Hot Springs Bathers facts for kids

The Hot Springs Bathers were a baseball team from Hot Springs, Arkansas, in the United States. They played in the Cotton States League for many years. The team was active from 1938 to 1941 and again from 1947 to 1955.

Over the years, the Bathers worked with several bigger baseball teams. In 1938, they were connected to the Chicago Cubs. For 1939 and 1940, they teamed up with the Detroit Tigers. Later, from 1948 to 1951, they were linked to the Chicago White Sox. In 1954, they worked with the St. Louis Cardinals. Their last affiliation was with the Kansas City Athletics in 1955.

The Bathers played their home games at different fields. From 1938 to 1941, they played at Whittington Park, also known as Ban Johnson Park. Later, from 1947 to 1955, they played at Bathers Field, which was also called Jaycee Park or Majestic Park.

In 1953, something important happened. The Cotton States League tried to remove the Bathers from playing. This was because the team had signed two African-American baseball players, brothers Jim and Leander Tugerson. The Bathers planned for them to play. Even though the team was not permanently kicked out, the Tugerson brothers were never able to play in any regular season games for the team.

Winning Championships

The Hot Springs Bathers were a successful team, winning several championships. Their first big win was in 1941. At that time, the team was managed by Mike Powers.

They won again in 1948. This championship was achieved with two managers, Joe Holden and George Sobek, leading the team.

The Bathers won their final championship in 1950. The team's manager during this winning season was John Antonelli.

Famous Players and Managers

Many talented players and managers were part of the Hot Springs Bathers team. Some of them went on to play in Major League Baseball or became well-known figures in the sport.