{{Infobox Minor League Baseball | name =Clinton Bulldogs | firstseason =1922 | lastseason =1923 | allyears = | city =Clinton, Oklahoma | logo = | uniformlogo = | class level =Class D (1922–1923) | league =Oklahoma State League (1922–1923) | majorleague =None | nickname =Clinton Bulldogs (1922–1923) | ballpark =Clinton Baseball Park (1922–1923) | classnum = | classchamps = | leaguenum =0 | leaguechamps =None | confnum =1 | conferencechamps ={{hlist|1922|}} | divnum = | divisionchamps = | wildcardnum = | wildcardberths = }}
The '''Clinton Bulldogs''' were a minor league baseball team based in Clinton, Oklahoma. In 1922 and 1923, the Bulldogs played as members of the Class D level Oklahoma State League, winning a split-season pennant in 1922. The Bulldogs hosted minor league home games at the Clinton Baseball Park.
==History== Minor league baseball began in Clinton, Oklahoma in 1922, when the Clinton "Bulldogs" began play as members of the reformed six–team, Class D level Oklahoma State League. The Chickasha Chicks, Duncan Oilers, El Reno Railroaders, Guthrie Linters and Wilson Drillers teams joined the Bulldogs in beginning league play on May 20, 1922.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-OKSL2/y-1922|title=1922 Oklahoma State League (OSL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}</ref><ref name="encyc">{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball |editor-first1=Lloyd |editor-last1=Johnson |editor-first2=Miles |editor-last2=Wolff |edition=Third |publisher=Baseball America |date=2007 |isbn=978-1932391176}}</ref>
The "Oklahoma State League" had previously formed in the 1912 season as an eight-team Class D level league, without a Clinton franchise. The 1912 league folded during the season.<ref name="encyc"/>
The Clinton use of the "Bulldogs" nickname corresponds to usage of the mascot in region in the era. In 1922, the local Clinton High School became a member of the newly named Southwestern Oklahoma Athletic Conference.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.writedownmemorylane.com/1/post/2021/10/clinton-football-first-down-on-the-west-oklahoma-plains.html|title=Clinton Football: First Down On The West Oklahoma Plains|website=Write Down Memory Lane}}</ref> At the same time, Southwestern State Teachers College, today's Southwestern Oklahoma State University, had adopted the Bulldog as its mascot.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thesouthwestern.org/2004/whats-happening-on-the-campus-of-southwestern-oklahoma-state-university/the-controversial-history-of-duke-the-bulldog/|title=The Controversial History of Duke the Bulldog|first=Tyler|last=Bryson}}</ref>
In their first season of play, the Clinton Bulldogs ended the Oklahoma State League regular season in second place overall and won the second half pennant, as the league played a split-season schedule. Clinton ended the 1922 regular season with an overall record of 63–48, finishing 4.5 games behind the first place Duncan Oilers.<ref name="encyc"/> With the league playing the split-season schedule, Duncan did not win either half-season, as Clinton and the third place Chickasha Chicks captured the two spilt-season titles and met in the playoff. Chickasha won the championship, as the Chicks defeated Clinton 4 games to 1 in the finals. Jim Lawrence managed Clinton in their first season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-cb10957/y-1922|title=1922 Clinton Bulldogs minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1922 Clinton Bulldogs Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref name="encyc"/>
Continuing Oklahoma State League play in 1923. Clinton Bulldogs played in what would become their final season, as the Oklahoma State expanded to eight member teams.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=a2ae0619|title=1923 Oklahoma State League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> On July 7, 1923, Clinton executed a triple play in a game against the Shawnee Indians. The play was turned by Bulldog players Hynes at SS and Cronin at 3B.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sVgE1qM8RGgxFIRBo8-Nmgxih3dbV4zE5hgCc3y0oGc/htmlview|title=Minor League Triple Plays - Google Drive|website=docs.google.com}}</ref>
The Bulldogs ended the 1923 season with an overall record of 63–60, finishing 7.5 games behind the first place Duncan Oilers. Dennis Huber was the Clinton manager.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1923 Clinton Bulldogs Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-cb10957/y-1923|title=1923 Clinton Bulldogs minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}</ref> With the league again playing a split-season schedule, Clinton did not qualify for the playoff as Duncan won the first-half title and the Bristow Producers won the second-half title. In the playoff, Bristow swept Duncan in four games to win the league championship.<ref name="auto2"/><ref name="encyc"/>
In 1924, the Clinton franchise did not return to the eight–team Oklahoma State League, as the El Reno Railroads and Drumright Boosters teams also folded and the three teams were replaced by the Enid, Pawhuska Huskies and Wewoka-Holdenville teams in league play,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=39f79436|title=1924 Oklahoma State League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref name="encyc"/>The eight-team Oklahoma State League permanently folded on July 8, 1924.<ref name="encyc"/>
[[File:McLain Rogers Park.JPG|thumb|(2015) Entrance to McLain Rogers Park. Clinton, Oklahoma. National Register of Historic Places]]
==The ballpark== The Clinton Bulldogs teams hosted home minor league games at the Clinton baseball park. The ballpark was located on North Fourth Street.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2146998/m1/6/|title="The Clinton Team Continues To Hold the Top of the League - Home Games This Week," Weatherford Democrat, June 22, 1922, p. 6|website=gateway.okhistory.org}}</ref>
==Timeline== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" ! Year(s) !! # Yrs. !! Team !! Level !! League!!Ballpark |- |1922–1923||2||Clinton Bulldogs||Class D||Oklahoma State League||Clinton Base Ball Park |- |}
==Year–by–year records== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Year !! Record !! Finish !! Manager !! Playoffs/Notes |- | 1922|| 63–48 || 2nd ||James Lawrence||'''Won second half pennant'''<br />Lost in finals |- | 1923|| 63–60 || 4th ||Dennis Huber||Did not qualify |- |}
==Notable alumni== *Jim Lawrence (1922, MGR) *The Clinton Bulldogs full player rosters are not referenced.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/>
==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Clinton&state=OK&country=US Clinton - Baseball Reference] Category:Defunct baseball teams in Oklahoma Category:Baseball teams established in 1922 Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1923 Category:Custer County, Oklahoma Category:Oklahoma State League teams