The Selma Cloverleafs were a minor league baseball team based in

Selma, Alabama Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. Abou ...

. Between 1928 and 1962, the Selma "Cloverleafs" played as a member of the Class B level

Southeastern League The Southeastern League was the name of four separate baseball leagues in minor league baseball which operated in the Southeastern and South Central United States in numerous seasons between 1897 and 2003. Two of these leagues were associated w ...

and Class D level

Alabama–Florida League The Alabama–Florida League was a low-level circuit in American minor league baseball that existed from 1936 through 1939 and 1951 through 1962. The temporary absence of clubs based in Florida caused the league to change its name to the Alabama S ...

, winning league championships in 1930, 1959, 1961 and 1962. Earlier Selma teams played as members of the

Southern Association The Southern Association (SA) was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class B (1902-19 ...

(1901),

(1911–1912),

Cotton States League The Cotton States League''Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: The Official Record of Minor League Baseball'' – Lloyd Johnson, Steve McDonald, Miles Wolff (editors). Publisher: Baseball America, 1997. Format: Paperback, 672pp. Language: Engli ...

(1913) and

Georgia–Alabama League The Georgia–Alabama League was a minor league baseball league that operated in its two namesake states. The circuit first operated from 1913 to 1917, was revived from 1928 to 1930, then returned to operation for a final time from 1946 through 19 ...

(1914), with the Selma "River Rats" winning the 1914 Georgia–Alabama League championship. The Selma Cloverleafs played as a minor league affiliate of the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

& Washington Senators (1937), Washington Senators (1940–1941),

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

(1946–1947),

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

(1948–1949),

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

(1957),

Kansas City Athletics The Kansas City Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1955 to 1967, having previously played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Athletics. After moving in 1967, the team became the ...

(1958) and

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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

(1959–1962). Selma first played home minor league games at Riverside Park through 1914 before playing at neighboring Rowell Field through 1950. Beginning in 1957, Selma hosted home games at

Bloch Park Bloch Park ( ) is a baseball stadium in Selma, Alabama, United States. The Selma Cloverleafs of the independent Southeastern League of Professional Baseball played here before folding prior to the 2003 season. Professional baseball was also p ...

in Selma. The three ballpark sites are adjacent to each other and all three are currently still in use. In 2002, the Selma Cloverleafs nickname was revived after 40 years when a newly formed

Selma Cloverleafs The Selma Cloverleafs were a baseball team based in Selma, Alabama. The original Cloverleafs played in the Southeastern League and Alabama–Florida League at various times between 1928 and 1962. Independent League In 2002 a new version of th ...

team played the season as members of the independent

History

1901: First minor league team

Minor league baseball play began in

in 1901, when the Selma "Christians" became a charter member of the eight-team Class B level

. Selma became a member of the league after the proposed

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

franchise was unable to secure the funding for the 1901 season and were subsequently replaced by the Selma franchise. When the Atlanta franchise failed to form for the 1901 Southern Association season, Selma became the replacement city. Abner Powell, who was one of the three founders of the Southern Association, invested in the Selma franchise along with Selma co-owner/manager Ed Peters. Powell also served as the manager of the New Orleans Franchise, of which he had a financial investment as well. The Selma Christians joined the

Birmingham Barons The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The Baron ...

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 based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...

Little Rock Travelers The Little Rock Travelers were an American minor league baseball team located in Little Rock, Arkansas, and members (1902–1910, 1915–1958, 1960–1961) of the Southern Association, which as a Class A, A1 or Double-A circuit was typically tw ...

Memphis Egyptians The Memphis Chickasaws, or Chicks for short, were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Southern Association from 1901 to 1960. They were located in Memphis, Tennessee, and played their home games at Russwood Park. Previously known as t ...

Nashville Vols The Nashville Vols were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963. Known as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they became the Nashville Volunteers (regularly shortened to Vols) ...

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

and Shreveport Giants teams in beginning the league schedule on May 2, 1901. Ed Glenn played for Selma in 1901. Glenn reported to the team early and helped in the preparation of the ballfield at Riverside Park that became Selma's new ballpark. The Selma Christians ended their first season in last place in the Southern Association final standings. The Christians ended the season with a record of 37–78 to end the season in eighth place, playing the season under managers Ed Peters and Bob Pender. No playoffs were held and Selma finished 31.5 games behind the first place Nashville Volunteers. Selma did not return to play in the 1902 Southern League, replaced in the eight-team league by the

Atlanta Crackers The Atlanta Crackers were a Minor League Baseball team 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 inaugu ...

. This occurred when Abner Powell bought out Ed Peters and moved the Selma franchise to Atlanta for the 1902 season. Ed Peters remained as manager when the 1902 team became based in Atlanta. In 1903, a Selma

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

team played the season as members of the four-team independent Alabama-Georgia League. The Selma roster consisted of mostly local players.

1911 & 1912: Southeastern League

After an eight-year absence, minor league baseball returned to Selma in 1911. The newly formed Selma "Centralites" became members of the six-team Class D level

. The Selma Centralites joined the Anniston Models, Decatur Twins,

Gadsden Steel Makers The Gadsden Steel Makers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Gadsden, Alabama, that played in the Southeastern League and Georgia–Alabama League from 1910 to 1914. See also *Gadsden Eagles The Gadsden Eagles were a Minor League Baseball ...

, Huntsville Westerns and Rome Hillies teams in beginning the Southeastern League schedule on May 8, 1911. In their first season of Southeastern League play, Selma ended the season in third place. Ending the season with a record of 53–51, Selma finished 13.5 games behind the first place Anniston Models and 9.0 games behind second place Gadsden. Selma played the season managed by Bill May, C.L. Howell, Frank Anderson and Ralph Savidge. No post-season playoffs were held. The Selma Centralites continued Southeastern League play in 1912 in their second season of play in the six-team Class D level league. The six-team league lost two teams during the season and ultimately disbanded before completing the season schedule. The

Bessemer Pipemakers The Bessemer Pipemakers were a Minor League Baseball team that represented the city of Bessemer, Alabama. They played in the Southeastern League The Southeastern League was the name of four separate baseball leagues in minor league baseball which ...

folded on July 14, 1912, and the Anniston Models folded on July 19, 1912, leaving the league with four remaining teams. The league began a split-season schedule on July 22 before folding folded on August 2, 1912. In the second half, Selma had compiled a record of 5–6. When the Southeastern League folded, Selma ended their season with an overall record of 42–35. Their record put the team in second place in the overall standings, finishing 1.5 games behind the first place Gadsden Steel Makers. Selma played their shortened season under manager Link Stickney. Earl Hanna of Selma won the Southeastern League batting championship, hitting .345 on the season. Besides winning the batting title, Hanna also led the Southeastern League with 62 runs scored and 115 total hits. After folding before completing the 1912 season, the Southeastern League did not return to play in 1913.

