The Monroe Sports, based in Monroe, Louisiana, spent six seasons in the Class C Cotton States League from 1950 through 1955, winning the league championship in that final year by beating the El Dorado Oilers four games to three in the finals. The franchise had arrived in Monroe via relocation from Helena, Arkansas, where the Helena Seaporters had played before moving to Louisiana for 1950.
The team's design leans on a dog mascot, a nod to one of the period's more affectionate uses of the word "sport": in the 1940s and '50s, "sport" was a casual, friendly term an adult might use to address a kid, and just as often the name given to the family dog. With a franchise nickname this generic, the design draws on that second meaning instead of literal sporting equipment.
The Sports' best-known season was also their last in the Cotton States League. The 1955 roster included Roy Mantle and Ray Mantle, twin brothers of Mickey Mantle, with Roy earning a Cotton States League all-star selection as an outfielder. The team was a New York Yankees affiliate in 1955, and carried that affiliation into 1956 when the Cotton States League folded and Monroe shifted to the Evangeline League for one final season before the Sports disbanded.
Monroe's professional baseball history actually stretched back to 1903, when the city fielded a team in the original Cotton States League. The city sits in northeast Louisiana well outside the Acadian heartland that made up most of the Evangeline circuit.
The Evangeline League was a Class D minor league (Class C from 1949) that operated primarily in southern and central Louisiana from 1934 through 1957, with a wartime pause from 1943 through 1945. Named for the Acadian folk heroine of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1847 epic poem, the league was nicknamed the "Pepper Sauce League" or the "Tabasco Circuit" by fans and sportswriters, a nod to the Cajun country setting and the volatile brand of baseball played there.
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 crewneck sweatshirts are classics that anyone is sure to recognize. They are thick, durable Gildan brand crews. They are a cotton/poly blend that stands the test of time.
Size Guide: True to size
- Made with a medium-heavy fabric blend of 50% cotton and 50% polyester (8.0 oz/yd² (271.25 g/m²)), this sweatshirt feels cozy and is the perfect choice for those colder months.
- The classic fit along with the crew neckline deliver a comfy wearing experience with a clean-cut style. Meanwhile, the double-needle stitching at the shoulder, armhole, neck, waistband, and cuff seams add top-tier durability.
- Say goodbye to itchiness thanks to the gray, pearlized tear-away label.
- 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 shirt's dyes are OEKO-TEX-certified dyes with low environmental impact.
- Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Non-chlorine: bleach as needed; Tumble dry: low heat; Do not iron; Do not dryclean.
