Mississippi–Ohio Valley League
FormerlyIllinois State League
ClassificationClass D (1949–1955)
SportMinor League Baseball
Inaugural season1949
Ceased1955
Replaced byMidwest League
PresidentDutch Hoffman (1949–1955)
No. of teams23
CountryUnited States of America
Most titles2
Danville Dans (1951, 1954)
Decatur Commodores (1952–1953)
Related
competitions
Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League

The Mississippi–Ohio Valley League was a Class D level American minor league baseball league. Evolving from the renamed Illinois State League (1947-1948), the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League operated for seven seasons, from 1949 through 1955.[1] In 1956 the league was renamed the Midwest League, which still exists today.[2]

History

In 1947, the Illinois State League was formed. Charter franchises were in the Illinois cities of Belleville, Centralia, Marion, Mattoon, Mount Vernon and West Frankfort.[3] After the 1948 season, the Marion Indians moved out of Illinois to Kentucky. This necessitated a name change for the league.

The league changed names in 1949 to the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League. The league incorporated the new Paducah Chiefs and the five former Illinois State League teams, the Belleville Stags, Centralia Cubs, Mattoon Indians, Mount Vernon Kings, and West Frankfort Cardinals as 1949 charter members.[3][4]

In 1950, a Springfield, Illinois franchise left the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League, the join the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League. The Mississippi–Ohio Valley League added expansion teams in the Paris Lakers and Vincennes Velvets. The Belleville franchise folded.[5] There was more movement in 1951, as the Springfield Giants and West Frankfort Cardinals both folded and the Paducah Chiefs left to join the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League. The league played 1951 with six teams, as Danville Dans joined from the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League.[6][3]

In 1952, the league again expanded to eight teams, adding the Commodores in Decatur, Illinois and Cardinals in Hannibal, Missouri, while Vincennes relocated to Canton, Ohio.[7][3] In 1953, the Canton and Centralia franchises both folded and the league returned to six teams.[8][3] There was expansion again in 1954, as two Iowa teams, the Clinton Pirates and Dubuque Packers returned the league to eight members.[3][9]

In the final season of the league, the Danville Dans moved to Kokomo, Indiana and became the Kokomo Giants and Mount Vernon moved to Lafayette, Indiana as the Lafayette Red Sox. Following the 1955 season, Hannibal moved to become the Michigan City White Caps, joining Kokomo, Lafayette, Clinton, Dubuque, Decatur, Mattoon and Paris in the renamed Midwest League.[10][11] The Midwest League still exists today, with 16 teams.[12]

Cities represented

[13]

Standings & statistics

1949 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League

Team nameWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Centralia Cubs7444.62735,000Lou Bekeza
West Frankfort Cardinals7149.5924.024,140Robert Stanton
Mattoon Indians6256.52512.038,325Chuck Hawley
Paducah Chiefs5465.45420.554,859Caroll Peterson / Eddie Kearse
Mt. Vernon Kings5367.44222.036,240Robert Shreve / Bill Trotter
Belleville Stags4376.36131.513,500Les Mueller / Joe Yurkovich /
Addie Nesbit / Bunny Mick

Playoffs: Mattoon 3 games, Centralia 0; Paducah 3 games, West Frankfort 0;
Finals: Paducah 4 games, Mattoon 3.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Bunny MickBellevilleBA.354Joseph PruchaCentraliaW19
Ev JoynerWest FrankfortHits170Joseph MattisMattoonSO166
Richard MartzPaducahRBI100Dick LoeserWest FrankfortERA2.22
Arthur OliverPaducahHR17Dick LoeserWest FrankfortPCT.857 12–2
Ev JoynerWest FrankfortRuns104

1950 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League - schedule

Team nameWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Centralia Sterlings8340.67535,767Lou Bekeza
West Frankfort7247.6059.020,910Robert Stanton
Mattoon Indians7147.6029.527,982Chuck Hawley
Paducah Chiefs6755.54915.547,297Walter DeFreitas
Springfield Giants6059.50421.021,126Ham Schulte / Von Price
Paris Lakers4375.36437.524,089Earl Skaggs /
Von Price /John Morris
Vincennes Citizens4376.36138.018,977Melvin Ivy / Andy E. Smith
Mt. Vernon Kings3777.32541.528,431Benny Meyer / Robert Schlemmer

Playoffs: Centralia 3 games, Mattoon 1; Paducah 3 games, West Frankfort 0;
Finals: Cancelled; Bad Weather & Military Call–up.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
James BelzWest FrankfortBA.349Gene PisarskiCentraliaW22
James BelzWest FrankfortHits154William EcklundCentraliaSO174
Lou BekezaCentraliaRBI120Gene PisarskiCentraliaERA2.06
Kenneth DickensVincennesHR21Gene PisarskiCentraliaPCT.880 22–3
James BelzWest FrankfortRuns133

1951 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League

Team nameWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Paris Lakers8436.70051,331Tom Sunkel
Centralia Zeroes6951.57515.038,554Lou Bekeza
Mt. Vernon Kings6059.50423.539,665Chuck Hawley / Charles Popovich
Danville Dans5167.43232.024,775Frank Piet / Everett Hall
Mattoon Indians4969.41534.028,442Melvin Ivy
Vincennes Velvets4374.36839.525,652Stormy Kromer / Robert Signaigo