1913: Cotton States League

With the Southeastern League folded, the 1913 Selma Centralites continued minor league play in a new league. The Centralites played the season as members of the six-team Class D level

. Selma replaced the Greenwood Scouts franchise in the Cotton States League. The Clarksdale Swamp Angels, Columbus Joy Riders, Jackson Lawmakers, Meridian Metropolitans and Pensacola Snappers teams joined with Selma as the league schedule began on April 10, 1913. On June 2, 1913, Selma pitcher

Slim Love Edward Haughton "Slim" Love (August 1, 1890 – November 30, 1942) was an American professional baseball pitcher from approximately 1910 to 1930. He played six seasons in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators (1901–60), Washington S ...

threw a

No-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...

victory over the Jackson Lawmakers, the first for the Selma franchise. Love won the game 2–0 and recorded 2 walks and 6 strikeouts in the contest. Love's no hit game was part of a five-game streak in which he allowed 0 runs and 19 hits in the five games. In July 1913, Love left Selma during the season, acquired by the

of the

. In their only season of Cotton States League play, the Centralites ended the season in third place in another shortened season. The season schedule was shortened to August 15 and Salem ended the season with a record of 49–46 on the date the league ended play. The Centralites played the season under managers Arthur Riggs and Harry Spratt, finishing 22.0 games behind the first place Jackson Lawmakers. No Playoffs were held in she abbreviated season. The Cotton States League folded after the 1913 season and next returned to play in 1922 without Selma as a member.

1914: Georgia–Alabama League championship

The Selma team won a league championship in 1914 as the franchise continued play with a new nickname in a new league. The Selma "River Rats" became members of the 1914

. The Class D level league expanded from a six-team league to an eight-team league, adding Selma and the Rome Romans as expansion teams. With Salem and Rome joining the returning

Anniston Moulders The Anniston Moulders were a minor league baseball team based in Anniston, Alabama. From 1913 to 1917, the "Moulders" played as members of the Class D level Georgia–Alabama League. The team was immediately preceded by the 1911 and 1912 Anniston ...

, LaGrange Terrapins, Newnan Cowetas and Talladega Indians teams, the league schedule began on May 4, 1914. Jack Farmer played as a member of Selma River Rats in 1914, his first professional baseball season. Farmer had just graduated from

Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...

in May 1914 and played on the Cumberland baseball team that spring. He also played football at Cumberland. Farmer batted .302 in 69 games for Selma and was considered the best second basemen in the Georgia–Alabama League. Farmer made his major league debut with the

in 1916. There he formed a double play combination with

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 a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...

charter member

Honus Wagner Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner ( ; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955) was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1897 to 1917, mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nicknamed "the Flying Dutc ...

. The Selma River Rats won the 1914 Georgia–Alabama League championship, playing the season under the returning manager Arthur Riggs and Wilfred Guiterez. Selma ended the season with a record of 60–35 record and finished 3.0 games ahead of the second place Newnan Cowetas in the final standings of the eight-team league. No league Georgia–Alabama playoff was held in 1914. Despite being the defending league champions from the prior season, the Salem franchise did not return to the 1915 Georgia–Alabama League. The league dropped both Selma and the Opelika Pelicans in becoming a six-team league. Selma would not host minor league baseball again until 1927.

1927: Return to Southeastern League

After a thirteen-year absence, minor league baseball returned to Selma in 1927, when the Selma "Selmians" became members of the eight-team Class B level Southeastern League. Selma and the Pensacola Pilots were expansion teams in 1927, as the Southeastern League expanded from a six-team league to an eight-team league. Salem and Pensacola joined the returning Albany Nuts, Columbus Foxes,

Jacksonville Tars Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

, Montgomery Lions,

Savannah Indians The Savannah Pathfinders was the original name of the American minor league baseball franchise that represented Savannah, Georgia, during the 20th century. While Savannah's minor league teams sported at least ten nicknames during the century, ...

and St. Augustine Saints franchises in beginning Southeastern League play on May 3, 1927. When Selma applied for membership in the Southeastern League in 1927, a new ballpark had to be constructed to host the team and Rowell Field was opened. Selma had to convince the other Southeastern League teams that, despite being a much smaller city than the other league members, it could support a team. Selma's home attendance was near the top of the league when it reformed. In their return to play the 1927 Selma Selmians finished the season in last place. Playing in the eight-team 1927 Southeastern League, the Selmians ended season with a record of 65–88 and in eighth place. Playing the season under managers Fred Graf (18–36) and

Dutch Hoffman Clarence Casper "Dutch" Hoffman (January 28, 1904 – December 6, 1962) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox in 1929.

(47–52), Selma finished 25.0 games behind the first place Jacksonville Tars in the final standings. No Southeastern League playoffs were held.

1928 to 1932: Selma Cloverleafs / Southeastern League

The 1928 season saw the team play as the Selma "Cloverleafs" for the first time. The Cloverleafs continued play as members of the eight-team Class B level Southeastern League. On April 11, 1928, Selma played their home opener at Rowell Field against the Montgomery Lions. Tickets were .75 cents and .50 cents. Zinn Beck

For the 1928 season, Polly McLarry accepted his first managerial position and began the season as the Selma player-manager. After the Cloverleafs had compiled a 18–30 record and were in last-place, McLarry resigned in June, 1928. McLarry the joined the Meridian Mets of the Class D Cotton States League as a player, before he was released in August.

Zinn Beck Zinn Bertram Beck (September 30, 1885 – March 19, 1981) was an American professional baseball player and manager. A third baseman, shortstop and first baseman, Beck played in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankee ...

replaced McLarry as manager during the 1928 season. Zinn was a Selma native who joined his hometown Cloverleafs in 1928 after beginning the season as manager of another team. In 1927, Beck was player/manager of the

Portsmouth Truckers The Portsmouth Truckers were an American professional baseball team in Minor League Baseball. Based in Portsmouth, Virginia, and primarily competing in the Virginia League, the team existed on-and-off from 1895 to 1928. The team played in the Pied ...

and led the team to the

Virginia League The Virginia League was a minor league baseball affiliation which operated in Virginia and North Carolina from 1906 to 1928. It was classified as a "C" league from 1906 to 1919 and as a "B" league from 1920 to 1928, folding in June. The most fa ...

championship. Beck began the 1928 season as manager the

Norfolk Tars The Norfolk Tars were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1906 to 1955. Based in Norfolk, Virginia, they played in the Virginia League from 1906 to 1918 and from 1921 to 1928, in the Eastern League (1916), Eastern League from ...

and became available when the Virginia League folded in June, 1928. He then joined Selma and replaced Polly McLarry for the last part of the 1928 season and returned for the 1929 and 1930 seasons. Zinn Beck Field at Sanford Memorial Stadium in

Sanford, Florida Sanford is a city and the county seat of Seminole County, Florida, United States. It is located in Central Florida and its population was 61,051 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical ...

