Misplaced Pages

#0

45-632: The Jackson Generals were a professional baseball team located in Jackson, Tennessee . From 1998 to 2020, they were a part of Minor League Baseball 's Southern League (SL) as the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs (1998–2006), Seattle Mariners (2007–2016), and Arizona Diamondbacks (2017–2020). Known as the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx from 1998 to 2010, the team borrowed its Generals moniker from

90-682: A ban on contracts for female players until June 21, 1952 (which was repealed in 1992). After winning the 1932 Southern Association pennant , the Lookouts won the Dixie Series , a postseason interleague championship between the champions of the Southern Association and the Texas League , defeating the Beaumont Exporters , 4–1, in the best-of-seven series. During owner Joe Engel's tenure,

135-585: A black player's head. Now, however, baseball is fully integrated, and there is little to no racial tension between teammates. Between 1943 and 1954, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League fielded teams in several Midwestern towns. Chattanooga Lookouts In 1908, Oliver Burnside "O.B." Andrews, owner of the Andrews Paper Box Company, Garnett Carter, and a third unidentified party took ownership of

180-589: A franchise in the South Atlantic League relocating the Single-A team to Chattanooga. The team adopted the name Lookouts in 1909 after a fan contest. The following year Andrews purchased the Double A Southern Association franchise from Little Rock and relocated them to Chattanooga. The team began playing on Andrews Field in the 1100 block of East 3rd Street, which would remain the site of their home stadium for close to

225-611: A hundred years. Joe Engel bought the Chattanooga Lookouts in 1926 and opened Engel Stadium in 1930 on the site of Andrews Field. The first game in the new stadium was played April 15, 1930, with the Lookouts beating the Atlanta Crackers 6-5 in front of approx. 16,000 fans. In 1931, the New York Yankees played an exhibition game against the Lookouts. During the game, a 17-year-old girl named Jackie Mitchell pitched for

270-636: A league-leading 84–57 record, qualifying for the postseason playoffs. They won the division title by defeating the Chattanooga Lookouts , 3–1, in a best-of-five series. They were, however, defeated in finals by the Orlando Rays , 3–1. Trembley was selected for the Southern League Manager of the Year Award . The Diamond Jaxx returned to the postseason in 2000 under the leadership of Manager of

315-694: A letter-writing campaign aimed at Clark Griffith , the owner of the Senators at the time. The team, which plays in the Southern League , has been the Double-A affiliate of a major league ballclub since 1932. From 1988 through 2008, the Lookouts were the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds . For the 2009 through 2014 seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers served as the parent club. In affiliating with

360-610: A player development contract that began with the 2017 season. They missed the playoffs in their first season with Arizona, but first baseman Kevin Cron won the league's Most Valuable Player Award. On June 14, 2018, five Generals combined to pitch a no-hitter against Jacksonville on the road. Justin Donatella (3  innings pitched ), Daniel Gibson (2 IP), Kirby Bellow (1 IP), Kevin Ginkel (2 IP), and Brad Goldberg (1 IP) held

405-472: A team for the next 42 years. Following the 1997 season, the Southern League 's Memphis Chicks relocated from nearby Memphis , to Jackson as the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. The team's nickname was selected from over 1,500 suggestions submitted to The Jackson Sun in a name-the-team contest. The winning entry, "Diamond Jacks", was inspired by a diamond shape on the contest entry blank. This

450-586: A temporary home for the Winnipeg Goldeyes , an independent American Association team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba , Canada, which was displaced due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. However, Jackson Mayor Scott Conger notified the teams that the Generals lost their authority to manage the city-owned ballpark when they lost their affiliation with Minor League Baseball and that they were issued an eviction notice to leave

495-538: The Chattanooga Lookouts , 3–1, to advance to their first league championship series since 2005. They lost the finals to the Mobile BayBears , 3–1. Brandon Maurer was selected as the season's Most Outstanding Pitcher. Losing campaigns from 2013 to 2015, including a franchise-low 53–84 (.387) record in 2015, kept the Generals from the playoffs for three consecutive years, the longest postseason drought in franchise history. The 2016 Generals, managed by Daren Brown , led

