Sheldon-Primghar Hyphens

The 1902 Sheldon team was the first minor league baseball team in Sheldon, Iowa. Sheldon became charter members of the six–team Iowa-South Dakota League in 1902. Sheldon finished the Iowa–South Dakota League regular season with a 14–71 record, placing 6th and last in the regular season standings, playing under four managers. The Sheldon team played home games at Sheldon City Park.[1][2][3][4][5]

Sheldon was 6th in the 1902 Iowa-South Dakota League standings under managers H.M. Moser, Mickie Jamison, Frank Albertson and Artie Ward. Sheldon finished behind the Flandreau Indians (51–19), Le Mars Blackbirds (43–48), Rock Rapids Browns (32–59), Sioux City Cornhuskers (56–40) and the champion Sioux Falls Canaries (65–24). Sheldon was 49.0 games behind Sioux Falls in the standings. The Sheldon franchise folded after the season, being replaced by the Council Bluffs Bluffers in the Iowa-South Dakota League. The Rock Rapids and Flandreau franchises also folded following the 1902 season.[1][6][7]

In 1903, Sheldon regained a team in the four–team Iowa-South Dakota League. On June 20, 1903, the Council Bluffs Bluffers withdrew from the Iowa-South Dakota League with a record of 1–22. The team was transferred to Sheldon–Primghar, as the franchise added neighboring Primghar. The Sheldon–Primghar team was awarded a record of 14–11, when beginning play on June 25, 1903.[8][9][1]

The newly named "Sheldon-Primghar Hyphens" finished 44–35 overall, placing 2nd in the 1903 Iowa-South Dakota League standings, 2.5 games behind the champion Le Mars Blackbirds. John McBurney and Bud Jones were the 1903 managers in Sheldon after Buck Keith managed the team in Council Bluffs. The team moniker was likely a reference to the combined names of the towns. Primghar, Iowa is 10 miles southeast of Sheldon, Iowa. The Iowa-South Dakota League permanently folded following the 1903 season. Sheldon and Pringhar have not hosted another minor league franchise.[1][10][11][12][13][9][14][15]

The Sheldon and Sheldon–Primghar Hyphens teams played at Sheldon City Park. The park still exists as a city park with softball fields. Sheldon City Park is located off Park Street (US 18) between 4th Avenue & 6th Avenue, Sheldon, Iowa.[16][17]

• No Sheldon or Sheldon–Primghar Hyphens players advanced to play major league baseball.[18][7][15]

• - Sheldon - Baseball Reference Bullpen