1921 to 1923 Southwestern Association Bartlesville first hosted a town team called the "Brickbats" beginning in 1895. Bartlesville Oklahoma, first hosted minor league baseball in 1906, when the
Bartlesville Indians played the season as members of the
Class D level
Kansas State League. The Southwestern League teams were preceded in minor league play by the 1910
Bartlesville Boosters, managed by
Baseball Hall of Fame member
Jake Beckley, who ended a four-year tenure as members of the
Class C level
Western Association. Resuming minor league play in 1921, the Bartlesville "Braves" became a charter member of the eight-team, Class D level
Southwestern League. The
Coffeyville Refiners,
Independence Producers,
Miami Indians,
Muskogee Mets,
Parsons Parsons,
Pittsburg Pirates and
Sapulpa Sappers teams joined Bartlesville in beginning league play on April 21, 1921. On February 12, 1921,
John McCloskey was announced as the manager of the Braves to begin the season. McCloskey was a long-time minor league manager, who had been the
St. Louis Cardinals manager from 1906 through the 1908 season and had previously managed the major league
Louisville Colonels. In their first season of Southwestern League play, the Bartlesville Braves placed sixth in the eight-team league. With a 64–80 record under managers John McCloskey and Ad Lindsey, Bartlesville finished 38.5 games behind the first place Independence Producers (103–38), who finished 19.0 games ahead of the second place
Muskogee Mets. In 1922, the Bartlesville "Grays" continued play as the Southwestern League became a
Class C level league. The 1922 league was also referred to as the Southwestern Association. Playing under manager
Ned Pettigrew, Bartlesville ended the season with a regular season record 63–78, placing fifth overall. Finishing 20.0 games behind the Muskogee Mets in the eight–team league and did not qualify for the playoff, won by Sapulpa over Muskogee, as the league played a split season schedule. With Cushing, Pettigrew gave a tryout to a 20 year old pitcher
Carl Hubbell, who hadn't played baseball since graduating from high school. Pettigrew signed Hubbell to the Cushing roster and Hubbell began a
Baseball Hall of Fame pitching career. Continuing play in the 1923 Class C level Southwestern League, the Bartlesville "Bobcats" placed fourth in the regular season standings. With a final record of 68–66, the Bobcats played the season under manager Ted Waring. Bartlesville finished 14.5 games behind the first place Hutchinson Wheat Shockers. In the split season schedule, Bartlesville did not qualify for the playoff, won by Coffeyville, who swept Hutchinson in four games. To begin the season, the Bartlesville Bearcats joined the
Fort Smith Twins,
Hutchinson Wheat Shockers,
Joplin Miners,
Muskogee Athletics,
Okmulgee Drillers,
Springfield Midgets and
Topeka Senators in the league. The Bartlesville Bearcats began the season playing in the new league before the team relocated during the season. On June 8, 1924, the Bartlesville Bearcats, with a record of 19–23, moved to
Ardmore, Oklahoma, where they team became the
Ardmore Bearcats. The Joplin/Bartlesville team ended the season with an overall record of 69–87. Tom Toland managed the team, which finished in sixth place, 39.5 games behind the first place
Okmulgee Drillers. ==The ballpark==