The Keokuk Indians was a primary nickname of the various minor league baseball teams based in

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 ...

between 1875 and 1962. The 1875

Keokuk Westerns The Western baseball club of Keokuk, Iowa, or Keokuk Westerns in modern nomenclature, was a professional baseball team in the National Association in 1875, the last season of that first professional league. It is considered a major league team by ...

franchise were members of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, a league that directly evolved to become today's

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

. Keokuk teams also played as members of the Western League (1885), Iowa League of Professional Baseball Clubs (1904–1907),

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 ...

(1908–1915),

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 ...

(1929–1933), Western League (1935),

(1947–1949),

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 ...

(1952–1957) and

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 ...

(1958–1962) Keokuk was a minor league affiliate of the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

(1931–1932),

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 ...

(1947–1949),

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 ...

(1954–1957),

(1958–1961) and

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

(1962). The 1955 Keokuk Kernels were ranked 30th in

The National Baseball Association's top 100 minor league teams In 2001, during the centennial celebration of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, Minor League Baseball tasked baseball historians Bill Weiss and Marshall Wright to develop a list of the top 100 best minor ...

. Notable alumni include baseball pioneer

Bud Fowler Bud Fowler (March 16, 1858 – February 26, 1913), born "John W. Jackson", was an American baseball player, manager, and club organizer. He is the earliest known African-American player in organized professional baseball. He was elected to the ...

Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 ...

and

Tim McCarver James Timothy McCarver (born October 16, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to , most prominently as a member of the St. Louis Cardina ...

. The

Keokuk franchise of 1958 to 1962, has continuously played to evolve into today's

Fort Wayne TinCaps The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and play their home games at Parkview Field. They won their lone Midwest Le ...

History

Minor league baseball in Keokuk started in 1875. The 1875

played as members of the National Association, a league that directly evolved into today's

major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

. On May 4, 1875, the

hosted the Chicago White Stockings (present-day

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 ...

) and the teams played the first professional baseball game in Iowa. In 1885, the Keokuk Hawkeyes played one season as members of the Western League.

played for the Hawkeyes and became the first known African-American to play professional baseball, becoming a pioneer for baseball players. Early Keokuk Indians teams played as members of the Iowa State League (1904–1907),

(1908–1915),

(1929–1933) and the Western League (1935). The Indians were affiliated with the

(1931–1932). The Keokuk Indians won the 1931 Mississippi Valley League Championship after a 73–51 season. From 1947–1949, the Keokuk Pirates played in the

as an affiliate of the

, as the league reformed along with 1947 members Burlington Indians, Clinton Cubs, , Hannibal Pilots, Rockford Rox and the Moline A's. The Keokuk Pirates made the playoffs all three seasons of play in the Central Association, losing in the first round in 1947 and 1949. In 1948, Managed by

Phil Seghi Philip Dominic Seghi (March 9, 1909 – January 8, 1987) was an American front-office executive in Major League Baseball. A longtime associate of Gabe Paul, Seghi was credited with signing Pete Rose, the all-time leader in hits, when Seghi was fa ...

, Keokuk defeated the Hannibal Pilots 4–1 in the first round playoffs. They were then defeated by the Clinton Cubs 4 games to 0 in the Finals. The Central Association folded after the 1949 season. In 1952, Keokuk joined the

, playing as the Keokuk Kernels, a moniker derived from The Hubinger Company, a local

corn starch Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or sou ...

producer. The Keokuk Kernels were an affiliate of the

(1954-1957) The 1955 Kernels captured the Iowa-Illinois-Indiana League Championship. After a 92-34 regular season, Keokuk defeated the

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 ...

3–0 in the first playoff series. The Kernels defeated the

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 Basebal ...

3 games to 1 in the 1955 Finals. The 1955 championship team was ranked thirtieth in the All-Time Top 100 Minor League Teams by Minor League Baseball and historians

Bill Weiss William J. Weiss (June 2, 1925, Chicago – August 16, 2011, San Mateo, California), was an American baseball historian and statistician. He served as the official statistician for the Pacific Coast League, and edited a weekly newsletter for ...

and Marshall Wright. A year after having

on the roster, the 1955 Keokuk Kernels finished with a record of 92–34 in the Three-I League. Their Manager was former

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

Manager

Pinky May Merrill Glend "Pinky" May (January 18, 1911 – September 4, 2000) was an American professional baseball player and third baseman who appeared in 665 games in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies from through . He later became a lo ...

and the team had several players who made Major League teams, notably

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 ...

and

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 ...

