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 Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. The league began play in 1901 and disbanded after the 1961 season. It was popularly known as the Three–I League and sometimes as the Three–Eye League. The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League played from 1901 to 1961 with some interruptions due to world events: the league did not play in 1918 due to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and it had a break in 1933 and 1934 because of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. After resuming play in 1935, it closed down in 1936, but reformed and had a six-year run from 1937 through 1942, before a break due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The league resumed play in 1946, lasting through 1961, where it was largely supplanted by the

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

. A Class B level league from 1902 throughout its lifespan, no other league survived for as long at that level.

History

The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was founded in 1901 with

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 ...

native Michael H. Sexton serving as the first president. Eight charter members began play in 1901. The

Bloomington Blues Bloomington may refer to: Places U.S.A. (most commonly) * Bloomington, Illinois *Bloomington, Indiana * Bloomington, Minnesota U.S.A. (less commonly) * Bloomington, California * Bloomington, Idaho * Bloomington, Kansas * Bloomington, Maryland * ...

Cedar Rapids Rabbitts Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae * Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona ...

Davenport River Rats Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality * Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta ** District Council of Davenport, former local gover ...

Decatur Commodores The Decatur Commodores were a professional minor league baseball team based in Decatur, Illinois that played for 64 seasons. The Commodores are the primary ancestor of today's Kane County Cougars. They played, with sporadic interruptions, from ...

Evansville River Rats The Evansville River Rats were a professional minor league baseball team based in Evansville, Indiana. They played from 1901 to 1902 in the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (the "Three-I" League) and from 1903 to 1910 and 1914 to 1915 in the Cen ...

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 ...

Rockford Red Sox Rockford or Rockfords may refer to: Places United States * Rockford, Illinois, a city, the largest municipality of this name *Rockford, Alabama, a town * Rockford, Idaho, a census-designated place * Rockford metropolitan area, Illinois, a United S ...

and

Terre Haute Hottentots The Terre Haute Hottentots were a Minor League Baseball team from Terre Haute, Indiana, that played in the Northwestern League in 1891, Illinois–Iowa League in 1892, Western Interstate League in 1895, Western League in 1895, Class C Central ...

were the charter teams.

Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city and the county seat of McLean County, Illinois, United States. It is adjacent to the town of Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area. Bloomington ...

Decatur, Illinois Decatur ( ) is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois, with a population of 70,522 as of the 2020 Census. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Ce ...

and

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

had left the

Central League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consist ...

to join expansion teams in

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 ...

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...

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). ...

, and Rock Island, Illinois and form the Class D level league. Two expansion teams, Davenport and Evansville, chose "River Rats" as their team name. For the second season, 1902, the league became Class B level league, a classification it retained for the next 59 seasons of league operation. The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was inactive during some years of World War I (1918), the

(1933–1934, 1936) and World War II (1943–1945), similar to many minor leagues that were forced to suspend operations or disband during those severe times. As with many minor leagues, especially at the lower classifications, league membership fluctuated a great deal over its six decades. Overall, the league hosted teams in 31 cities during its existence. At various times it had teams in such medium-sized cities as Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Bloomington, Decatur, Danville, Peoria, Springfield,

Evansville Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...

and

Terre Haute Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

. It was a Class B league in the old classification system that ran from Class D up to Class Triple-A. The 1955 Keokuk Kernels are ranked #30 in the Top–100 All–Time minor league teams by MiLB.com. The Kernels finished with a 92–34 record and were led by

Russ Nixon Russell Eugene Nixon (February 19, 1935 – November 8, 2016) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1969. A veteran of 55 years in professional basebal ...

and

Mudcat Grant James Timothy "Mudcat" Grant Jr. (August 13, 1935 – June 11, 2021) was an American baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos ...

. Since 1956 its territory had largely been supplanted by the

, which began play in 1947 as the Class D level Illinois State League. After 1956 there were no Illinois or Indiana teams in the league. The final 1961 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League franchises were the

Fox Cities Foxes Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

Burlington Bees The Burlington Bees are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Burlington, Iowa, and have played their home games at Community Field since 1947. Founded in 1889, the Bees played in Minor League Baseball' ...

, Topeka Reds,

Lincoln Chiefs Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

, Cedar Rapids Braves and Des Moines Demons. In 1962, Appleton (Fox Cities), Burlington, and Cedar Rapids joined the Midwest League and the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League folded operations when those franchises switched leagues. The league's unique name made it a convenient reference point for any mention of the minor leagues.