is named in his honor. In 1978, Beck was the recipient of the King of Baseball award from Minor League Baseball. The 1928 Selma Cloverleafs ended the season in last place as two teams folded from the Southeastern League during the season. The Albany Nuts and Savannah Indians teams both folded on August 12, 1928, and the league completed the season with the six remaining teams, Salem included. Selma ended the season with a record of 59–83. The team finished in sixth place, managed by McLarry and Beck, finishing 31.0 games behind the first place Pensacola Fliers in the overall standings. The Southeastern League adopted a split-season schedule, with Pensacola winning the first half of the schedule and the second place Montgomery Lions capturing the second half schedule pennant. In the playoff, Montgomery defeated Pensacola. Parker Perry, who began the season as a member of the Albany Nuts before joining Selma, led the Southeastern League with 118 RBIs. The Selma Cloverleafs improved in the standings and ended 1929 as the Southeastern League runner-up in a split season schedule. Selma hurler William Ferebee threw the second Selma franchise

on June 10, 1929. In a 6–0 victory at Selma over the Jacksonville Tars, Ferebee recorded 3 walks and 3 strikeouts in the game. Selma continued play in the six-team Class B level Southeastern League and ended the 1929 season with a record of 77–60, finishing in second place in the overall standings. Managed by the returning Zinn Beck, the Cloverleafs finished 3.0 games behind the first place

Tampa Smokers The Tampa Smokers was a name used between 1919 and 1954 by a series of minor league baseball, minor league baseball teams based in Tampa, Florida. The nickname was a nod to the History of Ybor City, local cigar industry, which was the most impor ...

. Despite their second-place overall finish, Selma did not qualify for the playoff as the third place Montgomery Lions won the first half pennant and Tampa won the second half pennant. In the playoff final, Montgomery defeated Tampa in seven games. Parker Perry remained with Selma and led the Southeastern League with both 12 home runs and 107 RBIs. Selma had strong home attendance in the Southeastern League, despite being a smaller city than the other league members.

With manager Zinn Beck returning, Selma Cloverleafs won the 1930 Southeastern League championship, aided by a notable season from Rip Radcliff. The Cloverleafs had a final record of 94–43 to finish in first place under manager Zinn Beck. No Southeastern League playoffs were held, as Selma won both halves of the league's split season schedule, negating an opponent for a playoff. Selma finished 21.5 games ahead of the second place Tampa Bay Smokers in the final overall standings of the six-team Class B level league. Selma's Rip Radcliff won the Southeastern League Triple Crown. Radcliff batted .369 with 15 home runs and 116 RBIs, leading the Southeastern League in all three categories. He also had a league leading 199 total hits. Selma pitcher Henry Brewer won 25 games to lead the Southeastern League. Leo Mackey of Selma compiled a 14–2 record and led the league with a .875 winning percentage. Rip Radcliff later started in left field in the

1936 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1936 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the fourth playing of the mid-summer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July ...

. In his ten-year major league career with 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) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

(–),

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...

(–) and

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

(–), Radcliff had a .311 batting average with 42

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run ...

and 533 RBIs. His career numbers included a .362

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...

and .417

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...

. Defensively, he played left field, right field and first base during his career. With the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

affecting minor leagues, the Southeastern League did not return to play in 1931, and the Selma Cloverleafs were unable to defend their championship. In 1932, the Southeastern League reformed and the Selma Cloverleafs returned as a member of the six-team Class B level league. The Salem Cloverleafs joined the Columbus Foxes,

Jackson Senators The Jackson Senators was the name of at least two minor league baseball teams that played in Jackson, Mississippi. First team The first known Jackson Senators club competed in the Delta League in 1904. In 1951, club president Emmet Vaughey an ...

Macon Peaches The Macon Peaches was the predominant name of the American minor league baseball franchise representing Macon, Georgia, during the 20th century. Although Macon did not field teams during and immediately after World War I, the height of the Great ...

, Mobile Red Warriors and Montgomery Capitals teams as the league returned to play on April 19, 1932. However, the season would be short lived. The 1932 Southeastern League season was short as the league disbanded on May 21, 1932. Folding after 32 games, the Selma Cloverleafs had a 16–16 record at the time the league folded. Selma ended the season in third place, playing under manager

Art Phelan Arthur Thomas Phelan (August 14, 1887 – December 27, 1964) was a professional baseball infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third ba ...

. The Cloverleafs finished 3.0 games behind the first place Mobile Red Warriors (19–13) when the league folded. In the shortened season, Selma's Robert Schleischer captured the Southeastern League batting title, hitting .398. During the 1932 season, after the Southeastern League folded on May 21, 1932, numerous other minor leagues also folded before completing the season, as 5 of 19 minor leagues did not complete the season. The

Interstate League The Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. Early leagues Earlier versions of the Interstate League, with years active: *1896–1901: an unclassified ...

folded on June 20, the

folded on July 13, the

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a Class B level Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymo ...

league folded on July 14 and the Arizona-Texas League folded on July 24. The Southeastern League did not return to play in 1933 as the Great Depression continued. After a four-season hiatus, the Southeastern League reformed for the 1937 season with Selma as a member.

1937 to 1941: Southeastern League

The Selma Cloverleafs returned to play minor league in 1937, as the Southeastern League reformed as a Class B level league. In the league's return to play, Selma became a minor league affiliate for the first time, becoming an affiliate of the

& Washington Senators for the season. Selma joined the Mobile Shippers (

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

affiliate), Jackson Senators (

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

), Meridian Scrappers (

), Montgomery Bombers (

) and Pensacola Pilots teams in the reformed league. The league schedule began on April 15, 1937.

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...

member

Don Hutson Donald Montgomery Hutson (January 31, 1913 – June 26, 1997), nicknamed "the Alabama Antelope", was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). In the era of the one-platoon football, he played a ...

played for Selma in 1937 while also playing for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

and leading the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

in receptions that season. Green Bay had just won the 1936 NFL championship and Hutson played baseball before joining the Packers for the 1937 season. At age 24, Hutson played his second and final season of professional baseball in 1937. Hutson had Hutson played for his hometown Pine Bluff Judges in 1936. After the 1937 season, he returned exclusively to football. Hutson played ten seasons with the Green Bay Packers and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. In returning to the eight-team Southeastern League, The Cloverleafs finished in second place, as the league began a four-team playoff system in 1937. Selma completed the regular season with 78–57 record in the 1937 Southeastern League. Playing the season under manager Babe Ganzel, the Cloverleafs ended the season 5.0 games behind the first place Pensacola Fliers in the final regular season standings. Selma qualified for the four-team playoffs with their second-place finish and subsequently lost in first round of the playoffs 3 games to 1 to the eventual champion Mobile Shippers. Everette Grossman of Selma led the Southeastern League with a 2.08 ERA. Selma did not have an affiliate for the 1938 Southeastern League season, and the Cloverleafs ended play with another second-place finish as the league expanded to become eight-team Class B level league. The

