manager O.A. Beltzer), and 1934 (under Cy Lingle and Pug Griffin ). Upon

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240-475: The end of the eight-team Nebraska State League season. The Norton franchise folded on August 25, 1930, and the final seven games of the season were forfeited, as the Nebraska State League continued play through August 31, 1930. With their seven forfeit games included, Norton finished last in the eight–team league with a 33–87 final record. Managed by Earl Harrison and Frank Sidle, the Jayhawks finished 52.5 games behind

260-399: The first place McCook Generals. After Norton permanently folded during the 1930 season, Norton did not return to the 1931 Nebraska State League, which reduced to become a six team league. Norton, Kansas has not hosted another minor league team. The Norton Jayhawks hosted home minor league games at Elmwood Park . Today, the park is still in use as a public park with ballfields. Elmwood Park

280-594: The fourth-most in minor league history — and also led the league with 158 runs batted in . Pitcher Bennie Daniels , meanwhile, compiled a 15–3 win–loss record . The 1957 Chiefs repeated as Western League champions, edging out the Amarillo Gold Sox by a single game. But the Western League was in its twilight years; plagued by declining attendance and the defection of teams such as the Omaha Cardinals and Denver Bears to higher-level circuits, it folded after

300-591: The introduction of the farm system , the Links were linked with Major League Baseball 's St. Louis Cardinals (1933–34), Cincinnati Reds (1936, as the Red Links ), and St. Louis Browns (1938–39). The Class A Western League had folded during the Great Depression in 1937, but with the boom in baseball attendance following World War II, it was revived in 1947 by U.S. Senator Edwin C. Johnson of Colorado . Lincoln

320-455: The league and remained through the 1938 season. The 1932 Blues were led by Mike Pociask and Cotton Pippen . During the playoffs, Cotton pitched the third game of the series and won 5–3. He came back in the sixth game of the series and pitched a 2-hitter as Beatrice won 9–0. The next day he pitched the seventh game of the series. There were 3,000 fans in the Beatrice stands. Cotton went 2 for 3 at

340-729: The nation, subsequently 12 of the existing 26 baseball minor leagues folded between 1928 and 1933. The Nebraska State League was able to keep playing, but it folded the Jayhawks on August 25, 1930, with seven games remaining. Another league member, the Fairbury Jeffersons , were folded after the 1930 season. After gaining a franchise during the season, the Norton "Jayhawks" joined the Fairbury Jeffersons, Grand Island Islanders , Lincoln Links , McCook Generals , Norfolk Elkhorns , North Platte Buffaloes and York Dukes teams in Nebraska State League play. In their first season of play,

360-413: The plate and won 4–3. He did not give up an earned run in four playoff appearances. 1933 was a near repeat of the previous year. Led by pitcher Mike Pociask they once again wound up in second place. Cotton won one of the playoff games and hit two home runs during the game. Beatrice won the playoffs 5 games to 4. 1934 and 1935 were cellar years for the team. In 1936 the team secured a working agreement with

380-514: The team until July and Ducky Holmes replaced him for the remainder of the season. The 1923 team wound up in 5th place. In 1924 the Lincoln Links returned to the Western League . The remaining Nebraska State League teams and some of the teams from the collapsed South Dakota League formed the Tri-State League . The Blues were in first place when the league disbanded on July 17. In 1928

400-490: Was one of six cities represented in the 1947 Western League as the A's , reflecting its affiliation with the Philadelphia Athletics . The Lincoln A's moved into a new ballpark, Sherman Field, named for franchise owner Charles "Cy" Sherman , and played for six seasons (1947–52), making the playoffs twice. Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman Nellie Fox batted .311 for the 1948 Lincoln A's in his last season as

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