The Norton Jayhawks were a minor league baseball team based in

Norton, Kansas Norton is a city in, and the county seat of, Norton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,747. History Norton was founded in 1872. Like the county, it was named for Capt. Orloff Norton. The f ...

. The "Jayhawks" played in the 1929 and 1930 seasons as members of the Class D level Nebraska State League and were the first and only minor league team based in Norton. The Jayhawks hosted home minor league games at Elmwood Park.

History

Norton gained a minor league team during the 1929 season when the

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 Miss ...

franchise of the Class D level Nebraska State League moved from

Beatrice, Nebraska Beatrice () is a city in and the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska, United States. Its population was 12,459 at the 2010 census. Beatrice is located approximately 25 miles south of Lincoln on the Big Blue River and is surrounded by agricultu ...

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

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of 1928 greatly affected minor league baseball as

The Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

gripped 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 The Fairbury Jeffersons were a Nebraska State League baseball team based in Fairbury, in the U.S. state of Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa t ...

, were folded after the 1930 season. After gaining a franchise during the season, the Norton "Jayhawks" joined the Fairbury Jeffersons,

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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 Cla ...

, McCook Generals, Norfolk Elkhorns, North Platte Buffaloes and

York Dukes The York Dukes were a minor league baseball team based in York, Nebraska. Between 1911 and 1931, York teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level Nebraska State League. The York Prohibitionists preceded the Dukes, playing in the Neb ...

teams in Nebraska State League play. In their first season of play, 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 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 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 ballpark

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 is located at 400 South State in Norton, Kansas.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

{, class="wikitable" , - style="background: #F2F2F2;" ! Year !! Record !! Finish !! Manager !! Playoffs , - align=center , 1929 , , 54–60 , , 5th , , Hal Brokaw , , No playoffs held , - align=center , 1930 , , 33–87 , , 8th , , Earl Harrison / Frank Sidle , , Team folded August 25 (33–80)
Last seven games forfeited , - align=center

Notable alumni

* Spud Owen (1929).

References

External links

Norton - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams 1929 establishments in Kansas 1930 disestablishments in Kansas Baseball teams established in 1929 Baseball teams disestablished in 1930 Professional baseball teams in Kansas Norton County, Kansas Defunct baseball teams in Kansas Baseball teams established in 1920 Nebraska State League teams