Anniston Rams The Anniston Rams were a minor league baseball team based in Anniston, Alabama that operated in the Southeastern League from 1938–1942 and again from 1946–1950. They had affiliation deals with the Chicago White Sox (1938–39), Br ...

and Gadsden Pilots were the two expansion teams added for the 1938 season. On August 14, 1938, in the second game of a doubleheader at home, Selma pitcher Ralph Braun threw the Selma franchise's third

in a win over the Pensacola Pilots. Braun was the winning pitcher as Selma won the game 2–0, as Braun recorded 3 walks and 8 strikeouts in the contest. Selma ended the 1938 Southeastern League season with a record of 83–62, playing the season under manager Ivy Griffin. The Cloverleafs ended the season 10.5 games behind the first place Pensacola Fliers in the final standings. With their second place finish the Cloverleafs qualified for the four-team playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs, Selma defeated the Jackson Senators 4 games to 3. Selma then lost in the league finals, as the Mobile Shippers, who finished fourth in the regular season standings defeated the Cloverleafs in Game 7 of the series to win the league championship 4 games to 3. Selma's Art Luce scored a league leading 119 runs. Selma pitcher John Burrows had 187 strikeouts to lead the Southeastern League, while his Cloverleaf teammate Julian Tubb had a 1.96 ERA to lead the league. The Selma Cloverleafs continued Southeastern League play in 1939 and again qualified for the playoffs, as the league played again as eight-team Class B level league. Selma ended the regular season with a record 68–66 and finished in fourth place. Playing the season under player-manager

Billy Bancroft William James Bancroft (2 March 1871 – 3 March 1959) was a Welsh international fullback, who played club rugby for Swansea, and a county cricketer for Glamorgan, for whom he was the first professional player in 1895. Bancroft was seen as ...

the Cloverleafs ended the season 18.5 games behind first place Pensacola Fliers. With their fourth-place finish, Selma qualified for the four-team playoffs and lost in first round, being swept by eventual champion Pensacola in 4 games. Selma manager Billy Bancroft was still playing minor league baseball while serving as a college football coach in 1939. In 1935, Bancroft began serving as the head football, baseball and basketball coach for the

Howard College Howard College is a Public college, public community college with its main campus in Big Spring, Texas. It also has branch campuses in San Angelo, Texas, San Angelo and Lamesa, Texas, Lamesa. History Howard County Junior College was establishe ...

teams. Today, Howard is known as

Samford University Samford University is a Private university, private Christian university in Homewood, Alabama, United States. It was founded by Baptist Church, Baptists in 1841 as Howard College and located until 1887 in Marion, Alabama. It is governed by an in ...

. A 1928 graduate of Howard, Bancroft coached Howard football in the fall of 1939 after his season with Selma ended. In 1940 he served at athletic director in his final year at Howard. He later became a high school teacher and coach. As a pinch hitter for Selma in his dual role with the 1939 team, Bancroft batted .235 in 11 games and 21 at-bats, playing at age 34. The Selma Cloverleafs continued play in the 1940 eight-team Class B level Southeastern League and again qualified for the playoffs. Selma became a minor league affiliate of the Washington Senators in 1940 ended the season in fourth place. The Cloverleafs ended the season with a 72–77 record under manager Wes Kingdon. Selma finished the regular season 19.0 games behind the first place Jackson Senators. With their fourth place regular season finish, Selma qualified for the four-team playoffs and lost in first round 4 games to 1 to eventual champion Jackson. Ted Mueller of Selma won the Southeastern League batting title, hitting .346 on the season. For the 1941 season,

Dale Alexander David Dale Alexander (April 26, 1903 – March 2, 1979), nicknamed "Moose", was an American baseball player and manager. A native of Greeneville, Tennessee, Alexander played professional baseball, principally as a first baseman, for 20 years f ...

, was hired to become the player-manager for Selma. Prior to his arrival in Selma, Alexander was the player-manager for the 1939

Sanford Lookouts Sanford may refer to: People *Sanford (given name), including a list of people with the name *Sanford (surname), including a list of people with the name Places United States * Sanford, Alabama, a town in Covington County * Sanford, Colorado ...

of the

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

and held the same role with the 1940 Thomasville Tourists. In 1929, as a rookie with the

, Alexander led the American League with 215 total hits, and had a total of 272 RBIs in his first two major league seasons. In 1932, while playing for the

, Alexander won the American League batting championship, hitting .367 and winning the title over Baseball Hall of Fame member

Jimmie Foxx James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "the Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red ...

(.364) 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, they became the Oakland ...

. After winning the batting title, Boston raised his salary by a total of $500, from $10,500 to $11,000. In May 1933, Alexander received third degree burns on his leg and developed

gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...

after receiving a

diathermy Diathermy is electrically induced heat or the use of high-frequency electromagnetic currents as a form of physical therapy and in surgical procedures. The earliest observations on the reactions of the human organism to high-frequency electromagn ...

treatment on an injured knee. The injuries from the burns and infection permanently limited his mobility as a 6'3" 210 pound

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 ...

and essentially ended his major league career. After the injury, Alexander continued his playing career in the minor leagues and would compile a .334 batting average with 2,145 hits and 1,171 RBIs in minor league play through his final 1942 season. In 1938, Alexander played for the

in the

, when was traded by Chattanooga to the

Dallas Steers The Dallas Rangers were a high-level minor league baseball team located in Dallas, Texas, from 1958 to 1964. The team was known by the Dallas Rangers name in 1958, 1959, and 1964 and as the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers from 1960 to 1963. It played i ...

but refused to report to Dallas and temporarily retired before resuming his career the player-manager position with Sanford. Alexander became manager of the

Greeneville Burley Cubs The Greeneville Burley Cubs were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Class D Appalachian League from 1921 to 1925 and 1938 to 1942. They were located in Greeneville, Tennessee, and played their home games at Greeneville City Park in ...

in 1942. Selma improved to end the 1941 season as the runner-up in the eight-team Southeastern League final standings. The Cloverleafs finished in second place under manager Dale Alexander, with a 80–57 record as the team continued as a Washington Senators affiliate. Selma ended the regular season 9.0 games behind the first place Mobile Shippers. Selma qualified for the four-team playoffs and lost in first round 4 games to 1 to the Jackson Senators who had finished the regular season in third place. Mobile then swept Jackson in the final. In part-time play at age 38, manager Dale Alexander had career-high .438 batting average in 56 games and 64 at bats, serving as a pinch-hitter for the Cloverleafs. Selma pitcher

Ray Scarborough Rae Wilson Scarborough (July 23, 1917 – July 1, 1982) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators (1942–1943 and 1946–1950), Chicago White Sox (1950), Boston Red Sox (1951–52), New York Yankees ...

led the Southeastern League with both 21 wins and 220 strikeouts. In 1942 with

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

emerging the Southeastern League reduced to six teams, dropping the Selma Cloverleafs and Jackson Senators teams. After the conclusion of the 1942 season, the league did not resume play until 1946.

