The Missoula Timberjacks, based in Missoula, Montana, played five seasons of Class C baseball from 1956 through 1960 at Campbell Park, finishing 307-338 overall and never once reaching the playoffs. What the club lacked in postseason appearances it made up for in the people who passed through it.
The name arrived before the team did. Business manager Pierre Roberts announced the choice on a Monday in the spring of 1956, along with the club's visual identity: the emblem would be a green pine tree, the home uniforms would be white and green, and the jerseys would carry the short form, Jacks, rather than the full name. Missoula was a sawmill town, so the name fit, though no account from the time bothers to explain why it was picked.
Jack McKeon was Missoula's player-manager for the first three seasons, a catcher who hit .170 in 1956 and worked his way up to .263 by 1958. He never reached the major leagues as a player, but he managed for decades afterward and took the 2003 Florida Marlins to a World Series title. The 1958 club was the best of the five, going 70-59 and finishing second.
That 1958 team also carried a 19-year-old left-hander named Jim Kaat, who won 16 games and led the league in both earned run average and strikeouts. Kaat went on to a 25-year major league career, 283 wins, a World Series ring with the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals and induction into the Hall of Fame in 2022, making him the first Missoula alumnus in Cooperstown. Sandy Valdespino, Jay Ward, Minnie Mendoza, Cesar Tovar and Gus Gil also reached the majors out of Missoula rosters.
The most recognizable name on any Timberjacks roster never made it as a ballplayer. Charley Pride pitched in three games for Missoula at the start of the 1960 season, the last professional baseball appearances of his career, before arm trouble sent him toward country music and a career that made him the genre's biggest Black star.
Missoula's baseball history runs back much further. The city was a charter member of the 1892 Montana State League and won the second-half title that year, with Hall of Famer Clark Griffith on the roster. Missoula also took the Union Association championship in 1912 with an 83-51 record under Cliff Blankenship. The Timberjacks folded after 1960 as attendance collapsed across the region, falling in Missoula from 63,138 in 1958 to 25,935 the following summer.
Retro Baseball Revival celebrates historic baseball teams with unique apparel, honoring their legacy and bringing history to one-of-a-kind clothing with our old school retro baseball tees from defunct Minor League Baseball teams. All of our high quality apparel is designed, printed, and shipped within the USA. This collection features 100% original designs based on the history and nicknames of historic minor league teams.
Our standard (non-premium) hoodies are classics that anyone is sure to recognize. They are thick, durable Gildan brand hoodies. They are a cotton/poly blend that stands the test of time and feature the 'kangaroo pouch' on the front with a draw string hood.
Size Guide: True to size, roomy
- Brand: Gildan | Product ID: G18500
- Made with a medium-heavy fabric (8.0 oz/yd² (271 g/m²)) that consists of 50% cotton and 50% polyester for that cozy feel and warmth you need in a hoodie.
- The classic fit along with the pouch pocket and the tear-away label make for a highly comfortable, scratch-free wearing experience.
- The color-matched drawcord and the double-lined hood add a stylish flair and durability that tie everything together.
- Made using 100% ethically grown US cotton. Gildan is also a proud member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol ensuring ethical and sustainable means of production. The blank tee's dyes are OEKO-TEX-certified dyes with low environmental impact.
- Tumble dry: medium; Iron, steam or dry: low heat; Do not dryclean; Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Non-chlorine: bleach as needed.
