The Selma Cloverleafs were a minor league baseball team based in Selma, Alabama. Between 1928 and 1962, the Selma "Cloverleafs" played as a member of the Class B level Southeastern League and Class D level Alabama–Florida League, winning league championships in 1930, 1959, 1961 and 1962.
Earlier Selma teams played as members of the Southern Association (1901), Southeastern League (1911–1912), Cotton States League (1913) and Georgia–Alabama League (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 & Washington Senators (1937), Washington Senators (1940–1941), Pittsburgh Pirates (1946–1947),Chicago Cubs (1948–1949), New York Giants (1957), Kansas City Athletics (1958) and Cleveland Indians (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 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 team played the season as members of the independent Southeastern League.
History 1901: First minor league team Minor league baseball play began in Selma, Alabama in 1901, when the Selma "Christians" became a charter member of the eight-team Class B level Southern Association. Selma became a member of the league after the proposed Atlanta, Georgia 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, Chattanooga Lookouts, Little Rock Travelers, Memphis Egyptians, Nashville Vols, New Orleans Pelicans 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 31½ 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. 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 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 Southeastern League. The Selma Centralites joined the Anniston Models, Decatur Twins, Gadsden Steel Makers, 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 13½ 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 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 1½ 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 Cotton States League. 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 threw a No-hitter 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 Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association.
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 Georgia–Alabama League. 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, Gadsden Steel Makers, 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 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 Pittsburgh Pirates in 1916. There he formed a double play combination with Baseball Hall of Fame charter member Honus Wagner.
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, Montgomery Lions, Savannah Indians 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 (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.
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 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 and led the team to the Virginia League championship. Beck began the 1928 season as manager the Norfolk Tars 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 is named in his honor. In 1978, Beck was the recipient of the King of Baseball award from Minor League Baseball.