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The Jackson Generals were a
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 the world. Modern professional ...
team located in
Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population was 68,205 as of the 2020 United States census. Jackson ...
. 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 The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
(2007–2016), and
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
(2017–2020). Known as the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx from 1998 to 2010, the team borrowed its Generals moniker from the original
Jackson Generals 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 Mari ...
in 2011. They played their home games at
The Ballpark at Jackson The Ballpark at Jackson is a 6,000-seat minor league baseball stadium in Jackson, Tennessee, United States. It opened in 1998. The Ballpark at Jackson was built by the municipal government of Jackson, Tennessee, and was the home of the Jacks ...
, which opened in 1998. Jackson served as a
farm club In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
for three
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
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 The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
on 10 occasions, winning 7 division titles and 4  Southern League championships. The team's first came in 2000 as 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.


History


Prior professional baseball in Jackson

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 the world. Modern professional ...
was first played in
Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population was 68,205 as of the 2020 United States census. Jackson ...
, in 1903 by the Jackson Railroaders of the
Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League The Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (or ''KITTY League'') was a Class D level minor league baseball circuit that went through six different periods of play between 1903 and 1955. The League hosted teams in 29 cities from the states of Ill ...
. 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 The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball. History The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. The second leagu ...
in 1925 as the
Jackson Giants Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...
and became the
Jackson Jays 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 ...
in 1926. The original
Jackson Generals 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 Mari ...
played in the KITTY League from 1935 to 1942 and 1950 to 1954. Jackson went without a team for the next 42 years.


Chicago Cubs (1998–2006)

Following the 1997 season, the Southern League's
Memphis Chicks Memphis Chicks may refer to: *Memphis Chicks (Southern Association), a Minor League Baseball team that played from 1901 to 1960 *Memphis Chicks (Southern League) The Memphis Chicks were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Southern Lea ...
relocated from nearby
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
, to Jackson as the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. The team's nickname was selected from over 1,500 suggestions submitted to ''
The Jackson Sun ''The Jackson Sun'' is a daily newspaper published in Jackson, Tennessee, and is one of western Tennessee's major newspapers, delivered to 13 counties. The newspaper is owned by Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding ...
'' in a name-the-team contest. The winning entry, "Diamond Jacks", was inspired by a diamond shape on the contest entry blank. This was modified to "Diamond Jaxx" and paired with "West Tenn", short for "
West Tennessee West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that roughly comprises the western quarter of the state. The region includes 21 counties between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, delineated by state law. Its ...
" 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 The Ballpark at Jackson is a 6,000-seat minor league baseball stadium in Jackson, Tennessee, United States. It opened in 1998. The Ballpark at Jackson was built by the municipal government of Jackson, Tennessee, and was the home of the Jackson ...
, which cost approximately US$8 million. The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx opened their inaugural season on the road against the
Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...
on April 2, 1998, at
Wolfson Park Samuel W. Wolfson Baseball Park (originally Jacksonville Baseball Park) was a baseball park in Jacksonville, Florida. It stood from 1954 until 2002, when it was demolished and replaced by the new Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. During that tim ...
in
Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, 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 In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provided ...
forcing in the winning run in the 5–4 victory. Managed by
Dave Trembley David Michael Trembley (born October 31, 1951) is an American professional baseball executive who served as director of player development of the Atlanta Braves in . Trembley has been the bench coach for the Houston Astros, and a manager of the B ...
, the Diamond Jaxx ended their first season in fourth place in the Western Division with a 66–74 record. Jackson hosted the 1999
Southern League All-Star Game The Southern League All-Star Game was an annual baseball game sanctioned by Minor League Baseball between professional players from the teams of the Double-A Southern League. Each division, North and South, fielded a team composed of players in ...
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 Sir David Geoffrey Manning, (born 5 December 1949) is a former British diplomat, who was the British Ambassador to the United States from 2003 to 2007. He authored the so-called " Manning Memo", that summarized the details of a meeting between ...
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 a league-leading 84–57 record, qualifying for the postseason playoffs. They won the division title by defeating the
Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...
, 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 Southern League Manager of the Year Award is an annual award given to the best manager in Minor League Baseball's Southern League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball ...
. The Diamond Jaxx returned to the postseason in 2000 under the leadership of Manager of 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 the 2004 campaign in which second baseman Richard Lewis won the
Southern League Most Valuable Player Award The Southern League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual award given to the best player in Minor League Baseball's Southern League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. League broadcasters, Minor Leag ...
. They won both halves of the 2005 season and won the Northern Division title versus the
Carolina Mudcats The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, and play their home games at Five County Stadium. ...
, 3–0, but lost the championship to Jacksonville, 3–1. Jackson led the league with an 83–56 record.
Ricky Nolasco Carlos Enrique Nolasco (born December 13, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida/Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Angels. He is of ...
was selected for the 2005 Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher Award. At the 2006 Southern League All-Star Game, Jackson
third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
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.