Playoffs: Mt. Vernon 2 games, Centralia 0. Danville 2 games, Paris 1.
Finals: Danville 2 games, Mt. Vernon 0.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Clint McCordParisBA.363Lee TunnisonCentraliaW20
Clint McCordParisHits173Lee TunnisonCentraliaSO170
James GivenMt. VernonRBI119Lee TunnisonCentraliaERA3.12
Clint McCordParisHR16Fred WilliamsParisPCT.789 15–4
Clint McCordParisRuns132
Lou BekezaCentraliaHR16

1952 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League - schedule

Team nameWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Danville Dans8740.68575,898Virl Minnis
Paris Lakers8542.6692.036,606Tom Sunkel
Decatur Commodores7352.58413.094,300Julian Acosta
Hannibal Stags7057.55117.036,616Walter DeFreitas
Mt. Vernon Kings5567.45129.534,752James Granneman /
Stanley Sadich / Frank Brookman
Vincennes Velvets /
Canton Citizens
5470.43531.525,654Chuck Hawley / Robert Sisk
Centralia Zeroes4183.33144.528,755Charles Starasta / John Streza
Mattoon Indians3589.28250.549,316Walter Dunkovich /
Charles Popovich / Robert Carson

Vincennes moved to Canton June 7.
Playoffs: Hannibal 3 games, Danville 1. Decatur 3 games, Paris 2.
Finals: Decatur 3 games, Hannibal 1.

PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Player statistics
Clint McCordParisBA.392Ken GohnDanvilleW22
Clint McCordParisHits189Amacio FerroHannibalSO183
Jim ZappParisRBI136Ken GohnDanvilleERA1.58
Jim ZappParisHR20James AgnewDanvillePCT.889 16–2
Quincy SmithParisRuns124

1953 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League - schedule

Team nameWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Decatur Commodores6850.57696,337Ray Taylor
Paris Lakers6653.5552.535,000Tom Sunkel
Mattoon Phillies6456.5335.061,000James Deery
Hannibal Cardinals5562.47012.535,200Tince Leonard
Mt. Vernon Kings5564.46213.531,600Robert Schmidt
Danville Dans4871.40320.562,700Virl Minnis

Playoffs: Decatur 3 games, Hannibal 0. Paris 3 games, Mattoon 0.
Finals: Decatur 3 games, Paris 2.

PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Player statistics
Robert SchmidtMt. VernonBA.358Juan Garcia
Tince Leonard
Decatur
Hannibal
W18
James PartinDanvilleHits167Dennis HamiltonMattoonSO195
James FreemanDecaturRBI106William BrightMattoonERA2.51
Kenneth PayneParisHR16Michael RollsMt. VernonPCT.824 14–3
Gonzalo ChenardDecaturRuns105

1954 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League - schedule

Team nameWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Decatur Commodores7452.58738,776Johnny Lucadello
Danville Dans6659.5287.539,992Richard Klaus
Clinton Pirates6359.5169.074,768Robert Clark
Dubuque Packers6261.50410.565,993Jack Conway
Mattoon Phillies6264.49212.048,422Carl Bush / Don Osborn
Paris Lakers5868.46016.039,103Tom Sunkel
Hannibal Cardinals5868.46016.033,065J.C. Dunn
Mt. Vernon Kings5769.45217.027,584Lou Bekeza

Playoffs: Clinton 2 games, Decatur 0. Danville 2 games, Dubuque 1. .
Finals: Danville 3 games, Clinton 1.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Johnny LucadelloDecaturBA.362John BumgarnerDecaturW22
Leon WagnerDanvilleHits160David JiminezClintonSO249
Robert SchmidtParisRBI125John BumgarnerDecaturERA2.67
J.C. DunnHannibalHR26David JimenezClintonPCT.769 20–6
Leon WagnerDanvilleRuns108

1955 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League - schedule

Team nameWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Dubuque Packers7452.58794,925Ira Hutchinson
Mattoon Phillies6857.5445.551,277Burl Storie
Clinton Pirates6857.5445.557,683Robert Clark
Kokomo Giants6462.5081045,289Walt Dixon / Jack Milaskey
Lafayette Chiefs6363.5001161,287Mark Wylie
Decatur Commodores6264.4921254,260Al Unser
Paris Lakers6264.4921230,245Richard Rigazio
Hannibal Citizens4284.3333240,977James Granneman / Allan Shinn

Playoffs: Dubuque 2 games, Clinton 0. Mattoon 2 games, Kokomo 0. .
Finals: Dubuque 3 games, Mattoon 0.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Orlando CepedaKokomoBA.393Allen EvansKokomoW21
Jimmy LynnDubuqueHits180Benjamin RichClintonSO199
Jimmy LynnDubuqueRBI121Dave WegerekLafayetteERA2.59
Walt DixonKokomoHR24Glen RosenbaumDubuquePCT.833 15–3
Jimmy LynnDubuqueRuns121

Hannibal folded and all other teams from the league became charter members of the newly named, Class D level Midwest League and the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League folded.[13][12]

References

  1. "Mississippi-Ohio Valley League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  2. "Midwest League (A) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Midwest League History". Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  4. "1949 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  5. "1950 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  6. "1951 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  7. "1952 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  8. "1953 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  9. "1954 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  10. "Mississippi-Ohio Valley League 1955". Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  11. "1955 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Then and now: Midwest League". MiLB.com.
  13. 1 2 The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

Further reading

  • Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. Minor League Baseball Standings:All North American Leagues, Through 1999. Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0781-6.
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