The Fort Smith Twins (also known as the Fort Smith Giants) were a minor league baseball team in

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

that existed in various incarnations from 1887 through 1953, playing a total of 36 seasons. From 1911 onward, the teams played in the

Western Association The Western Association was the name of five different leagues formed in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries. The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Wester ...

. Beginning in 1921, the teams played most of their home games at Andrews Field in downtown Fort Smith on land now owned by the Fort Smith National Cemetery.

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball ...

inductee

Chick Hafey Charles James "Chick" Hafey (February 12, 1903 – July 2, 1973) was an American player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (1924–1931) and Cincinnati Reds (1932–1935, 1937), Hafey was a strong line-drive hit ...

played for Fort Smith in 1923.

Hugo Bezdek Hugo Francis Bezdek (April 1, 1884 – September 19, 1952) was a Czech American athlete who played American football and was a coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He was the head football coach at the University of Oregon (1906, 1913� ...

managed the Fort Smith Soldiers for part of the 1909 season.

Notable Fort Smith alumni

Hall of Fame Alumni *

(1923) Inducted, 1971 Notable alumni * Mickey Doolin (1923) * Harry Feldman (1938) * Jake Flowers (1924) *

Ival Goodman Ival Richard Goodman (July 23, 1908 – November 25, 1984) was an All-Star right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1935–1942) and Chicago Cubs (1943–1944). Goodman, who batted left-handed and threw right-h ...

(1931) 2 x MLB All-Star * Luke Hamlin (1929) * Ducky Holmes (1922) * Buddy Kerr (1941) MLB All-Star * Pepper Martin (1925) 4 x MLB All-Star * Gus Mancuso (1926) 2 x MLB All-Star * Heinie Mueller (1920) * Flint Rhem (1924) * Earl Smith (1916) * Al Todd (1929) * Gee Walker (1928) MLB All-Star * Jo-Jo White (1929-1930)

References

Baseball Reference
Baseball teams established in 1887 Baseball teams disestablished in 1953 Defunct Western Association teams Defunct Arkansas State League teams Defunct Oklahoma-Arkansas-Kansas League teams Defunct South Central League teams Defunct Missouri Valley League teams Defunct Southwestern League teams Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates New York Giants minor league affiliates Detroit Tigers minor league affiliates St. Louis Browns minor league affiliates St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliates Professional baseball teams in Arkansas 1887 establishments in Arkansas 1953 disestablishments in Arkansas Fort Smith, Arkansas Defunct baseball teams in Arkansas {{Arkansas-baseball-team-stub