Clinton Owls

Minor league baseball has been played consistently in Clinton, Iowa, since the mid-1950s, but prior to that there were a lot of stops and starts as various teams tried and failed to take hold in the city. The Clinton Owls were a small part of this history prior to WWII, as they started play in the Triple I League (Illinois - Indiana - Iowa League) in 1937. The team was an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and won the league in their first season with a 75-36 record. 

In 1937 the team was coached by Clyde Sukeforth, who was instrumental in Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier with the Dodgers. After his time in Clinton, Sukeforth was in the Dodgers organization and tasked with bringing Robinson to New York to meet with Branch Rickey. Sukeforth also was interim manager on April 15, 1947 and wrote Robinson's name into the Dodgers' starting lineup that day to break the color barrier. 

The Owls would play another, less succesful season in 1938 in the Three I. They would then change their name to the Clinton Giants, as their big league affiliation switched to the New York Giants. They would play two more seasons before the league disbanded for WWII. Baseball would return to Clinton in 1947 with the Central Association's Clinton Cubs.