The Central Association was an American minor league baseball league. It began operations in 1908, as it was essentially renamed from the 1907 Iowa State League. The Central Association ran continuously through 1917. It was reorganized thirty years later, operating as a Class-C league from 1947-1949, with major league affiliates for most teams.

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

members

Grover Cleveland Alexander Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 – November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1911 through 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. He ...

(Galesburg),

Jake Beckley Jacob Peter Beckley (August 4, 1867 – June 25, 1918), nicknamed "Eagle Eye", was an American professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Pittsburgh Burghers, Pittsburgh Pirates, New Y ...

(Hannibal),

Burleigh Grimes Burleigh Arland Grimes (August 18, 1893 – December 6, 1985) was an American professional baseball player and manager, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. Grimes made the most of this advantage, as well as his unshav ...

(Ottumwa) and

Sam Rice Edgar Charles "Sam" Rice (February 20, 1890 – October 13, 1974) was an American pitcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball. Although Rice made his debut as a relief pitcher, he is best known as an outfielder. Playing for the Washington Se ...

(Galesburg and Muscatine) are league alumni.

1908–1917 league

In 1908, The Central Association formed with charter members:

Burlington Pathfinders Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, now ...

(

Burlington, Iowa Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area, which includes ...

), Jacksonville Lunatics (

Jacksonville, Illinois Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,446 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County. It is home to Illinois College, Illinois School for the Deaf, and the ...

), Keokuk Indians (

Keokuk, Iowa Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States, along with Fort Madison. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk, who is ...

Oskaloosa Quakers The Oskaloosa Quakers were a minor league baseball team based in Oskaloosa, Iowa from 1904 to 1908. Oskaloosa played as members of the Class D level Iowa State League from 1904 to 1907 and the 1908 Central Association. The Quakers were the only ...

(

Oskaloosa, Iowa Oskaloosa is a city in, and the county seat of, Mahaska County, Iowa, United States. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Oskaloosa was a national center of bituminous coal mining. The population was 11,558 in the 2020 U.S. Cens ...

Ottumwa Packers The Ottumwa Packers was the primary name of the minor league baseball teams that played between 1890 and 1928, based in Ottumwa, Iowa. Ottumwa teams played as members of the Illinois-Iowa League (1890–1891), Eastern Iowa League (1895), Weste ...

(

Ottumwa, Iowa Ottumwa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,529 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. Located in the state's southeastern section, the city is split into northern and southern halves b ...

Quincy Gems The Quincy Gems are a collegiate summer league baseball team located in Quincy, Illinois. The Gems were originally a part of the Central Illinois Collegiate League and joined the Prospect League with several other CICL teams prior to the 2009 ...

(

Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...

) and the Waterloo Lulus (

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...

) all had been members of the 1907 Iowa State League. A new team in

Kewanee, Illinois Kewanee () is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. "Kewanee" is the Winnebago word for greater prairie chicken, which lived there. The population was 12,509 at the 2020 census, down from 12,944 in 2000. Geography According to the ...

, the Kewanee Boilermakers, joined as well. In 1909, the

franchise folded and the Hannibal Cannibals (

Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,312, making it the largest city in Marion County. The bulk of the city is in Mar ...

) moved from the Illinois–Missouri League. In 1910, Jacksonville moved to the Northern Association and Waterloo moved to the

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The league began pla ...

. The

Galesburg Pavers Galesburg is the name of some places in the United States of America: *Galesburg, Illinois, the largest city in the US named Galesburg *Galesburg, Iowa *Galesburg, Kansas *Galesburg, Michigan *Galesburg, Jasper County, Missouri *Galesburg, Putnam Co ...

(

Galesburg, Illinois Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria. At the 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal city of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical ...

) and

Monmouth Browns Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...

(

Monmouth, Illinois Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,902 at the 2020 census, down from 9,444 in 2010. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warf ...

) joined after having left the Illinois–Missouri League. For the 1911 season, Quincy moved to the

and the Muscatine Camels (

Muscatine, Iowa Muscatine ( ) is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,797 at the time of the 2020 census, an increase from 22,697 in 2000. The county seat of Muscatine County, it is located along the Mississippi River. The lo ...

) formed and joined the league. For 1913, Galesburg and Hannibal folded, with the Cedar Rapids Rabbits (

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River, north of Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City and north ...

), and Waterloo Jays (

) forming to join the league. In 1914, Kewanee and Monmouth folded while the

Clinton Pilots Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a give ...