SECTION 10

#1732854989000

540-721: The Commissioner of Baseball . Operating outside the Minor League Baseball organization are many independent minor leagues such as the Atlantic League , American Association , Frontier League , and the feeder league to these the Empire Professional Baseball League . Japan has had professional baseball since the 1930s. Nippon Professional Baseball consists of two leagues, the Central League and

585-917: The Double-A South in which they continued as an affiliate of the Reds. In 2022, the Double-A South became known as the Southern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization. On July 15, 2024, the team and local officials broke ground on a new $ 115 million stadium in the South Broad Street area. The stadium will be constructed on the site of the former U.S. Pipe/Wheland Foundry. The stadium will be flanked by I-24 as it runs along Nickajack Lake . All Chattanooga Lookouts games are televised on MiLB.TV . Since 2016, all games are broadcast on 96.1 The Legend. Larry Ward

630-890: The Jackson Railroaders of the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League . They were followed in the KITTY League by the Jackson Climbers in 1911 and the Jackson Blue Jays in 1924. The Blue Jays moved to the Tri-State League in 1925 as the Jackson Giants and became the Jackson Jays in 1926. The original Jackson Generals played in the KITTY League from 1935 to 1942 and 1950 to 1954. Jackson went without

675-625: The Jacksonville Suns on April 2, 1998, at Wolfson Park in Jacksonville, Florida , winning 6–4. They played their home opener on April 16 before a sellout crowd of 6,054 people at Pringles Park. Tied 4–4 in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded, Jackson's Terry Joseph was hit by a pitch forcing in the winning run in the 5–4 victory. Managed by Dave Trembley , the Diamond Jaxx ended their first season in fourth place in

720-600: The Montgomery Rebels after the Washington Senators moved the Lookouts from Chattanooga to Montgomery, some 235 miles (378 km) away, citing a decline in attendance. (The original Montgomery Rebels team had folded due to World War II in 1943 and would return to Montgomery in 1946 in the now-defunct Southeastern League .) The Lookouts managed to move back to Chattanooga in December of that year after Engel organized

765-574: The Most Outstanding Pitcher Award . Three managers won the Manager of the Year Award . The team also won one Executive of the Year Award. Altogether, the Generals won 10 Southern League awards. Professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout

810-701: The Pacific League , each with six teams. South Korea has had professional baseball since 1982. There are 10 teams in KBO League . Taiwan has had professional baseball since the 1990s. The Chinese Professional Baseball League absorbed Taiwan Major League in 2003. There are currently 6 teams in the CPBL. Other Asian leagues include three now defunct leagues, the China National Baseball League , Israel Baseball League , and Baseball Philippines . During

855-605: The Seattle Mariners in 2007. The finished that season with a 60–79 record. In October 2007, team owners Lozinak Baseball Properties entered into an agreement to sell the Diamond Jaxx to a group of Middle Tennessee -based investors headed by Reese Smith III and David Freeman. The new owners planned to keep the team in Jackson and sought to improve attendance. The sale was approved at the Winter Meetings that December. Jackson won

900-615: The 2004 campaign in which second baseman Richard Lewis won the Southern League Most Valuable Player Award . They won both halves of the 2005 season and won the Northern Division title versus the Carolina Mudcats , 3–0, but lost the championship to Jacksonville, 3–1. Jackson led the league with an 83–56 record. Ricky Nolasco was selected for the 2005 Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher Award . At

945-541: The 2006 Southern League All-Star Game, Jackson third baseman Scott Moore was selected as the game's MVP. Following the 2006 season, the Chicago Cubs ended their nine-year affiliation with the Diamond Jaxx, citing poor attendance and a desire for their Double-A players to compete before larger audiences. Jackson had a composite record of 655–598 through nine seasons with the Cubs. The Diamond Jaxx entered into an affiliation with

SECTION 20

#1732854989000

990-520: The Arizona Diamondbacks from 2017 to 2020. The team has a composite regular season record of 224–190 (.541). They have reached the postseason on two occasions, winning two division titles and two Southern League championships. Their postseason record has been 12–6 (.667). Conversely, the team's lowest record has been with the Mariners from 2007 to 2016. They compiled a 674–712 (.486) record and reached

