Columbus Confederate Yankees


The Columbus Confederate Yankees were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Double-A Southern League from 1964 to 1966. They were located in Columbus, Georgia, and played their home games at Golden Park. The Confederate Yankees were named in reference to Georgia's former membership in the Confederacy and for their Major League Baseball affiliate, the New York Yankees.
Over three seasons of competition, Columbus played in 415 regular season games and compiled a win–loss record of 206–209. They won the Southern League championship in 1965.

History

The Columbus Confederate Yankees were charter members of the Southern League, which began play in 1964. As the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, they were managed by former major league catcher Rube Walker. The team finished its first year of play with a 64–74 record in seventh place.
The 1965 club was managed by Loren Babe, an ex-Yankee third baseman. On July 19, the Confederate Yankees hosted the 1965 Southern League All-Star Game. With 4,091 people in attendance at Golden Park, they defeated a team of the league's All-Stars, 4–3. Two members of the Columbus pitching staff threw no-hitters that season. The first occurred on June 30 when Mike Jurewicz no-hit the Charlotte Hornets in the second game of a seven-inning doubleheader. The second happened on August 13 when Rich Beck pitched seven no-hit innings against the Lynchburg White Sox. Columbus won the Southern League championship with a 79–59 first-place finish.
In 1966, their final season of play, the Confederate Yankees were managed by Jack Reed, a former outfielder with the 1961 World Series champion Yankees. They ended the season in seventh place at 63–76.

Season-by-season results

Players

Twenty-three Confederate Yankees also played in at least one game for a Major League Baseball team during their careers. These players and their years with Columbus were: