Saginaw’s professional minor league baseball endeavors started in 1883 with a team called the Saginaw Old Golds with the name derived from the color of the uniforms, which was common way of naming teams back then (like the Red Sox). Pitcher John Clarkston played for the Old Golds for one year before moving into the majors. He is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY as the 12th winning-est pitcher in Major League Baseball history.
From 1883 to 1925 saw many baseball teams in Saginaw and many of the teams playing ball at the old fairgrounds. The most successful team was the Saginaw Ducks. Howard “Ducky” Holmes, a former St. Louis Cardinals, caught for and managed the Saginaw Ducks starting in 1913. He led the Ducks to 2 pennants. Pitcher Jesse Haines was 17-14 for that ‘Ducks’ team. He went on to pitch 19 major league seasons, 210 wins, and a spot in the Baseball H.O.F. Jesse won 44 games for the St. Louis Cardinals.

I am not sure what happened in 1925 that caused Saginaw baseball to see a long gap until another team. I am thinking maybe the great depression but that is a little early, so I am not sure, maybe there was no interest in the sport for a while. In 1940 Saginaw Businessman James “Ike” Bearanger formed the Saginaw Stadium Corporation and built the Veterans Memorial Stadium on Holland and 20th streets. The team that Played in the Stadium was the team that Bearinger owned and operated. In 1940 it was a was a farm team for Philadelphia called the Saginaw Athletics, in 1941 they switched affiliations and changed the name to the White Sox. At the start of WWII, baseball in Saginaw was put on hold because of the war.

After the war in 1948, investors formed a new team and renamed the stadium that Bearinger had built to the Saginaw Stadium. The team that played in the new stadium was the Saginaw Jacks with Saginaw native and former major Leauger Ed Albosta as pitcher. The team played their last season in 1951 and the property that the stadium was on became Veterans memorial Park, in 2009 the park was renamed in honor of youth baseball coach Lawrence H. McKinney.

Here is a list of teams that played in Saginaw

1951 Saginaw Jacks Central League

1948-5o Saginaw Bears Central League

1941 Saginaw White Sox Michigan State League

1940 Saginaw Athletics Michigan State League

1919 – 25 Saginaw Aces Michigan-Ontario League

1915-13 Saginaw Ducks Southern Michigan League

1912 Saginaw Trailers Southern Michigan League

1911 Saginaw Krazy Kats Southern Michigan League

1908- 10 Saginaw Wa-was Southern Michigan League

1906 Saginaw Interstate Association

1906 Saginaw Southern Michigan League

1902 Saginaw/Jackson White Sox Michigan State League

1900 Saginaw Salt Eaters International League

1898 Saginaw Braves International League

1897 Saginaw Lumberman Michigan State League

1896 Saginaw Lumbermen Interstate League

1893 Saginaw Alerts Ohio-Michigan League

1890 Saginaw-Bay City Hyphens International Association

1889 Saginaw Michigan State League

1884 Saginaw Greys Michigan State League

1883 Saginaw Old Golds Northwestern League

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