1035-484: The Diamondbacks and their run in affiliated baseball. The future of the team is uncertain. While Major League Baseball has stated its intentions to assist cities like Jackson in joining independent baseball leagues, the team's lease requires them to maintain a Class A , Double-A, or Triple-A affiliation to remain at their ballpark. With no team lined up for 2021, the Generals agreed to operate The Ballpark at Jackson as

1080-507: The Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They won a second in 2016 while affiliated with the Seattle Mariners. Their two most-recent titles were won back-to-back in 2018 and 2019 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jackson has a postseason record of 39–31. Combining all 3,123 regular season and postseason games, the Generals have an all-time record of 1,592–1,531. Professional baseball was first played in Jackson, Tennessee , in 1903 by

1125-590: The First Half Northern Division title in 2008, but lost the division series to Carolina, 3–0. The 2010 team, lost the Northern Division title to the Tennessee Smokies , winners of both halves, 3–1. During the 2010 playoffs, the team announced plans to rebrand for the 2011 season by becoming the Jackson Generals. The moniker was previously used by the original Jackson Generals , who represented

1170-473: The Lookouts and struck out Major League greats Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth . Many reports of this story include a footnote claiming that a few days after the game, baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis voided Mitchell's contract, claiming that baseball was "too strenuous" for women. This has been rebutted here, and directly contradicts a profile of Mitchell published a few months later. MLB didn't introduce

1215-548: The Lookouts won four championships – three with the Southern Association and a fourth with the South Atlantic League . Engel led a charge to own the Lookouts privately, with the help of several hundred fans as shareholders from 1938 to 1942. In 1939, as a privately owned franchise under coach Kiki Cuyler , the Lookouts claimed a championship. In 1943, the Lookouts played at Montgomery, Alabama 's Cramton Bowl as

1260-594: The Manager of the Year Award. The Generals ended their affiliation with the Seattle Mariners after the playoffs, intending to partner with a new major league team. Over 10 years as a Mariners affiliate, the Diamond Jaxx/Generals accumulated a record of 674–712. Over all 19 years in Jackson, the team had an all-time record of 1,329–1,310. The Generals next affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks in

1305-600: The Northern Division's second-best overall record. Similar to the previous year, the Generals bested the Biscuits, 3–1 in the division series, then won their fourth Southern League championship versus the Shuckers, 3–2. The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. Jackson was scheduled to host the 2020 Southern League All-Star Game at The Ballpark at Jackson , but it

1350-517: The Suns hitless for nine innings in the 6–0 win. The team went on to win back-to-back Southern League championships in 2018 and 2019. Jackson won the 2018 first half, defeated Montgomery, 3–2, for the Northern Division title, then won the franchise's third league title with a 3–1 series win over the Biloxi Shuckers . The 2019 team did not win either half of the season, but received a postseason berth with

1395-525: The Twins in 2015, the Lookouts rekindled a relationship with the franchise that, as the 1901–1960 edition of the Washington Senators, spent the longest period as its parent team. It was announced on September 25, 2018, that the Lookouts would resume their affiliation with the Reds. In conjunction with Major League Baseball 's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Lookouts were organized into

Jackson Generals - Misplaced Pages Continue

1440-462: The United States and Canada. The minor leagues are divided into classes AAA, AA, High-A, A, and Rookie. These minor-league divisions are affiliated with major league teams, and serve to develop young players and rehabilitate injured major-leaguers. "Affiliated baseball" (archaically, " organized baseball ") is often applied as an umbrella term for all leagues — major and minor — under the authority of

1485-659: The Western Division with a 66–74 record. Jackson hosted the 1999 Southern League All-Star Game on June 23. In the midsummer contest, the Western Division All-Stars defeated the Eastern Division, 5–2, with 4,169 in attendance. On July 22, David Manning pitched a no-hitter against Jacksonville at Pringles Park, a 1–0 win. The Diamond Jaxx won both the First and Second Half Western Division titles that season, with

1530-546: The Year Dave Bialas after winning the second half and posting a league-best 80–58 mark. They won the Western Division title versus the Birmingham Barons , 3–2, then won their first Southern League championship by defeating Jacksonville, 3–2. They won another second half title in 2002, but were eliminated in the Western Division series by Birmingham, 3–2. Jackson missed the playoffs for the next two seasons, including

