Jacksonville, Florida became a professional baseball city in 1904. The newly-formed South Atlantic League began a long history of minor league baseball in Jacksonville with the Jays.
Since then many leagues and teams have played in Jacksonville. The city boasts a rich tradition in baseball.
Four 300-game winners pitched for Jacksonville’s minor league clubs before finding greatness. Phil Niekro, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and Randy Johnson called Jacksonville home.
Niekro appeared in 38 contests for the Class A Jacksonville Braves in 1960. He made 3 starts, 35 relief appearances and had a 6-4 record with a 2.77 ERA. By the time he left baseball’s highest level he had 318 wins to his credit.
Seaver’s lone minor league campaign came in 1966 with the Jacksonville Suns of the International League. He finished his big league career with 311 victories.
The Florida city was Ryan’s last stop before making the majors. His only decision in three games with the 1967 Suns was a win. The Express leads all Jacksonville pitchers with 324 MLB wins.
The flame-throwing Johnson threw for the 1987 Jacksonville Expos. He won 11 games for the Double-A club before claiming 303 wins in the majors.
Shown here is Phil Niekro’s 1960 contract with the Jacksonville Braves. Niekro signed it 16 days after his 21st birthday.