(

Clinton, Iowa Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,469 as of 2020. Clinton, along with DeWitt (also located in Clinton County), was named in honor of the sixth governor of New York, DeWitt Cl ...

) and

Marshalltown Ansons The Marshalltown Ansons were a minor league baseball team that played in the Central Association from 1914 to 1917 and in the Mississippi Valley League from 1922 to 1928. They were located in Marshalltown, Iowa. History The team was named for H ...

(

Marshalltown, Iowa Marshalltown is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Iowa, United States, located along the Iowa River. It is the seat and most populous settlement of Marshall County and the 16th largest city in Iowa, with a population of 27,591 at ...

) formed and joined the league. Ottumwa moved to

Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island. The popul ...

, as the

Rock Island Islanders The Rock Island Islanders was the primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Rock Island, Illinois, one of the Quad Cities, between 1892 and 1937. Rock Island teams played as members of the Illinois–Iowa League (1892), Western Ass ...

and then again to Galesburg, as the

. In 1915, Galesburg folded and the Mason City Claydiggers (

Mason City, Iowa Mason City is a city and the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 27,338 in the 2020 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Go ...

) formed and joined the league. The Clinton team folded during the season. The league also threw out several wins by Keokuk (1), Marshalltown (5), Waterloo (1), and Clinton (40) after the fact. Keokuk folded in 1916, while the

rejoined and the Fort Dodge Dodgers (

Fort Dodge, Iowa Fort Dodge is a city in, and the county seat of, Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in 2000. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Ce ...

) formed and joined the league. Burlington moved to become the

on July 20, and Muscatine also forfeited 34 wins in 1916. In the final season, 1917, Muscatine and Ottumwa folded. The Dubuque Dubs in

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Il ...

and the La Crosse Infants (

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census w ...

) formed and joined the league. Dubuque moved to

Charles City, Iowa Charles City is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Iowa. Charles City is a significant commercial and transportation center for the area. U.S. Routes 18 and 218, Iowa Highway 14, and the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railr ...

on July 4 to become the Charles City Tractorites. Cedar Rapids moved to

Clear Lake, Iowa Clear Lake is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,687 at the 2020 census. The city is named for the large lake on which it is located. It is the home of a number of marinas, state parks and tourism-related ...

on July 27, finishing the season as the Clear Lake Rabbits. Clinton and La Crosse both folded before the end of the season on July 17. After the season, the league, and all teams in it, folded.

1947–1949 league

In 1947, a new league of the same name was created with major league affiliations. The Clinton Cubs (

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

) in

; Hannibal Pilots (

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...

;

Rockford Rox The Rockford Rox was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Rockford, Illinois, between 1871 and 1949. In an era of early baseball, Rockford hosted teams in numerous leagues beginning in 1871. From 1916 to 1923, the Rox p ...

(

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...

; Keokuk Pirates (

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

; Burlington Indians (

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

, and the Moline A's, (

Philadelphia A's The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oakl ...

)

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline, Illinois, East M ...

were the charter members of the reformed league. In 1948, the Moline A's moved to

to become the Kewanee A's in mid-season. In 1949, the Hannibal Pilots folded and the Cedar Rapids Rockets of

formed to join the league. Kewanee captured the 1949 championship. After the 1949 season, Cedar Rapids joined the

, and the rest of the teams, and the league itself, folded.

Cities represented

* Burlington, IA:

1908–1916; Burlington Indians 1947–1949 *

Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. ...

: Cedar Rapids Rabbits 1913–1917; Cedar Rapids Rockets 1949 * Charles City, IA: Charles City Tractorites 1917 * Clear Lake, IA: Clear Lake Rabbits 1917 * Clinton, IA:

1914–1917; Clinton Cubs 1947–1948; Clinton Steers 1949 *

Dubuque, IA Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Il ...

: Dubuque Dubs 1917 * Fort Dodge, IA: Fort Dodge Dodgers 1916–1917 *

Galesburg, IL Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria. At the 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal city of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical ...

1910–1912; Galesburg Pavers 1914 *

Hannibal, MO Hannibal is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,312, making it the largest city in Marion County. The bulk of the city is in Mario ...

: Hannibal Cannibals 1909–1912; Hannibal Pilots 1947–1948 *

Jacksonville, IL Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,446 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County. It is home to Illinois College, Illinois School for the Deaf, and the Illinois School for t ...