Casey Stengel Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, the expansion New York ...

made the following comment in later life, evidently still feeling stung from having been traded by the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

to the Boston Braves in the 1923–1924 off-season, despite having hit 2 game-winning home runs in the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

: "It's lucky I didn't hit 3 home runs in three games, or McGraw would have traded me to the 3-I League!"

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League teams (1901–1961)

Year-by-year (1901–1932)

1901 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
Terre Haute won the title behind the impressive pitching of

Mordecai Brown Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown (October 19, 1876 – February 14, 1948), nicknamed Three Finger Brown or Miner, was an American Major League Baseball pitcher and manager during the first two decades of the 20th century (known as the " dead-ball e ...

, future Chicago Cubs mound star. 1902 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1903 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
Evansville and Terre Haute joined the

. New teams 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

Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( ) is a city in Will County, Illinois, Will and Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the cit ...

formed. Joliet, with a record of 14–19, moved to

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest o ...

on June 12, where they had a record of 28–61. 1904 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1905 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The Rockford team folded, and a new team in

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria ...

formed. After the season ended, Cedar Rapids lost to the

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 ...

team from the Iowa State League 4 games to 3. 1906 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1907 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The Davenport team folded. The team from

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 ...

joined after leaving the Iowa State League. 1908 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1909 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The Clinton team folded. A new team in

formed. 1910 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
After the previous disappointing season, Cedar Rapids folded. The Decatur team moved to the Northern Association. The team from

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 ...

left the

Central Association 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 year ...

to join here. A new team from

Danville, Illinois Danville is a city in and the county seat of Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 33,027. As of 2019, the population was an estimated 30,479. History The area that is now Danville was once home to the Miami, K ...

formed and joined the league as well. 1911 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The team from Bloomington folded. The

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. ...

team from the

joined the league. The Springfield team, with a 12–4 record, moved to

on May 31, where their record was 57–56. 1912 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The teams from Rock Island and Waterloo folded. New teams from

and

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Indiana, Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside ...

joined the league. 1913 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1914 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The Danville team, with a record of 26–53, moved to

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 ...

on July 14, where their record was 20–33. 1915 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The Springfield team folded. A new team in

formed. Dubuque moved to

Freeport, Illinois Freeport is the county seat and largest city of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is known for hosting the second Linc ...

during the season. The Decatur team folded on August 10. The league adopted a playoff system in which the team with the best record in the first half of the season would play the team with the best record in the second half of the season. Moline beat Davenport 4 games to 2 for the title. 1916 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The Freeport team folded. New teams in

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 ...

and

formed and joined the league. The playoff system was apparently dropped. 1917 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The Davenport team folded. A new team in

Alton, Illinois Alton ( ) is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 25,676 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the River Bend area in the Metro-East region of the ...

formed and joined the league. 1918, The league suspended operations because of World War I. 1919 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The teams in Alton, Hannibal, Quincy, and Rock Island folded. New teams in

and

formed and joined the league. 1920 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
New teams in

and

formed and joined the league. Evansville changed their names to the "Evas". 1921 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1922 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The teams in Cedar Rapids and Rock Island moved to the

Mississippi Valley League The Mississippi Valley League (MVL) was a baseball Class D level minor league that operated from 1922 through 1933. Playing its last year as a Class B level league, the league franchises were based in Iowa and Illinois. Like many leagues at the ...

. New teams in Danville and Decatur formed and joined the league. 1923 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1924 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The Rockford team folded. The Moline team moved to the

. 1925 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
New teams in Quincy and Springfield formed and joined the league. 1926 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Springfield played Bay City of the

Michigan State League The Michigan State League was a minor league baseball league that operated in various seasons between 1889 and 1941. The league franchises were based exclusively in Michigan, with the league forming on six different occasions. Twenty two different ...

and won 4 games to none. They were leading against Des Moines of the Western League 3 games to 1 when the series was canceled due to cold weather. 1927 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1928 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The league returned to the playoff format in which the team with the best record in the first half of the season played the team with the best records in the second half of the season for the title. Decatur beat Terre Haute for the title 4 games to 1, with 1 tie. 1929 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
Two teams with the nickname "Tractors" played in the league this season. Quincy played Canton of the

after the season ended and lost 4 games to 2. 1930 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The league returned to the best record in the 1st half vs. best record in the 2nd half playoff system. Danville defeated Evansville 4 games to 2 for the title. Danville went on to play Springfield of the

and lead 3 games to 2 when the series was cancelled because of poor attendance. 1931 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Quincy beat Springfield 4 games to 2 for the championship. 1932 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
The teams in Bloomington and Evansville folded before the season, and the Springfield and Decatur teams folded on July 12. The Terre Haute, Peoria, Quincy, and Danville teams all folded on July 15, as did the league itself. The league was restarted in 1935, 1937–1942, and 1946–1961.