1946 to 1950: Southeastern League

The Southeastern League and Selma Cloverleafs resumed play in 1946, following the conclusion of

. Selma became an affiliate of the

in returning to minor league play. The Eight team league was classified as a Class B level league. Salem joined with the

(

affiliate), Gadsden Pilots,

(

Boston Braves The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee, Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee Braves). ...

), Meridian Peps (

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...

Montgomery Rebels The Montgomery Rebels was the name of several American minor league baseball franchises representing Montgomery, Alabama, playing in various leagues between and . ''Rebels'' was the predominant nickname of the Montgomery teams, but it was not the ...

, Pensacola Fliers ( Washington Senators and Vicksburg Billies teams in resuming league play on April 12, 1946. Salem and Anniston both played the league season as Pittsburgh affiliates. On June 5, 1946, Selma pitcher Richard Piatnek threw a No hit game. It was the fourth Selma no-hitter and came in a 5–1 victory against the Jackson Senators. Piatnek issued 2 walks and 8 strikeouts in the game, which was held at Jackson. In their return to Southeastern League play, Selma did not qualify for the playoffs in 1946, as the league post season consisted of a four-team playoff and the Cloverleafs did not end the regular season as a top four team. The Cloverleafs ended the 1946 season in seventh place in the eight-team league. With a 60–77 record, playing under manager Frank Oceak, Selma finished 27.0 games behind the first place Pensacola Fliers in the final regular season standings. Selma did not qualify for the four-team playoffs, which were won by Anniston. Selma pitcher Richard Piatnek led the Southeastern League hurlers with 160 strikeouts. Carl Fischer began the 1947 season as the Selma manager and left the team after compiling a 9–16 record. A left-handed pitcher, Fischer then ended the season pitching with the league rival Pensacola Fliers, in what would be his final professional season at age 41. Fischer pitched for six teams in seven years of major league baseball between 1930 and 1937. He played for the Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns, and was a member of the

1935 World Series The 1935 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1935 season. The 32nd edition of the World Series, it matched the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs. The Tigers won in six games for their first championship i ...

Champion Detroit Tigers. He appeared in 191 major league games and compiling a record of 46–50, with a 4.63 ERA and 376 strikeouts in 823 innings pitched. Boom-BoomBeckGoudeycard

Fischer was replaced during the 1947 season as the Selma manager by Boom Boom Beck. After making his major league debut in 1924, Beck had pitched in the major leagues through the 1945 season winning 38 career games against 69 losses. In 1946, Beck was a player-manager for the

York White Roses The York White Roses was the name of a minor league baseball team based in the city of York, Pennsylvania, US, that existed between 1894 and 1969. History Early years The York White Roses began as members of the short-lived Keystone Associati ...

, who were a Pittsburgh Pirate affiliate. Beck compiled a record of 55–60 as the Selma manager. He had a 3–2 record with a 4.15 ERA pitching in 15 games for Selma. Beck later became a

pitching coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decision ...

for the Washington Senators from 1957 to 1959. He then worked as a minor league pitching instructor for the

Milwaukee Braves The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...

in 1960 and 1961 before retiring from baseball. Playing the season under Fischer and Beck, Selma did not qualify for the Southeastern League post season in 1947. With the team becoming a minor league affiliate of the

, the Cloverleafs ended the season with a record of 64–76 to finish in seventh place. Carl Fischer had record of 9–16 in his tenure and the team was 55–60 while playing under Boom-Boom Beck. Salem finished 13.5 games behind the first place Jackson Senators in the final regular season standidngs. With their seventh-place finish, Salem did not qualify for the four-team Southeastern League playoffs won by the Montgomery Rebels. Morrie Arnovich was named as the Cloverleafs' manager for the 1948 season, as the Selma franchise became a

minor league affiliate. In 1947, Arnovich had managed the Davenport Cubs, another Chicago Cubs affiliate. In his major league playing career with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

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

and

, Arnovich played in 590 games over seven seasons, his career interrupted by four years of military service during

with the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

. Arnovich volunteered for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

, after

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

in 1942, serving as a

staff sergeant Staff sergeant is a Military rank, rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administr ...

for the Army in the Pacific Theater of Operations. In his major league playing career, Arnovich posted a .287

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

with 22 home runs, 261 RBIs, 17

stolen bases In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out a ...

and 185

base on balls A base on balls (BB), better known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches during a plate appearance that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The bas ...

. He also had a .350

and .383 slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .981

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...

while playing primarily at left field. Continuing play in the 1948 Southeastern League, the Cloverleafs finished in last place in the Southeastern League after becoming a Chicago Cubs minor league affiliate. Salem ended the season with a record of 52–88, to finish in eighth place in the eight-team league. Whit manager Morrie Arnovich completing the season with the team, Salem ended the season 34.5 behind the first place Montgomery Rebels. Salem did not qualify for the four-team playoffs won by Montgomery. In his final season as a player, manager Morrie Arnovich batted .353 for Selma in 41 at bats. After finishing in last place the season prior, Selma ended the 1949 Southeastern League season avoiding last place in their final season as a Chicago Cubs affiliate. Salem was managed in 1949 by managers Leo Twardy (24–25) and Joseph Szuch (35–51) and finished with a record of 59–76. The Cloverleafs ended the regular season in seventh place, finishing 36.5 games behind the first place Pensacola Fliers. Selma did not qualify for the four-team Southeastern League playoffs won by Pensacola. At age 45, Cloverleafs pitcher Roy Walker played in his final season of professional baseball in 1949. Walker compiled a 4–8 record pitching for Selma, throwing 123 innings in 23 appearances. Walker began his minor league career with the 1924

and won 224 games over 20 minor league seasons. Continuing Southeastern League play in 1950 without a minor league affiliate, the Cloverleafs again missed the four-team playoffs after finishing in last place. During the Southeastern League season the league reduced from four teams to six teams as both the Gadsden Pilots and Anniston Rams teams folded between July 25 and August 1. With the league ending the season six teams, the Cloverleafs finished in sixth place. Selma ended the season with a record of 43–87, playing the season under manager

Bert Niehoff John Albert Niehoff (May 13, 1884 – September 8, 1974) was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for four clubs from the 1913 to 1918 seasons. He batted and threw right-handed. Playing career A native of Louisville, Colorado, N ...

, finishing 37.0 games behind the first place Pensacola Fliers. Selam did not qualify for the four-team playoffs won by Pensacola. The Southeastern League folded following the 1950 season and did not return to play in 1951. Selma, Alabama was without a minor league team for the next six seasons.