Seattle Mariners (2007–2016)

The Diamond Jaxx entered into an affiliation with the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
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 Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...
-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 Representatives of all 30 Major League Baseball teams and their 120 Minor League Baseball affiliates convene for four days each December in the Winter Meetings to discuss league business and conduct off-season trades and transactions. Attendees in ...
that December. Jackson won 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 The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off ...
, 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 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 Mari ...
, who represented the city in the
Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League The Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (or ''KITTY League'') was a Class D level minor league baseball circuit that went through six different periods of play between 1903 and 1955. The League hosted teams in 29 cities from the states of Ill ...
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 the
Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...
, 3–1, to advance to their first league championship series since 2005. They lost the finals to the
Mobile BayBears The Mobile BayBears were a Minor League Baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which played in the Southern League, served as the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres (1997–2006), Arizona Diamondbacks (2007–2 ...
, 3–1.
Brandon Maurer Brandon Eugene Maurer (born July 3, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals. From Costa Mesa, California, 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 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 The Montgomery Biscuits are a Minor League Baseball team based in Montgomery, Alabama. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and play in the Southern League. The team was founded in Orlando, Florida, in 1973 as the Orlando Twins ...
, 3–1, before winning their second Southern League crown over the
Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. ...
, 3–0. Jackson swept the Southern League awards with
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
Tyler O'Neill winning the MVP Award, Ryan Yarbrough as the Most Outstanding Pitcher, and Brown winning 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.


Arizona Diamondbacks (2017–2020)

The Generals next affiliated with the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
in a player development contract that began with the 2017 season. They missed the playoffs in their first season with Arizona, but
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Kevin Cron Kevin Scott Cron (born February 17, 1993) is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the ...
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 Justin may refer to: People * Justin (name), including a list of persons with the given name Justin * Justin (historian), a Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire * Justin I (c. 450–527), or ''Flavius Iustinius Augustus'', Eastern Rom ...
(3 
innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
), Daniel Gibson (2 IP), Kirby Bellow (1 IP), Kevin Ginkel (2 IP), and
Brad Goldberg Bradley Andrew Goldberg (born February 21, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox. In high school, Goldberg was a 2008 preseason '' Baseball America'' All-Am ...
(1 IP) held 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 Biloxi Shuckers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Biloxi, Mississippi, and are named in reference to the city's oyster industry and seafood heri ...
. The 2019 team did not win either half of the season, but received a postseason berth with 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 The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. Jackson was scheduled to host the 2020 Southern League All-Star Game at
The Ballpark at Jackson The Ballpark at Jackson is a 6,000-seat minor league baseball stadium in Jackson, Tennessee, United States. It opened in 1998. The Ballpark at Jackson was built by the municipal government of Jackson, Tennessee, and was the home of the Jacks ...
, but it 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 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 a temporary home for the
Winnipeg Goldeyes The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a minor-league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, which they joined in 2011. Previously, the Goldeyes were members of the Norther ...
, an independent
American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...
team based in
Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, 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 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 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.


Season-by-season results

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 Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
teams with which Jackson has been affiliated, they have experienced their best record with 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 the postseason on four occasions, winning two division titles and one league championship. Their postseason record was 11–11 (.500).


Television and radio

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.


Awards

Six Generals players won Southern League awards in recognition for their performance with Jackson. Three won
Most Valuable Player Awards Most or Möst or ''variation'', may refer to: Places * Most, Kardzhali Province, a village in Bulgaria * Most (city), a city in the Czech Republic ** Most District, a district surrounding the city ** Most Basin, a lowland named after the city ** A ...
, while three won the Most Outstanding Pitcher Award. Three managers won the
Manager of the Year Award In Major League Baseball, the Manager of the Year Award is an honor given annually since 1983 to two outstanding managers, one each in the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner is voted on by 30 members of the Baseball Writ ...
. The team also won one Executive of the Year Award. Altogether, the Generals won 10 Southern League awards.


References

;Specific ;General *


External links

*
Statistics from ''Baseball-Reference''
{{Jackson, Tennessee 1998 establishments in Tennessee Arizona Diamondbacks minor league affiliates Baseball teams established in 1998 Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates Southern League (1964–present) teams Professional baseball teams in Tennessee Seattle Mariners minor league affiliates Sports in Jackson, Tennessee