Year–by–year 1935 to 1949

1935 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Playoff: Springfield 4 games, Bloomington 2. Bloomington was declared the winner when Springfield refused to replay protested final game that was upheld by the league president. 1937 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa Leagueschedule
Bloomington and Terre Haute disbanded July 3, at the end of the first half.
Playoff: Moline 4 games, Clinton 2. 1938 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa Leagueschedule
Playoffs: Decatur 3 games, Springfield 2; Mobile 3 games, Evansville 1.
Finals: Decatur 4 games, Moline 1. 1939 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa Leagueschedule
Playoffs: Springfield 3 games, Evansville 1; Decatur 3 games, Cedar Rapids 1.
Finals: Springfield 3 games, Decatur 2. 1940 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Playoffs: Cedar Rapids 3 games, Springfield 0; Decatur 3 games, Evansville 2.
Finals: Cedar Rapids 3 games, Decatur 1. 1941 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Playoffs: Decatur 3 games, Evansville 2; Cedar Rapids 3 games, Springfield 1.
Finals: Cedar Rapids 3 games, Decatur 2. 1942 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Playoffs: Cedar Rapids 3 games, Evansville 2; Madison 3 games, Springfield 1.
Finals: Cedar Rapids 3 games, Madison 0. The league did not play in 1943, 1944 and 1945 due to World War II 1946 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Playoffs: Davenport defeated Danville in a one game playoff for first place; Evansville 3 games, Davenport 1. Terre Haute 3 games, Danville 1.
Finals: Evansville 3 games, Terre Haute 0. 1947 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Playoffs: Springfield defeated Waterloo in a playoff for third place; Danville 3 games, Springfield 2; Waterloo 3 games, Terre Haute 0.
Finals: Waterloo 4 games, Danville 1. 1948 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa Leagueschedule
Playoffs: Terre Haute 3 games, Danville 2. Evansville 3 games, Quincy 2.
Finals: Evansville 4 games, Terre Haute 0. 1949 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa Leagueschedule
Playoffs: Evansville 3 games, Terre Haute 2; Davenport 3 games, Waterloo 2.
Finals: Davenport 3 games, Evansville 0.

Year-by-year 1950 to 1961

1950 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
1950 Three-I League schedule
Playoffs: Terre Haute 3 games, Quincy 0; Danville 3 games, Waterloo 0.
Finals: Terre Haute 3 games, Danville 1. 1951 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Playoffs: Quincy 3 games, Terre Haute 1; Cedar Rapids 3 games, Evansville 2.
Finals: Quincy 3 games, Cedar Rapids 2. 1952 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Playoffs: Evansville 3 games, Burlington 2; Terre Haute 3 games, Waterloo 0.
Finals: Terre Haute 3 games, Evansville 1. 1953 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Playoffs: Evansville 3 games, Terre Haute 2; Quincy 3 games, Waterloo 1.
Finals: Quincy 3 games, Evansville 0. 1954 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Playoffs: Peoria 3 games, Evansville 1; Quincy 3 games, Keokuk 1.
Finals: Quincy 3 games, Peoria 0. 1955 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Playoffs: Keokuk 3 games, Peoria 0; Burlington 3 games, Waterloo 1.
Finals: Keokuk 3 games, Burlington 1. 1956 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Terre Haute disbanded July 3.
Playoffs: None Scheduled 1957 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa Leagueschedule
Playoffs: None Scheduled 1958 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Rochester (20—37) moved to Winona June 29.
Playoff: Cedar Rapids 3 games, Davenport 2. 1959 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Playoff: Green Bay 3 games, Des Moines 1. 1960 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Playoff: None Scheduled 1961 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
schedule
Playoff: None Scheduled

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

Luis Aparicio Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel (born April 29, 1934), nicknamed "Little Louie", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League (AL) teams, m ...

, 1954

Waterloo White Hawks Based in Waterloo, Iowa, the Waterloo White Hawks were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1946 to 1956. They played in the Three-I League and were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. They played their home games at Riverfront Stadium ...

* Lou Boudreau, 1938 Cedar Rapids Raiders *

, 1901

; 1919–1920 Terre Haute Browns *

Jim Bunning James Paul David Bunning (October 23, 1931 – May 26, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher and politician who represented Kentucky in both chambers of the United States Congress. He was the sole Major League Baseball athlete to ha ...

, 1951

Davenport Tigers Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality * Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta ** District Council of Davenport, former local gover ...

