Louisville Colonels (minor league baseball team)

Louisville Colonels 1901–1972 (1901–1962, 1968–1972) Louisville, Kentucky
Team logo Cap insignia
Class-level
Previous	Triple-A (1946–1962, 1968–1972) Double-A (1908–1945) A (1902–1907)
Minor league affiliations
League	International League (1968–1972)
Previous leagues	American Association (1902–1962) Western Association (1901)
Major league affiliations
Previous	Boston Red Sox (1968–1972) Milwaukee Braves (1959–1962) Baltimore Orioles (1958) Washington Senators (1956) Boston Red Sox (1939–1955) Pittsburgh Pirates (1936–1938)
Minor league titles
League titles	1909, 1916, 1921, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1939, 1940, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1954, 1960, 1961, 1962
Team data
Previous names	Louisville Colonels (1901–1962, 1968–1972)
Previous parks	Fairgrounds Stadium (1957–1962, 1968–1972) Parkway Field (1923–1956) Eclipse Park III (1902–1922)

The Louisville Colonels was the name of several minor league baseball teams that played in Louisville, Kentucky, in the 20th century. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels.

In the 20th century, the Louisville Colonels has been the name of several minor league baseball teams in Louisville. In 1909 the Colonels won the American Association pennant, as they also did in 1921, 1925, 1926 and 1930 while featuring players such as Joe McCarthy, Billy Herman and Earle Combs; Combs hit .344 in 1923 and .380 in 1924 before joining the New York Yankees in 1925. Pee Wee Reese was a rookie with the 1938 Colonels. The Colonels were one of few minor league teams to play throughout World War II and they won pennants in 1944 and 1945. In 1944 the Colonels played in the Junior World Series against Baltimore and the game drew attendance of 52,833 – 16,265 more than any single World Series game that year. In 1946 the Colonels played a role in the desegregation of baseball when they faced the Montreal Royals and Jackie Robinson in the 1946 Junior World Series. Sadly, Robinson later recalled his appearance in Louisville as among his worst experiences with hostile crowds. Through the 1940s and 1950s the Colonels were part of the Boston Red Sox farm system, and they won the pennant in 1954 but the Red Sox transferred its farm team to San Francisco after the 1955 season.

Starting in 1956 the Colonels were affiliated with the Washington Senators. They moved to Fairgrounds Stadium in 1957. In 1959 the Colonels became affiliated with the Milwaukee Braves. They won (in 1960, with pitcher Phil Niekro) one of three appearances in the Junior World Series in that time, but in 1962 the American Association folded.