Norfolk was a baseball town. It acquired the Fremont franchise in 1914 in the original Nebraska State League. It was a charter member of the second NSL in 1922-23, a member of the ill fated Tri-State League in 1924 and a founding member of the third Nebraska State League in 1928. When the league took over the Western League moniker in 1939, Norfolk was there. In 1940 and 1941 Norfolk was the only city in Nebraska hosting a minor league team. Lincoln dropped out after 1939 and Omaha lost their team in 1936 after their ball park on Vinton Street burned down.
Norfolk won both halves of the 1932 season. Although they were 13 ½ games in front at the end of the season, they lost the playoffs to Beatrice and Cotton Pippen four games to three.
1933 was a repeat of 1932. They won the first half of the season, but lost again to Beatrice in the playoffs.
In 1937 Norfolk secured a working agreement with the New York Yankees. The team changed their nickname from the Elks to the Yankees in 1940. With the infusion of future Yankees the Norfolk franchise was one of the premier teams in the league.
Norfolk won the playoffs in 1935 and 1938. They continued their streak in 1939 and 1940 as the league changed their name to the Western League. In 1941 they led the regular season rankings but lost to Pueblo in the playoffs. 1941 was the last year of minor league baseball in Norfolk.