1957 to 1962: Three Alabama–Florida League championships

The Selma Cloverleafs returned to minor league play in 1957. Selma became a

minor league affiliate, and joined as members of the six-team Class D level

. The Salem franchise replaced the Crestview Braves team in the league. Salem joined with the Fort Walton Beach Jets ( Washington Senators affiliate), Graceville Oilers (

Cincinnati Redlegs Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

(

), Panama City Fliers and Pensacola Dons teams in beginning league play on April 25, 1957. At age 34, Buddy Kerr was hired to manage Selma in 1957 one year after making his managerial debut with the Cocoa Indians in 1956. Growing up in

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

less than a mile from The Polo Grounds, Kerr became the starting

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

for the

for seven seasons during his career and was a greatly supported by the Giants' owner

Horace Stoneham Horace Charles Stoneham ( ; April 27, 1903 – January 7, 1990) was the owner of the New York / San Francisco Giants from 1936 to 1976. During his ownership, the Giants won the 1954 World Series and four National League pennants in 1936, 1937, ...

. After his major league playing career ended, Kerr managed in the minor leagues for New York and San Francisco Giants affiliated teams through 1963. He then became scout for the San Francisco Giants in 1964 and signed John Montefusco among others. In their first season of play in the Alabama–Florida League, Selma ended the 1957 season in last place. The Cloverleafs ended their first season in the new league with a final record of 55–65. Ending the season in sixth place in the six-team league, the Cloverleafs were managed by Buddy Kerr and finished 13.0 games behind the first place Montgomery Rebels in the final regualr season standings. With their sixth-place finish, Selma did not qualify for the four-team Alabama–Florida League playoffs. The playoffs ended in a tie between Graceville and Panama City after weather ended the series tied at 3 games each. In their second season, the Salem Cloverleafs became a

minor league affiliate went from last place to first place as the Cloverleafs won the 1958 Alabama–Florida League pennant. Led by manager Tommy Giordano, the Cloverleafs ended the regular season with a record of 71–49 and in first place, finishing percentage points ahead of the second place Columbus Foxes (74–52) in the final standings. After winning the league pennant, Selma qualified for the four-team playoffs and subsequently defeated the Pensacola Dons 3 games to 2 in the first round. In the Alabama–Florida League championship series, Selma lost 4 games to 1 to the Dothan Cardinals, who had finished in fourth place in the regular season standings. Selma pitcher Tom Kelleher was the co-league leader with 20 wins and teammate Frank Roland had a 2.10 ERA, the best in the Alabama–Florida League. In 1959,

Johnny Lipon John Joseph Lipon (November 10, 1922 – August 17, 1998) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and Cincinnati Redlegs over the course of nine seasons (1942; 1946; 1948–1954). ...

became the manager for the Selma Cloverleafs in his first managerial role. Lipon subsequently spent 30 of the next 34 seasons as a minor league manager, winning 2,185 games while losing 1,987. In the other four seasons, Lipton was a major league coach with the Cleveland Indians, serving from 1968 to 1971. Lipon then became the Cleveland Indians manager after

Alvin Dark Alvin Ralph Dark (January 7, 1922 – November 13, 2014), nicknamed "Blackie" and "the Swamp Fox", was an American professional baseball shortstop and manager. He played fourteen years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston/Milwaukee ...

was fired on July 29, 1971, and finished the season as interim manager. A two-time major league all-star,

Max Alvis Roy Maxwell Alvis (born February 2, 1938) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from through , most notably for the Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians) where he beca ...

played for Selma in 1959 in his first professional season. After becoming the Cleveland Indians' all-star

third basemen 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 ...

, Alvis' baseball playing career was greatly affected after being hospitalized with

spinal meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasionally ...

. After a strong start to his major league career, Alvis never had the same strength and quickness after being stricken with meningitis. Alvis batted .297 with 6 home runs and 70 RBIs while playing in 117 games for the 1959 Selma Cloverleafs at age 19. In August 1959, two Selma pitchers both threw no hit games against the Pensacola Dons, the fifth and sixth no-hitters in franchise history. First, on August 5, 1946, Selma pitcher Robert Gordon defeated Pensacola at home in a 6–0 victory. Gordon walked 5 and had 11 strikeouts in the contest. Then, on August 20, 1959, in a game at Pensacola, Selma's Jerry Fosnow pitched the second no-hitter of the month. Fosnow walked 1 and struck out 5 in the 5–0 Selma win over the Dons. Becoming a minor league affiliate of the

, the 1959 Selma Cloverleafs won the Alabama–Florida League title, their first league championship since 1930. The Cloverleafs ended the Alabama–Florida League regular season with a 73–46 record, finishing in second place under manager Johnny Lipon. Selma ended the season 4.0 games behind the first place Montgomery Rebels. In the four-team league playoffs, Selma swept Pensacola 3 games to 0 in the first round to advance. In the Final, Selma defeated the Dothan Cardinals 4 games to 1 to win their first Alabama–Florida League championship. Selma's Keith Williams won the Alabama–Florida League batting title, hitting .341 on the season. Williams also had 156 total hits to lead the league. Ken Landenberger began the 1960 season as the new manager of the Selma Cloverleafs. Landenberger had served as the player-manager of the

Minot Mallards The Minot Mallards were a minor league baseball team based in Minot, North Dakota. Earlier Minot teams preceded the Mallards and played as members of the 1917 Northern League and 1923 North Dakota League. Beginning play in 1950, the Mallards p ...

the previous two seasons. He did not play for Minot in 1959. A first basemen, Landenberger had played briefly for the 1952

. Landenberger left the Selma Cloverleafs team in mid-July after a medical examination revealed that he was suffering from

acute leukemia Acute leukemia or acute leukaemia is a family of serious medical conditions relating to an original diagnosis of leukemia. In most cases, these can be classified according to the lineage, myeloid or lymphoid, of the malignant cells that grow uncont ...

