New Orleans Pelicans

• Location: New Orleans, LA
• League: Southern League 1887-1888, 1892-1896; Texas League 1888; Southern Association 1901-1959; American Association 1977
• Affiliation: Cleveland Indians 1934-1939; St. Louis Cardinals 1940-1942; Brooklyn Dodgers 1943-1944; Boston Red Sox 1946-1947; Pittsburgh Pirates 1948-1956; New York Yankees 1957-1958; St. Louis Cardinals 1977
• Ballpark: Crescent City Base Ball Park (later called Sportsman's Park and Athletic Park) 1880-1914; Pelican Stadium 1915-1957; City Park Stadium 1958-1959; SuperDome 1977

The New Orleans Pelicans were members of the original Southern League in the 19th century, the Texas League for part of 1888 after the SL disbanded earlier in the year, and then the Southern Association for most of the SA's history, from 1901 till 1959.

New Orleans won the first Southern League title in 1887, and the last of the 1800's in 1896. In 1887 Abner Powell, player-manager for New Orleans, invented Ladies Day - a designated weekday on which ladies were admitted free.

In 1905 , due to a quarantine, after August 7 home games were played in Meridian, MS. The Pelicans won SA championships in 1905, 1910, 1911, 1918, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1933, and 1934. The early history shows longtime managers: Charlie Frank (1904-1913), Johnny Dobbs (1914-1922), and Larry Gilbert (1923-1931, 1933-1938). In 1932 the club was managed by Jake Atz who was the manager of the dominant Fort Worth Cats of the early '20's Texas League.

In 1977 the Pelican name was revived when A. Ray Smith moved the Tulsa Oilers to New Orleans. The team drew over 200,000 fans but due to a $6,000 stadium rental charge per game for the Super Dome and no share of the parking and concessions, Smith lost a good deal of money. He moved the team in 1978 to Springfield, IL where they became the Springfield Redbirds. The Pelicans finished dead last in their sole season in the American Association; their one year as a AAA team featured Tony LaRussa and Ken Oberkfell. It would be about two decades after the Pelicans before minor league baseball returned to New Orleans in the form of the New Orleans Zephyrs.

Source: "The American Association" amd "The Southern League" by Bill O'Neal, and "The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball"

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs
1887	78-37	1st	Thomas Brennan		League disbanded August 21
1888	25-32	3rd	Abner Powell		Southern League disbanded July 4
	18-9	--	Abner Powell		Entered Texas League in mid-July
1892	66-57	3rd	Abner Powell	none
1893	40-51	8th	Abner Powell	none
1894	33-38	3rd	Henry Powers	none
1895	46-55	4th	Abner Powell	none
1896	68-31	1st	Abner Powell	none League Champs
1901	68-56	4th	Abner Powell	none
1902	75-47	2nd	Abner Powell	none
1903	48-74	8th	Count Campau / Zeke Wrigley / Joe Rickert
1904	79-58	3rd	Charlie Frank	none
1905	84-45	1st	Charlie Frank	none League Champs
1906	75-61	4th	Charlie Frank	none
1907	68-66	3rd	Charlie Frank	none
1908	76-57	2nd	Charlie Frank	none
1909	73-64	4th	Charlie Frank	none
1910	87-53	1st	Charlie Frank	none League Champs
1911	78-54	1st	Charlie Frank	none League Champs
1912	71-64	3rd	Charlie Frank	none
1913	45-85	8th	Charlie Frank	none
1914	80-65	3rd	Johnny Dobbs	none
1915	91-63	1st	Johnny Dobbs	none League Champs
1916	73-61	2nd	Johnny Dobbs	none
1917	89-61	2nd	Johnny Dobbs	none
1918	49-21	1st	Johnny Dobbs	League suspended operations June 28
1919	74-61	3rd	Johnny Dobbs	none
1920	86-62	2nd	Johnny Dobbs	none
1921	97-57	2nd	Johnny Dobbs	none
1922	89-64	3rd	Johnny Dobbs	none
1923	89-57	1st	Larry Gilbert	none League Champs
1924	93-60	3rd	Larry Gilbert	none
1925	85-68	2nd	Larry Gilbert	none
1926	101-53	1st	Larry Gilbert	none League Champs
1927	96-57	1st	Larry Gilbert	none League Champs
1928	73-74	3rd	Larry Gilbert	none
1929	89-64	3rd	Larry Gilbert	none
1930	91-61	2nd	Larry Gilbert	none
1931	78-75	5th	Larry Gilbert	none
1932	66-84	6th	Jake Atz	none
1933	88-65	2nd	Larry Gilbert	League Champs
1934	94-60	1st	Larry Gilbert	League Champs
1935	86-67	2nd	Larry Gilbert	Lost League Finals
1936	81-71	4th	Larry Gilbert	Lost League Finals
1937	84-66	3rd (t)	Larry Gilbert	Lost in 1st round
1938	79-70	3rd	Larry Gilbert	Lost in 1st round
1939	57-93	8th	Roger Peckinpaugh
1940	71-80	5th	Hal Anderson
1941	78-75	3rd	Ray Blades	Lost in 1st round
1942	77-73	4th	Pat Ankenman	Lost in 1st round
1943	78-58	2nd	Ray Blades	Lost League Finals
1944	57-83	8th	Fresco Thompson
1945	73-67	4th	Fresco Thompson	Lost League Finals
1946	75-77	4th	Johnny Peacock	Lost in 1st round
1947	93-59	2nd	Fred Walters	Lost in 1st round
1948	70-83	5th	Jimmy Brown
1949	77-75	4th	Hugh Luby	Lost in 1st round
1950	71-79	5th	Hugh Luby (36-38) / Bill Burwell (35-41)
1951	64-90	7th	Rip Sewell
1952	80-75	5th	Danny Murtaugh
1953	76-78	5th	Danny Murtaugh
1954	92-62	2nd	Danny Murtaugh	Lost League Finals
1955	76-75	6th	Andy Cohen
1956	79-75	5th	Andy Cohen
1957	60-94	8th	Peanuts Lowrey
1958	57-94	8th	Charlie Silvera (46-80) / Ray Yochim (11-14)
1959	68-81	6th	Mel Parnell
1977	57-79	8th	Lance Nichols