1575-491: The city in the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League from 1935 to 1942 and 1950 to 1954. The Generals hosted their second Southern League All-Star Game on June 21, 2011. The North Division All-Stars defeated the South Division, 6–3, before a crowd of 5,516 at Pringles Park. After missing the playoffs in 2011, the 2012 Generals won the First Half Northern Division title and posted a league-leading 79–61 record. They then defeated

1620-542: The late 19th and early 20th centuries, players of black African descent were barred from playing the major leagues , though several did manage to play by claiming to be Cubans or Native Americans . As a result, a number of parallel Negro leagues were formed. However, after Jackie Robinson began playing with the major-league Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, the Negro leagues gradually faded. The process of integration did not go entirely smoothly; there were some ugly incidents, including pitchers who would try to throw directly at

1665-410: The league with a franchise-best 84–55 (.604) mark, winning the first half title. They won the Northern Division title against the Montgomery Biscuits , 3–1, before winning their second Southern League crown over the Mississippi Braves , 3–0. Jackson swept the Southern League awards with outfielder Tyler O'Neill winning the MVP Award, Ryan Yarbrough as the Most Outstanding Pitcher, and Brown winning

1710-399: The oldest continuous same-name, same-city franchise in both Major League Baseball and all of American professional sports. In addition to the major leagues, many North American cities and towns feature minor league teams. An organization officially styled Minor League Baseball , formerly the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, oversees nearly all minor league baseball in

1755-512: The original Jackson Generals in 2011. They played their home games at The Ballpark at Jackson , which opened in 1998. Jackson served as a farm club for three Major League Baseball franchises. Over 22 years of competition, the Generals have played in 3,053 regular season games and compiled a 1,553–1,500 win–loss record. They have qualified for the postseason on 10 occasions, winning 7 division titles and 4  Southern League championships . The team's first came in 2000 as

1800-489: The postseason on four occasions, winning two division titles and one league championship. Their postseason record was 11–11 (.500). All Jackson Generals games were shown on MiLB.TV . All games were also broadcast on radio by Radio Willie 94.1 FM and 1390 AM with sportscaster Tyler Springs handling the play-by-play since 2017. Six Generals players won Southern League awards in recognition for their performance with Jackson. Three won Most Valuable Player Awards , while three won

1845-440: The stadium after May 30, nine days after the Goldeyes' May 21 home opener. On June 1, the Goldeyes entered into a new license agreement with the city to continue use of the facility. Meanwhile, the Generals and the City of Jackson went to an arbiter to decide which party had legal control of the stadium. The arbiter ruled in favor of the city, determining the Generals' lease to be invalid after the loss of its affiliation and requiring

Jackson Generals - Misplaced Pages Continue

1890-503: The team to vacate the ballpark. The city plans to host a team of the collegiate summer Prospect League in 2023. The team will be called the Jackson Rockabillys. Jackson's best season record occurred in 2016, when they finished 84–55 (.604) as an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Their lowest season record has been 53–84 (.387) in 2015, also as a Mariners affiliate. Of the three Major League Baseball teams with which Jackson has been affiliated, they have experienced their best record with

1935-441: The world. Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada consists of the National League (founded in 1876) and the American League (founded in 1901). Historically, teams in one league never played teams in the other until the World Series , in which the champions of the two leagues played against each other. This changed in 1997 with the advent of interleague play . The Philadelphia Phillies , founded in 1883, are

1980-411: Was cancelled earlier on May 19. Through three years of affiliation with Arizona, the Generals' record was 224–190. Over all 22 years of competition, they had an all-time record of 1,553–1,500. In conjunction with Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, the Generals were not invited to serve as any team's affiliate, effectively ending their affiliation with

2025-402: Was modified to "Diamond Jaxx" and paired with "West Tenn", short for " West Tennessee " in which Jackson is located. The Diamond Jaxx became the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs . The team would play their home games at the newly constructed 6,000-seat Pringles Park , which cost approximately US$ 8 million. The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx opened their inaugural season on the road against

#0