. Finishing 22 games ahead of runner up

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 ...

, Keokuk's .730 winning percentage was the highest in the last 50 years. Despite their great record, the Kernels drew 39,179 fans for the 1955 season. In 1957, prisoners at the Iowa State Penitentiary in

Fort Madison, Iowa Fort Madison is a city and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States along with Keokuk. Of Iowa's 99 counties, Lee County is the only one with two county seats. The population was 10,270 at the time of the 2020 census. Located along the ...

a formed a team called the Fort Madison Prison Chiefs. The Chiefs played the Keokuk Kernels at Joyce Field in an exhibition. The spirit of the game was so successful, Keokuk played inside the prison the next season. In 1958, the

Mattoon Phillies The Mattoon Phillies was a primary nickname for the minor league baseball teams based in Mattoon, Illinois between 1899 and 1957. Mattoon teams played as members of the Indiana–Illinois League (1899), Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (190 ...

franchise relocated to Keokuk, with the franchise becoming members of the

. The franchise became the Keokuk Cardinals, playing as a

affiliate (1958–1961). Keokuk became a

affiliate in 1962. The Keokuk Dodgers were moved by the Midwest League to

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 ...

on August 2, 1962 and were renamed the Midwest Dodgers for the duration of the 1962 season. After the 1962 season, the franchise moved from Dubuque to become the Wisconsin Rapids Twins. Today, the franchise has evolved into the

of the

The ballparks

The Keokuk minor league teams between 1929 to 1962 played home games at Joyce Park. The ballpark dimensions were (LF-CF-RF): 320-381-265 (1961) and 306-385-345 (1962). Joyce Park had a capacity of 3,500 (1962). On September 9, 1931 the Indians played an exhibition game at Joyce Park against the

squad, nicknamed the

Gashouse Gang The Gashouse Gang was the nickname of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team of the early 1930s. Owing to their success that started in 1926, the Cardinals would win a total of five National League pennants from 1926 to 1934 (nine seasons) while win ...

. Joyce Park was named after Thomas H. Joyce Sr., who bought the Keokuk Baseball Park and donated it to the city. The address was 3001 Main Street, Keokuk, Iowa.

Home plate microphone

In 1958, the team placed a hidden live microphone under the home plate at Joyce Park. This was done to broadcast the players' live talking over the PA system during a game. The microphone could reportedly pick up conversations within 30 feet. The first usage was on May 16, 1958. However, foul language led to discontinuing the use of the microphone after the 1958 season. Magazines Grit (June 1, 1958) and

Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...

(August 1958) had mentions of the microphone usage in Keokuk. Keokuk teams of 1904 to 1915 played at home games at Hubinger Park. It was located at North 15th Street & Grand Avenue. The name derived from its location behind the J. C. Hubinger Mansion at Rand Park. The 1885 Keokuk Hawkeyes team of the Western League played home games at Sportsman's Park. Located at 15th Street & Palean Street. Due to Sunday laws in Iowa, the 1885 team would take a ferry across the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

to Illinois and play at High Banks Park on Sundays. The 1875, the

played home games at Perry Park. The ballpark was noted to have been located in a field adjoining Rand Park. Rand park is still in existence today and is located at North 17th Street & Park Land, Keokuk, Iowa. 1885 Keokuk, Iowa baseball team featuring Bud Fowler

1885 Keokuk, Iowa baseball team featuring Bud Fowler

Notable Keokuk alumni

Notable Keokuk franchise alumni included:

, who hit 61 Home runs in 1961 and was 2-time AL Most Valuable Player;

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 ...

member

, the earliest known

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

player in organized professional baseball; All-Star player and Hall of Fame announcer

; World Series hero

Jesse Barnes Jesse Lawrence Barnes (August 26, 1892 – September 9, 1961) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. Barnes began his major league career in 1914 with the Boston Braves. In 1917, he led the National League with 21 losses. On October 2 ...

; Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame inductee

Ray Caldwell Raymond Benjamin Caldwell (April 26, 1888 – August 17, 1967) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians from 1910 to 1921. He was known f ...

; All-Star

; Five time MLB All-Star

Gus Bell David Russell "Gus" Bell Jr. (November 15, 1928 – May 7, 1995) was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1950 through 1964, who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Milwaukee Braves. He batted ...

and future MLB Manager

. Announcer

Brent Musburger Brent Woody Musburger (born May 26, 1939) is an American sportscaster, currently the lead broadcaster and managing editor at Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN). With CBS Sports from 1973 until 1990, he was one of the original members ...

was first an umpire and worked behind the plate for McCarver's first professional game. *

Gary Kolb Gary Alan Kolb (March 13, 1940 – July 3, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. An outfielder and utilityman, Kolb played all or parts of seven seasons (1960; 1962–65; 1968–69) of Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardi ...

(1960) *

(1959) 2 x MLB All-Star; St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame * Jack Hamilton (1958) * Dick Hughes (1958) *

Fred Whitfield Fred Whitfield may refer to: * Fred Whitfield (baseball) * Fred Whitfield (rodeo) Fred Whitfield (born August 5, 1967) is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in tie-down roping. He won eight Professional Rodeo Cowboys A ...

(1958) *

Gordy Coleman Gordon Calvin "Gordy" Coleman (July 5, 1934 – March 12, 1994) was a professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds. He helped the Reds win the 1961 National League pennant, ...

(1955) *

(1955) MLB All-Star *

Bobby Locke Arthur D'Arcy "Bobby" Locke (20 November 1917 – 9 March 1987) was a South African professional golfer. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time. He won The Open Championship four times and 15 PGA Tour events in total ...

(1955) *

(1954) 4 x MLB All-Star; 61 HR (1961); 2 x AL RBI Leader (1960–61); 2 x AL Most Valuable Player (1960-1961): Monument Park Yankee Stadium *

Dan Osinski Daniel Osinski (November 17, 1933 – September 13, 2013), nicknamed "The Silencer", was an American Major League Baseball relief pitcher. The , right-hander was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before the 1952 season. H ...

(1954) *

(1947–48) 4 x MLB All-Star;

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is an entity established by Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds franchise that pays homage to the team's past through displays, photographs and multimedia. It was instituted in 1958 to recognize th ...

(1948, MGR) *

Bill McGee William Henry "Fiddler Bill" McGee (November 16, 1909 – February 11, 1987) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team b ...

(1933) *

Roger Wolff Roger Francis Wolff (April 10, 1911 – March 23, 1994) was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed knuckleball pitcher, he appeared in 182 games pitched, games over all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball between ...

(1931) * Joe Becker (1930, 1933) *

Hughie Miller Hugh Stanley Miller (December 22, 1886 – December 24, 1945) was an American professional baseball first baseman. Miller played in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League in 1911 and the St. Louis Terriers of t ...

(1908–1910) *

Red Corriden John Michael "Red" Corriden (September 4, 1887 – September 28, 1959) was a player, coach, manager and scout in American Major League Baseball. A shortstop and third baseman in his playing days, Corriden appeared in 223 big league games with the ...

(1908) *

Rip Williams Alva Mitchell "Rip" Williams (January 31, 1882 – July 23, 1933) was a reserve infielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly as a catcher or first baseman for three different teams between the and seasons. Listed at , 187 lb., William ...

(1907) *

(1885) Earliest known African-American player in professional baseball; Inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame, 2022

References

External links

The History of Keokuk, Iowa Baseball
{{Midwest League Baseball teams established in 1904 Defunct minor league baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in Iowa Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliates Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates Defunct Midwest League teams 1904 establishments in Iowa 1935 disestablishments in Iowa 1947 establishments in Iowa 1962 disestablishments in Iowa 1915 disestablishments in Iowa 1929 establishments in Iowa Central Association National Association of Professional Base Ball Players Keokuk, Iowa Central Association teams Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League teams Iowa State League teams Defunct Western League teams Mississippi Valley League teams