The Cordele Reds were a minor league baseball team based in

Cordele, Georgia Cordele is a city in and the county seat of Crisp County, Georgia, United States. The population was 11,147 at the 2010 census. Cordele calls itself the Watermelon Capital of the World. History Cordele was incorporated on January 1, 1888, and ...

in various seasons from 1906-1955.

History

Cordele played in the Class-D

Georgia–Florida League The Georgia–Florida League was a minor baseball league that existed from 1935 through 1958 (suspending operations during World War II) and in 1962–1963. It was one of many Class D circuits that played in the Southeastern United States during ...

from 1936–1942 and 1946–1955. The city was originally represented by a team in the

Georgia State League The Georgia State League was an American Class D minor league in professional baseball that existed in 1906, 1914, 1920–1921 and 1948–1956. During its last incarnation, it existed alongside two nearby Class D circuits, the Georgia–Florida Le ...

in 1906, with a team simply noted as Cordele. In 1913, the city was represented in the Empire State League with the Cordele Babies. The following season, the team moved into the Georgia–Florida League, as the Cordele Ramblers. After 22-year hiatus, a team reemerged in the Georgia–Florida League was the Reds, as an affiliate of the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

in 1937. The team became briefly known as the Cordele Bees from 1939–1940. They had affiliation an agreement with the

Atlanta Crackers The Atlanta Crackers were Minor League Baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1966. History Atlanta played its first ...

in 1938. After World War II, the team became known as the Cordele White Sox, as they were an affiliate of the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

. The following season, the team became the Cordele Indians and an affiliate of the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

. In 1950, the team's name changed once again to the Cordele Athletics, as they became an affiliate of the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

. In 1954, the team merge with a team from

Americus, Georgia Americus is the county seat of Sumter County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,230. It is the principal city of the Americus Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Schley an ...

to become the Americus-Cordele Orioles, and affiliate of the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

. Finally the team underwent a final name-change in 1955, as the Cordele Orioles, before folding. The 1937 team won the Georgia–Florida League Championship under manager Ivy Griffin.

The ballpark

The Cordele teams played at Standard Field. The field is still in use as a multi-use baseball/softball field, located at 302 N. 2nd Street Cordele, Georgia 31015.

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
alumni

Max Carey Maximillian George Carnarius (January 11, 1890 – May 30, 1976), known as Max George Carey, was an American professional baseball center fielder and manager. Carey played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1910 through 1 ...

(1955) Inducted, 1961

Notable alumni

* Lloyd Brown (1955) *

Dana Fillingim Dana Fillingim (November 6, 1893 – February 3, 1961) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies. Fillingim's key pitch was the spitball, and he was one of the pit ...

(1913-1914) * Andy High (1941) *

Jimmy Lavender James Sanford Lavender (March 25, 1884 – January 12, 1960) was an American professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball as a pitcher from 1912 to 1917. He played a total of five seasons with the Chicago Cubs of the National ...

(1906) * Frank O'Rourke (1942) *

Bama Rowell Carvel William "Bama" Rowell (January 13, 1916 – August 16, 1993) was an American professional baseball player. In Major League Baseball, he was a second baseman and outfielder for the Boston Bees/ Braves (1939–41 and 1946–47) and Philadelp ...

(1937) *

Harry Rice Harry Francis Rice (November 22, 1901 – January 1, 1971), was an outfielder for the St. Louis Browns (1923–27), Detroit Tigers (1928–30), New York Yankees (1930), Washington Senators (1931) and Cincinnati Reds (1933). At his peak, he was ...

(1939)

References

External links

Cordele, Georgia minor league history

Photo of the 1937 team

BR Cordele, Georgia
{{Georgia-Florida League Defunct Georgia State League teams Defunct Georgia-Florida League teams Defunct Empire State League teams Baltimore Orioles minor league affiliates Chicago White Sox minor league affiliates Cincinnati Reds minor league affiliates Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates Philadelphia Athletics minor league affiliates Professional baseball teams in Georgia (U.S. state) 1955 disestablishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Defunct baseball teams in Georgia Baseball teams disestablished in 1955 Baseball teams established in 1906

History

The ballpark

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ... alumni

Notable alumni

References

External links

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
alumni