The Yazoo City Zoos were a minor league baseball team based in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Between 1904 and 1912, the Yazoo City Zoos played as members of two Class D level leagues, the 1904

Delta League The Delta League was a Class D (baseball), Class D level minor league baseball league that played in the 1904 season. The six–team Delta League consisted of franchises based in Mississippi. The Delta League permanently folded after completing th ...

and the Cotton States League from 1910 to 1912.

History

The 1904 Yazoo City Zoos were the first minor league team based in Yazoo City. Playing the 1904 season under manager Harry Wilson, the Zoos became charter members of the Class D level

. The Delta League League began the season with four charter league teams, as the

Brookhaven, MS Brookhaven is a small city in Lincoln County, Mississippi, United States, south of the state capital of Jackson. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County. It was named after the town of Brookhaven ...

(Brookhaven),

Clarksdale, MS Clarksdale is a city in and the county seat of Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. It is located along the Sunflower River. Clarksdale is named after John Clark, a settler who founded the city in the mid-19th century when he established ...

(Clarksdale), Jackson Senators teams joined the Yazoo City Zoos as the charter members in. On May 16, 1904, the league expanded to sis teams, as franchises from

Canton, MS Canton is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 13,189 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Madison County, and situated in the northern part of the metropolitan area surrounding the state capital, Ja ...

(Canton) and

Hattiesburg, MS Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The city popu ...

(Hattiesburg) were added to the league after the season started. The Yazoo City Zoos finished in second place when the season ended on September 3, 1904. The final Delta League standings featured the first place Clarksdale team with a record of 67–31, finishing 4.0 games ahead of the second place Yazoo City Zoos who had a record of 62–34. They were followed in the standings by Canton (43–45), the Jackson Senators (47–53), Hattiesburg (36–49) and Brookhaven (27–70) in the six–team league. The league did not have playoffs in 1904. On June 13, 1904 in a Delta League game, Yahoo City was on the losing end of a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

thrown by William Beeker of Clarksdale in a 6–0 Clarksdale victory. It was reported that Yazoo City pitcher James Baxter Sparks set a professional baseball record by winning 21 consecutive games in 1904. It was noted that Sparks also threw a no-hitter against Clarksdale during the winning streak, with the game occurring on August 27, 1904, in a 1–0 Yazoo City victory. The Delta League permanently folded after playing their only season in 1904. It is possible the league formed in 1905, but no teams or statistics are known for a 1905 Delta League season. In 1910, the Yazoo city Zoos returned to minor league play, becoming members of the six team, Class D level Cotton States League. With a 44–62 record, the team placed fourth in the six-team league under manager Walter Hickey. The 1910 team is referred to as the "ZuZus" in some references. Yazoo City finished 26.5 games behind the first place Greenwood Chauffers in the final standings. The Yazoo City team continued Cotton States League play in 1911. With a 60–54 record, the Zoos placed third under manager Dom Mullaney finishing 12.5 games behind the first place Vicksburg Hill Billies in the six–team league. The Yazoo City team folded from the Cotton States League after the 1911 season. In their final season, the 1912 Yazoo City Zoos began the season without a team, then briefly returned to play before folding. On May 9, 1912, the New Orleans Little Pels of the Cotton States League moved to Yazoo City with a 14–9 record. On August 3, 1912, the team had a 27–45 record in Yazoo City and a 41–57 overall record under manager Gene DeMontreville when the franchise permanently disbanded, before the season had concluded. Yazoo City, Mississippi has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

The name of the Yazoo City home minor league ballpark is not directly referenced.

Timeline

Year-by-year records

Notable alumni

* Harry Betts (1910–1911) *

Joe Martina John Joseph Martina (July 8, 1889 – March 22, 1962), known as Oyster Joe, was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher and a native and lifelong resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, he spent 22 seasons in baseball, but on ...

(1911) * Moxie Meixell (1912)

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Yazoo City - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in Mississippi Baseball teams established in 1904 Baseball teams disestablished in 1912 Defunct Cotton States League teams Delta League teams Yazoo County, Mississippi 1904 establishments in Mississippi 1912 disestablishments in Mississippi