: Jacksonville Lunatics 1908;

Jacksonville Braves The Jacksonville Braves were a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. The Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves Major League Baseball team, they played in the South Atlantic League (the "Sally League") from 1953 to ...

1909 *

Keokuk, IA Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States, along with Fort Madison. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk, who is ...

: Keokuk Indians 1908–1915; Keokuk Pirates 1947–1949 * Kewanee, IL: Kewanee Boilermakers 1908–1913; Kewanee A's 1948–1949 * LaCrosse, WI: La Crosse Infants 1917 * Marshalltown, IA:

1914–1917 * Mason City, IA: Mason City Claydiggers 1915–1917 *

Moline, IL Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island ...

: Moline A's 1947–1948 * Monmouth, IL:

1910–1913 *

Muscatine, IA Muscatine ( ) is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,797 at the time of the 2020 census, an increase from 22,697 in 2000. The county seat of Muscatine County, it is located along the Mississippi River. The loc ...

: Muscatine Camels 1911; Muscatine Wallopers 1912–1913; Muscatine Buttonmakers 1914;

Muscatine Muskies Muscatine may refer to: People * Charles Muscatine, scholar of medieval literature * Lissa Muscatine Places * Muscatine County, Iowa * Muscatine, Iowa (County Seat) * Muscatine, Iowa micropolitan area Other * Louisa–Muscatine Community School ...

1915–1916 * Oskaloosa, IA:

1908 *

Ottumwa, IA Ottumwa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,529 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. Located in the state's southeastern section, the city is split into northern and southern halves ...

1908–1910;

Ottumwa Speedboys Ottumwa may refer to: * Ottumwa, Iowa * Ottumwa, Kansas * Ottumwa, South Dakota * Ottumwa (YTB-761), ''Ottumwa'' (YTB-761), a United States Navy large harbor tug named for Ottumwa, Iowa * Ottumwa (crater), an impact crater on Mars named after Ottu ...

1911–1912; Ottumwa Packers 1913–1914; Ottumwa Packers 1916 *

Rockford, IL Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...

1947–1949 *

Quincy, IL Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...

1908; Quincy Vets 1909–1910 * Rock Island, IL:

1914 *

Waterloo, IA Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the W ...

: Waterloo Lulus 1908–1909; Waterloo Jays 1913–1915; Waterloo Shamrocks 1916; Waterloo Loons 1917

Standings & statistics

1908 to 1917

1908 Central Association 1909 Central Association 1910 Central Associationschedule
1911 Central Associationschedule
1912 Central Association 1913 Central Association 1914 Central Association Ottumwa moved to Rock Island July 17. However, the National Association would not let the Central Association invade the territory of the Three-I League, so Rock Island moved to Galesburg July 24. 1915 Central Association Clinton disbanded in mid-season.
Wins taken away: Clinton 40, Keokuk 18, Marshalltown 5, Waterloo 1. 1916 Central Association Burlington moved to Ottumwa July 20.
Muscatine forfeited 34 wins. 1917 Central Association Dubuque moved to Charles City July 4; Clinton & La Crosse disbanded July 17; Cedar Rapids moved to Clear Lake July 27.
The season was shortened to August 7 with National Association permission.

1947 to 1949

1947 Central Association
schedule
Playoffs: Clinton 3 games, Rockford 2; Hannibal 3 games, Keokuk 1.
Finals: Clinton 4 games, Hannibal 1. 1948 Central Association
schedule
Moline (17–25) moved to Kewanee June 18.
Playoffs: Clinton 4 games, Burlington 2; Keokuk 4 games, Hannibal 1.
Finals: Clinton 4 games, Keokuk 0. 1949 Central Association
schedule
Playoffs: Cedar Rapids 3 games, Burlington 0; Kewanee 3 games, Keokuk 0.
Finals: Kewanee 4 games, Cedar Rapids 2. Cedar Rapids beat Burlington 3 games to none, and Kewanee beat Keokuk 3 games to none, in the first round of the playoffs. Kewanee defeated Cedar Rapids 4 games to 2 for the title.

References

*Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. ''Minor League Baseball Standings:All North American Leagues, Through 1999.'' Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland. {{Professional Baseball 1908 establishments in the United States Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Illinois Baseball leagues in Missouri Baseball leagues in Iowa Sports leagues established in 1908 Sports leagues disestablished in 1917 Sports leagues established in 1947 Sports leagues disestablished in 1949