Jackson Jays

{{Infobox Minor League Baseball

| name = Jackson Jays

| firstseason = 1924

| lastseason = 1926

| allyears =

| city = Jackson, Tennessee

| logo =

| caplogo =

| class level = Class D (1924–1926)

| league = {{plainlist|

Tri-State League (1925–1926)
Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (1924)

}}

| majorleague = Unaffiliated (1924–1926)

| leaguenum = 0

| leaguechamps = None

| nickname= {{plainlist|

Jackson Jays (1926)
Jackson Giants (1925)
Jackson Blue Jays (1924)

}}

| ballpark = Athletic Park (1924–1926)

}}

The Jackson Jays were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Jackson, Tennessee, from 1924 to 1926. They competed in the Class D Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY League) in 1924 as the Jackson Blue Jays. They moved to the Class D Tri-State League as the Jackson Giants in 1925 and became the Jackson Jays in 1926. Their home games were played at Athletic Park. Over three years of competition, they accumulated a 118–154 (.434) record.

History

Professional baseball was first played in Jackson, Tennessee, in 1903 by the Jackson Railroaders of the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Jackson&state=TN&country=US|title=Jackson, Tennessee Encyclopedia|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 29, 2020}} They were followed in the KITTY League by the Jackson Climbers in 1911.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/sports/places/m-4190519|title=Sports in Jackson, Tennessee|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 29, 2020}}

The Jackson Blue Jays joined the KITTY League in 1924. They played their first game on May 13, losing to the Dyersburg Forked Deers, 2–0, before a home audience of 2,500 people at Athletic Park.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52401774/dyersburg-opens-season-with-2-0-win/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Dyersburg Opens Season with 2-0 Win|work=The Courier-Journal|location=Louisville|date=May 14, 1924|page=11}}{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-jj12178/y-1924|title=1924 Jackson Blue Jays Statistics|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 29, 2020}} They earned their first win the next afternoon, defeating Dyersburg, 5–4.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52402033/jackson-tenn-may-14/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Jackson, Tenn., May 14|work=The Courier-Journal|location=Louisville|date=May 15, 1924|page=12}} The Blue Jays compiled a first season record of 51–61 (.455) and did not win either half of the league's split season.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-KITL/y-1924|title=1924 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 29, 2020}}

The KITTY League failed to reorganize for the 1925 season,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52113149/kitty-league-lost-to-fans-for-1925/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Kitty League Lost to Fans for 1925 Season|work=The Courier-Journal|location=Louisville|date=February 10, 1925|page=11}} so Jackson joined the Class D Tri-State League.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-TRIS4/y-1925|title=1925 Tri-State League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 29, 2020}} They also changed their name to the Jackson Giants.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-jg12184/y-1925|title=1925 Jackson Giants Statistics|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 29, 2020}} The Giants posted a season record of 40–63 (.388). The team changed its name to the Jackson Jays in 1926 as they continued in the Tri-State League.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-jg12184/y-1926|title=1926 Tri-State League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 29, 2020}} The circuit disbanded due to poor attendance after the games of July 5, the scheduled end of the first half.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52402796/tri-state-to-disband-after-todays-games/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Tri-State to Disband After Today's Games|work=Nashville Banner|location=Nashville|date=July 5, 1926|page=11}} The Jays lost their final game to the Sheffield-Tuscumbia Twins, 7–6 in 14 innings.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52402931/mondays-results/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Monday's Results|work=The Birmingham News|location=Birmingham|date=July 6, 1926|page=18}} Their final record was 27–30 (.474).{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-TRIS4/y-1926|title=1926 Tri-State League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 29, 2020}} Over all three years of competition, Jackson accumulated a 118–154 (.434) record.

The city did not field another team until the Jackson Generals joined a revival of the KITTY League in 1935.

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"\| 1924 \| 51–61 \| .455 \| {{sort\|05.0\|5th}} \| {{sort\|11.0\|11}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| — \|
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 1925 \| 40–63 \| .388 \| {{sort\|05.0\|5th}} \| {{sort\|25.5\|{{frac\|25\|1\|2}}}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| — \|
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 1926 \| 27–30 \| .474 \| {{sort\|04.0\|4th}} \| {{sort\|07.5\|{{frac\|7\|1\|2}}}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| {{sort\|00.0\|—}} \| — \|
class="sortbottom" !scope="row" style="text-align:center"\|Totals ! 118–154 ! .434 ! — ! — ! — ! — ! — ! —

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"| 1924

| 51–61

| .455

| {{sort|05.0|5th}}

| {{sort|11.0|11}}

| {{sort|00.0|—}}

| —

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1925

| 40–63

| .388

| {{sort|05.0|5th}}

| {{sort|25.5|{{frac|25|1|2}}}}

| {{sort|00.0|—}}

| —

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1926

| 27–30

| .474

| {{sort|04.0|4th}}

| {{sort|07.5|{{frac|7|1|2}}}}

| {{sort|00.0|—}}

| —

class="sortbottom"

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

! 118–154

! .434

! —

Notable players

The only Giant to also play in Major League Baseball was Ben Cantwell of the 1925 team, who made his major league debut in 1927 with the New York Giants—the start of an 11-year major league career.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cantwe001ben |title=Ben Cantwell Minor Leagues Statistics & History |website=Baseball-Reference |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=May 24, 2020}}

References

External links

[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Jackson&state=TN&country=US Statistics from Baseball-Reference]
[https://www.statscrew.com/sports/places/m-4190519 Statistics from Stats Crew]

Category:1924 establishments in Tennessee

Category:1926 disestablishments in Tennessee

Category:Baseball teams established in 1924

Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1926

Category:Defunct baseball teams in Tennessee

Category:Defunct minor league baseball teams

Category:Defunct Tri-State League teams

Category:Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League

Category:Professional baseball teams in Tennessee

Category:Sports in Jackson, Tennessee