Red Faber Urban Clarence "Red" Faber (September 6, 1888 – September 25, 1976) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from through , playing his entire career for the Chicago White Sox. He was a member of the 1919 team but was no ...

, 1909–1910 Dubuque Dubs *

Warren Giles Warren Crandall Giles (May 28, 1896 – February 7, 1979) was an American professional baseball executive. Giles spent 33 years in high-level posts in Major League Baseball as club president and general manager of the Cincinnati Reds (1937–1951 ...

, 1920–1921

Moline Plowboys The Moline Plowboys was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Moline, Illinois, one of the Quad Cities. Moline teams played as members the 1892 Illinois-Iowa League, 1894 Western Association, the Mississippi Valley League ( ...

Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...

, 1931

Evansville Hubs Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the state's List of cities in Indiana, ...

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 ...

, 1935

Bloomington Bloomers The Bloomington Bloomers were a minor League baseball franchise based in Bloomington, Illinois that played between 1889 and 1939. They were affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals (1935), Cleveland Indians (1938) and Chicago Cubs (1939). They play ...

Whitey Herzog Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog (; born November 9, 1931) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and manager, most notable for his Major League Baseball (MLB) managerial career. He made his MLB debut as a player in 1956 wit ...

, 1952

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 ...

* Carl Hubbell, 1927

Chuck Klein Charles Herbert Klein (October 7, 1904 – March 28, 1958), nicknamed the "Hoosier Hammer", was an American professional baseball outfielder. Klein played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (–, –, –), Chicago Cubs ...

, 1927

Tony Lazzeri Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leag ...

, 1923

Peoria Tractors Peoria can refer to: People * Peoria tribe, Native American tribe Places United States * Peoria, Arizona, largest city in the U.S. with that name; named after Peoria, Illinois. ** Peoria Unified School District ** Peoria Sports Complex ** Peor ...

Joe McGinnity Joseph Jerome McGinnity (March 20, 1871 – November 14, 1929) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the late 19th and early 20th century. McGinnity played in MLB for ten years, pitching for the National League's ...

, 1922 Danville Veterans *

Red Ruffing Charles Herbert "Red" Ruffing (May 3, 1905 – February 17, 1986) was an American professional baseball player. A pitcher, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1924 through 1947. He played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, ...

, 1923 Danville Veterans *

Warren Spahn Warren Edward Spahn (April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Spahn played in 1942 and then from 1946 until 1965, most notabl ...

, 1941

Evansville Bees Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the state's List of cities in Indiana, ...

Earl Weaver Earl Sidney Weaver (August 14, 1930 – January 19, 2013) was an American professional baseball manager, author, and television broadcaster. After playing in minor league baseball, he retired without playing in Major League Baseball (MLB). He be ...

, 1960–1961

* Billy Williams, 1958

*also:

Milo Hamilton Leland Milo Hamilton (September 2, 1927 – September 17, 2015) was an American sportscaster, best known for calling play-by-play for seven different Major League Baseball teams from 1953 to 2015. He received the Ford C. Frick Award from t ...

, 1950–1951

Announcer,

Ford C. Frick Award The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball". It is named for Ford C. Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Before h ...

Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher Kubek (born October 12, 1935) is an American former professional baseball player and television broadcaster. During his nine-year playing career with the New York Yankees, Kubek played in six World Series in the late 1950s an ...

, 1955

Bob Uecker Robert George Uecker ( ; born January 26, 1934) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and current sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Facetiously dubbed "Mr. Baseball" by TV talk show host Johnny Carson, Uecker has served as a ...

, 1957, Evansville Braves,

Three-I Most Valuable Players

*1961

Tommy Harper Tommy Harper (born October 14, 1940) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder and third baseman. He played with the Cincinnati Reds (1962–67), Cleveland Indians (1968), Seattle Pilots / Milwaukee Brewers (1969–71), Boston Red S ...

, Topeka Reds *1960 Pete Ward,

*1959

Cal Emery Calvin Wayne Emery (June 28, 1937 – November 28, 2010), was a professional baseball first baseman and batting coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies. He also spent the season with Hankyu Braves of the N ...

Des Moines Demons *1958 Frank Howard, Green Bay Bluejays *1957 Don Nichols,

Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Peori ...

*1956

Don Nottebart Donald Edward Nottebart (January 23, 1936 – October 4, 2007) was an American professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher appeared in 296 games in Major League Baseball for five teams over nine seasons (1960–1967; 1969). Notteb ...

, Evansville Braves *1955

Johnny Romano John Anthony Romano Jr. (August 23, 1934 – February 24, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Chicago White Sox (1958–1959, 1965–1966), Cleveland Indians (1960–1964 ...

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