. Landenberger was immediately admitted to the

Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Clinic is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Academic health science center, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center based in Cleveland, Ohio. Owned and operated by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, an O ...

where he died on July 28, 1960, the day before his 32nd birthday, after suffering from a

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as hemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain (i.e. the parenchyma), into its ventricles, or into both. An ICH is a type of bleeding within the skull and one kind of stro ...

and the effects of leukemia. As defending champion in the Alabama–Florida League, Selma continued as Cleveland Indians affiliate in 1960 and made the finals in the six-team Class D level league after the death of their manager. The Cloverleafs ended the 1960 regular season with a record of 58–57 to finish in second place while playing the season under managers Ken Landenberger, Joe Morlan and Paul O'Dea. Selma finished 14.5 games behind the first place Panama City Fliers in the six-team league final regular season standings. The Cloverleafs qualified for the four-team playoffs and Selma swept the Fort Walton Beach Jets in 3 games in the first round to advance. Selma the lost in the league finals as Pensacola defeated Selma 3 games to 1 to win the league championship. Selma's Jose Villar hit 23 home runs and scored 87 runs to lead the league in both categories. Cloverleafs' pitcher Peter Pekich had a league leading 17 wins for the season. Continuing as a Cleveland Indians affiliate, the 1961 Selma Cloverleafs won their second championship in the Class D Alabama–Florida League after winning the league regular season pennants in a split season schedule. In the regular season, manager Walt Novick began the season as manager of the Selma Cloverleafs, but was moved by the Cleveland Indians to become manager of the Burlington Indians of the

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

during the season and replaced by Joe Morlan. The Cloverleafs, managed by Novick (47–28) and Morlan (29–15) ended the season in first place with a 76–43 record. Selma finished 5.0 games ahead of the second place

Pensacola Senators The Pensacola Senators (also the Dons and Angels) were a Minor League Baseball team, based in Pensacola, Florida, United States, that operated in the Alabama–Florida League The Alabama–Florida League was a low-level circuit in American mino ...

in the final overall standings of the six-team Class D level league. No playoffs were held in 1961, as the six-team league played a split-season schedule and Selma won both half season pennants becoming the Alabama–Florida League champions. Cloverleafs' pitcher David Seeman had an Alabama–Florida League leading 17 wins for the season. Pinky May 1940 Play Ball card

Pinky May Merrill Glend "Pinky" May (January 18, 1911 – September 4, 2000) was an American professional baseball player and third baseman who appeared in 665 games in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies from through . He later became a l ...

became the Selma manager for the 1962 season. A former All-Star third basemen with the

, May played in the major leagues for the Phillies from 1939 to 1943 before his major league playing career was interrupted by his service during

. May had served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during World War II. Following his military service, May became a long-time minor league manager from 1946 until his retirement in 1972. Pinky May's son is

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

Milt May Milton Scott May (born August 1, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Sa ...

, who had a lengthy major league playing and coaching career. As a youth, Milt May served as a bat boy for his father's minor league teams. At age 18,

Lou Piniella Louis Victor Piniella ( usually ; born August 28, 1943) is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder, he played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals a ...

was signed and played his first professional season with the 1962 Selma Cloverleafs. Piniella won the 1969 AL Rookie of the year and managed the 1990 Cincinnati Reds to the

1990 World Series The 1990 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1990 season. The 87th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the defending champions and heavily favored American League (AL ...

championship in a lengthy baseball career that spanned over 50 years. After having played one season of college basketball for the

University of Tampa The University of Tampa (UTampa, UT or Tampa U) is a private university in Tampa, Florida. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. UTampa offers more than 200 programs of study, including 19 master's degrees and a br ...

, Piniella was signed by the Cleveland Indians on June 9, 1962, and received $25,000 bonus. He started his professional career with Selma Cloverleafs slowly and improved after Pinky May, suggested that he worry about the fastball first and pull the ball. Piniella played in 70 games for Selma, batting .270 with 8 home runs and 44 RBIs. Lou Piniella - New York Yankees - 1981

In their final season of 1962, manager Pinky May led the defending champion Cloverleafs to an improbable second consecutive Alabama–Florida League championship in the Class D level league. Continuing play as a Cleveland Indians affiliate, Selma ended the season under .500 with a record of 55–63 and ended the regular season in fourth place in the six-team league. The Cloverleafs finished the regular season 24.0 games behind the first place Pensacola Senators playing under manager Pinky May. Selma qualified for the four-team playoffs and went on a championship run. Selma defeated the Ft. Walton Beach Jets 2 games to 0 in the first round to advance. In the Alabama–Florida League finals, Selma defeated Pensacola 3 games to 1 and won their second consecutive Alabama–Florida League championship in what became the final season for the league. Selma was unable to defend their league championship as the Alabama-Florida League did not return to play in 1963, with the league permanently folding following the 1962 season.

2002: New Selma Cloverleafs team

After a forty-year absence, Selma next hosted minor league baseball in 2002 when the independent

team was formed, reviving the historic "Cloverleafs" nickname. Selma played the 2002 season as a member of the independent Southeastern League.

The ballparks

All three ballparks utilized by the Selma minor league teams are on sites that were adjacent to each other. The ballpark site was an early spring training site for the

Riverside Park

Selma first played minor league home games at a ballpark within Riverside Park in Selma. In 1901, Selma player Ed Glenn was instrumental in preparing the ballpark for its first season. Still in use today, Riverside Park has a bridge connecting to

. Riverside Park is located at 1 Satterfield Street in Selma, Alabama.

Rowell Field

In their minor league seasons from 1927 to 1949, Selma hosted minor league home games at Rowell Field. When Selma applied for membership in the Southeastern League in 1927, a new ballpark was constructed to host the team. When league play began, Selma had strong home attendance in the Southeastern League games at the new Rowell Field, despite being a smaller city than the other league members. The ballpark was located at Dallas Avenue & Rowell Drive in the era. The ballpark parcel became home to both Memorial Stadium and Block Park. On April 28, 1939, Rowell Field hosted an exhibition between the

Homestead Grays The Homestead Grays (also known as Washington Grays or Washington Homestead Grays) were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro league baseball, Negro leagues in the United States. The team was formed in 1912 in sports, 1912 by Cum ...

and

Atlanta Black Crackers The Atlanta Black Crackers (originally known as the Atlanta Cubs and later briefly the Indianapolis ABCs) were a professional Negro league baseball team which played during the early to mid-20th century. They were primarily a minor Negro league ...

member

Josh Gibson Joshua Gibson (December 21, 1911 – January 20, 1947) was an American baseball catcher primarily in the Negro leagues. In 1972, he became the second Negro league player to be inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, National ...

played for Homestead in the contest. The Rowell Field was destroyed by fire and a new grandstand was constructed for the city by local businessman Morris Bloch, who operated a brick company in Selma at the time.

Block Park

Beginning in 1957, Selma hosted home games at

in Selma. Bloch Park was built at the site that contained Rowell Field. "Block Park" was named for Selma businessman Morris Bloch, who owned a local hardware store and has worked to construct the ballpark. The ballpark later hosted the 2002 Selma Cloverleafs team. Still in use today, the Block Park ballpark is located at 108 West Dallas Avenue in Selma, Alabama.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

(1937) Inducted

, 1963 *

(1941, MGR) 1932 AL Batting champion *

(1959) 2x MLB All-Star * Frank Anderson (1911, MGR) * Ivy Andrews (1927) * Bill Andrus (1930) * Morrie Arnovich (1948, MGR) MLB All-Star * King Bailey (1901) *

Ernie Baker Earnest Gould Baker (August 8, 1875 – October 25, 1945) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He had a 62-74 minor league record, however, emerged as the ace of the Cotton States League champion Baton Rouge Red Sticks with a 22–9 r ...

