The Hot Springs Bathers were a Cotton States League

Cotton States League

The Cotton States League name was used five different times in baseball history. The first Cotton States League ran from 1902 through 1908 as a class D league. After the league shut down, another Cotton States League was reformulated in 1910, with three of the six '08 members returning for the new...

 baseball team based in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...

 that played from 1938 to 1941 and from 1947 to 1955. In 1938, they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

. In 1939 and 1940, they were affiliated with the Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...

. From 1948 to 1951, they were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...

. They were affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...

 in 1954 and the Kansas City Athletics in 1955. From 1938 to 1941, they played at Ban Johnson Park

Ban Johnson Park

Ban Johnson Park, also known as Whittington Park, was a ballpark in Hot Springs, Arkansas that opened in 1894 and closed in 1947. Throughout its entire existence, it was used as a site for Spring Training for major and minor league baseball teams. As well, it served as the home park for the Hot...

, and from 1947 to 1955 they played at Bathers Field.

In 1953, the Cotton States League attempted to evict the Bathers from the league because they signed and planned to play two African-American baseball players, brothers Jim and Leander Tugerson. The eviction was not permanent, however the brothers were never able to play in any regular season games for the team.

League championships

They won their first championship in 1941 under manager Mike Powers

Mike Powers

Ellis Foree Powers was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians in 1932 and 1933. Born in Toddspoint, Kentucky, he died at age 77 in Louisville, Kentucky.-External links:...

. Under Joe Holden

Joe Holden

Joseph Francis Holden [Socks] was a backup catcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Philadelphia Phillies. Listed at 5' 8", 175 lb., Holden batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in St...

 and George Sobek, they won again in 1948. In 1950, they won their final championship under John Antonelli.