Clarksville Colts

{{Infobox Minor League Baseball

| name = Clarksville Colts

| firstseason = 1946

| lastseason = 1949

| allyears =

| city = Clarksville, Tennessee

| logo =

| caplogo =

| class level = Class D (1946–1949)

| league = Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (1946–1949)

| majorleague = Unaffiliated (1946–1949)

| nickname= {{plainlist|

Clarksville Colts (1947–1949)
Clarksville Owls (1946)

}}

| ballpark = Goodrich Park (1946–1949)

| leaguenum = 0

| leaguechamps = None

}}

The Clarksville Colts were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Class D Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY League) from 1946 to 1949. They were located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and played their home games at Goodrich Park. The team was known as the Clarskville Owls in 1946 before operating as the Clarksville Colts from 1947 to 1949.

History

Clarksville, Tennessee, had been previously represented in the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League by the Clarksville Villagers in 1903 and the Clarksville Grays in 1904.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Clarksville&state=TN&country=US|title=Clarksville, Tennessee Encyclopedia|website=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 31, 2020}} From 1910 to 1916 the city fielded a team known as the Clarksville Volunteers (1910 and 1916), Clarksville Billies (1911), Clarksville Rebels (1912), and Clarksville Boosters (1913–1914).

After a 39-year absence, Clarksville returned to the KITTY League in 1946 with the Colts, who played their home games at Goodrich Park.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-co10907/y-1946|title=1946 Clarksville Owls Statistics|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 31, 2020}} They lost their season opener, 11–0, to the Hopkinsville Hoppers before a home audience of around 3,000 people on May 8.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52521479/opening-game-crowds-indicate-good/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Opening Game Crowds Indicate Good Season for Kitty League|work=The Nashville Banner|location=Nashville|date=May 8, 1946|page=23}} The Colts gained their first win the next evening, beating the Hoppers 11–6.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52521726/mayfield-continues-its-terrific-slugging/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Mayfield Continues Its Terrific Slugging|work=The Paducah Sun-Democrat|location=Paducah|date=May 9, 1946|page=12}} Clarksville ended their first season in fifth place, just missing the playoffs, with a record of 58–67 (.464).{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-KITL/y-1946|title=1946 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings|website=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}

The team became known as the Clarksville Colts in 1947.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-KITL/y-1947|title=1947 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings|website=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 31, 2020}} They accumulated a record of 40–83 (.325), placing last of eight teams. The Colts posted two more losing seasons in 1948 (49–77; .389) and 1949 (40–85; .320), placing sixth and seventh respectively.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-KITL/y-1948|title=1948 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings|website=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-KITL/y-1949|title=1949 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings|website=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 31, 2020}} Clarksville lost their last two games, 7–3 and 6–1, in a doubleheader with Hopkinsville on September 5, 1949.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52522759/kitty-league-starts-finals/|via=Newspapers.com|title=KITTY League Starts Finals|work=Mt. Vernon Register-News|location=Mt. Vernon|date=September 6, 1949|page=8}} Over four seasons, the team had accumulated a record of 187–312 (.375).

Clarksville did not field another professional team until 1996 with the Clarksville Coyotes of the independent Big South League.

Season-by-season results

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
rowspan="2" scope="col"\|Season !colspan="4" scope="col"\|Regular season !colspan="3" scope="col"\|Postseason !rowspan="2" class="unsortable" scope="col"\|{{Abbr\|Ref.\|Reference}}
scope="col"\|Record !scope="col"\|Win % !scope="col"\|Finish !scope="col"\|{{Abbr\|GB\|Games behind}} !scope="col"\|Record !scope="col"\|Win % !class="unsortable" rowspan="2" scope="col"\|Result
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 1946 \| 58–67 \| .464 \| {{sort\|05.0\|5th}} \| {{sort\|26.5\|{{frac\|26\|1\|2}}}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| — \|
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 1947 \| 40–83 \| .325 \| {{sort\|08.0\|8th}} \| {{sort\|36.0\|36}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| — \|
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 1948 \| 49–77 \| .389 \| {{sort\|06.0\|6th}} \| {{sort\|36.0\|36}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| — \|
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 1949 \| 40–85 \| .320 \| {{sort\|07.0\|7th}} \| {{sort\|43.0\|{{frac\|43\|1\|2}}}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| — \|
class="sortbottom" !scope="row" style="text-align:center"\|Totals ! 187–312 ! .375 ! — ! — ! — ! — ! — ! —

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"

rowspan="2" scope="col"|Season

!colspan="4" scope="col"|Regular season

!colspan="3" scope="col"|Postseason

!rowspan="2" class="unsortable" scope="col"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="col"|Record

!scope="col"|Win %

!scope="col"|Finish

!scope="col"|{{Abbr|GB|Games behind}}

!scope="col"|Record

!scope="col"|Win %

!class="unsortable" rowspan="2" scope="col"|Result

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1946

| 58–67

| .464

| {{sort|05.0|5th}}

| {{sort|26.5|{{frac|26|1|2}}}}

| {{sort|00.0|—}}

| —

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1947

| 40–83

| .325

| {{sort|08.0|8th}}

| {{sort|36.0|36}}

| {{sort|00.0|—}}

| —

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1948

| 49–77

| .389

| {{sort|06.0|6th}}

| {{sort|36.0|36}}

| {{sort|00.0|—}}

| —

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1949

| 40–85

| .320

| {{sort|07.0|7th}}

| {{sort|43.0|{{frac|43|1|2}}}}

| {{sort|00.0|—}}

| —

class="sortbottom"

!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|Totals

! 187–312

! .375

! —

Notable players

Three players also played in at league one game in Major League Baseball during their careers. These players and their seasons with Clarksville were:

Harley Boss (1946){{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=boss--001elm|title=Harley Boss Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 29, 2020}}
Johnny Gill (1947){{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gill--002joh|title=Johnny Gill Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 29, 2020}}
Hod Lisenbee (1946–1949){{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=lisenb001hor|title=Hod Lisenbee Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 29, 2020}}

References

External links

[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Clarksville&state=TN&country=US Statistics from Baseball-Reference]
[https://www.statscrew.com/sports/places/m-4189155 Statistics from Stats Crew]

Category:1946 establishments in Tennessee

Category:1949 disestablishments in Tennessee

Category:Baseball teams established in 1946

Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1949

Category:Defunct baseball teams in Tennessee

Category:Defunct minor league baseball teams

Category:Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League teams

Category:Professional baseball teams in Tennessee

Category:Sports in Clarksville, Tennessee