(1901) *

(1939, MGR) *

(1928–1930, MGR) * George Blackburn (1901) * Al Blanche (1938) * Stew Bolen (1940) * Boom-Boom Beck (1947, MGR) * Mel Bosser (1941) *

Stew Bowers Stewart Cole (Doc) Bowers (February 26, 1915 – December 14, 2005) was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from through . Bowers was a switch hitter and threw right-handed. Formative years and family Born in New Freedom, Pennsylvania ...

(1940–1941) * Larry Brown (1959) * John Burrows (1938–1939) * Hank Camelli (1937) * Pete Castiglione (1946) *

Johnnie Chambers Johnnie Monroe Chambers (September 10, 1911 – May 11, 1977) was an American professional baseball pitcher who appeared in two games with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball in 1937. He also played in the minor leagues from 1931 to ...

(1939–1941) * Ed Chaplin (1927) * Buddy Crump (1928–1928) * Dutch Distel (1928) *

Doc Edwards Howard Rodney "Doc" Edwards (December 10, 1936 – August 20, 2018) was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Athletics, New York Yankees, ...

(1959) * Lee Eilbracht (1948) * Jack Farmer (1914) * Carl Fischer (1947, MGR) * Harry Fisher (1947) * Jerry Fosnow (1959) * Fred Frank (1901) * Babe Ganzel (1937, MGR) *

Johnny Gill Johnny Gill Jr. (born May 22, 1966) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the sixth and final member of the R&B/ pop group New Edition and was also a member of the supergroup called LSG, with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat. Gill has rel ...

(1927) * Tommy Giordano (1958, MGR) *

Paul Gleason Paul Xavier Gleason (May 4, 1939 – May 27, 2006) was an American film and television actor. He was known for his roles on television series such as ''All My Children'' and films such as '' The Breakfast Club'', ''Trading Places'', and ''Di ...

(1959) Actor * Ed Glenn (1901) * Fred Graf (1927, MGR) *

Jimmy Grant James Charles Grant (October 6, 1918 – July 8, 1970) was an American professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball for three seasons in . He played for the Chicago White Sox from 1942 to 1943 and the Cleveland Indians ...

(1940) * Ivy Griffin (1938, MGR) * Steve Hargan (1961) MLB All-Star *

Dutch Hoffman Clarence Casper "Dutch" Hoffman (January 28, 1904 – December 6, 1962) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox in 1929.

(1927, MGR) * Bill Holden (1927) * Lee Howard (1947) * Ed Johnson (1929–1930) * Elmer Johnson (1937) * Tommy Kane (1939) * Buddy Kerr (1957, MGR) MLB All-Star * Wes Kingdon (1940, MGR) * Joe Kracher (1939) *

Hal Kurtz Harold James Kurtz (born August 20, 1943), nicknamed "Bud", is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians before the 1962 season, and played for them in 1968. Upon making the Indians' team out ...

(1962) * Wayne LaMaster (1928) * Ken Landenberger (1960, MGR) * Hillis Layne (1940) * Sam Leslie (1929) *

(1959) * George Loepp (1927) *

(1913) * Fred Lucas (1927) *

Wild Bill Luhrsen William Ferdinand "Wild Bill" Luhrsen (April 14, 1884 – August 15, 1973) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. T ...

(1913) * Polly McLarry (1922) * Al McLean (1939) *

(1962, MGR) * Paddy Mayes (1913) * Vern Morgan (1948) * Williams Newton (1927) *

(1950, MGR) * Paul O'Dea (1960, MGR) * Frank Oceak (1946, MGR) * Charlie Osgood (1948) * Lou Palmer (1957) * Robert Pender (1901) *

Parson Perryman Emmett Key "Parson" Perryman (October 24, 1888 – September 12, 1966) was a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher for one season (1915) with the St. Louis Browns, during which he compiled a 2-4 record, with a 3.93 earned r ...

(1927) *

(1932, MGR) *

(1962)

Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame The Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame is an American museum and hall of fame for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball. It is located in T-Mobile Park in the SoDo district of downtown Seattle. Museum overview On June 14, 1997, then-Marine ...

* Abner Powell (1901, Co-owner) * Rip Radcliff (1930) MLB All-Star *

Cheo Ramos José "Cheo" Ramos was a Cuban professional baseball outfielder who played in the Negro leagues, Cuban League and minor league baseball in the 1910s and 1920s. Ramos made his professional debut in with Habana (baseball club), Habana of the Cuba ...

(1928) * Grover Resinger (1940) * Chuck Rowland (1928–1930) * Tom Saffell (1947) *

Ben Sankey Ben Sankey (born December 5, 1976) is a former gridiron football quarterback. He was signed as a street free agent by the Calgary Stampeders in 2000. He played college football at Wake Forest. Sankey also played for the Houston Texans, Hamil ...

(1928–1929) * Ralph Savidge (1911, MGR) *

(1941) MLB All-Star * Doc Sechrist (1901) * Duke Sims (1960) * Carr Smith (1928) * Harry Spratt (1913, MGR) * Tom Stouch (1901) *

Moose Stubing Lawrence George "Moose" Stubing (March 31, 1938 – January 19, 2018) was an American professional baseball scout, minor league manager and Major League Baseball third-base coach. Stubing attended high school in White Plains, New York, before ...

(1957) * Bob Talbot (1948) * Al Tate (1946) * Red Thomas (1928–1929) * Hal Toenes (1941) * Jim Turner (1928) MLB All-Star * Elmer Tutwiler (1928) * Al Vincent (1930, 1932) * Pee-Wee Wanninger (1940) * Floyd Weaver (1961) * Roy Wright (1957) *

Sam Zoldak Samuel Walter Zoldak, nicknamed Sad Sam, (December 8, 1918 – August 25, 1966) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine seasons in the American League with the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland ...

(1941) *

Selma Cloverleafs players Selma may refer to: Places In the United States *Selma, Alabama, city in Dallas County, best known for the Selma to Montgomery marches * Selma, Arkansas *Selma, California, city in Fresno County * Selma, Colorado * Selma, Indiana, town in Delaw ...

* Selma Selmians players * Selma River Rats players * Selma Centralites players *

Selma Christians players Selma may refer to: Places In the United States *Selma, Alabama, city in Dallas County, best known for the Selma to Montgomery marches * Selma, Arkansas *Selma, California, city in Fresno County * Selma, Colorado * Selma, Indiana, town in Delaw ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Selma - Baseball Reference
Defunct baseball teams in Alabama Southeastern League teams Defunct Alabama-Florida League teams New York Giants minor league affiliates Washington Senators (1961–1971) minor league affiliates Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates Cincinnati Reds minor league affiliates Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates Boston Red Sox minor league affiliates Kansas City Athletics minor league affiliates Selma, Alabama Baseball teams established in 1928 Baseball teams disestablished in 1962