The Kansas State League was a
minor league baseball league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
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Sports
* Sports league
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in the United States that operated in the state of
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 ...
in the late 19th century and into the early 20th century.
History
The Kansas State League was first established in 1887 as a
Minor League Baseball "no classification" league and existed for that year only.
The league continued again and played in 1895 to 1896 as a "no classification" league.
Progressing into the 20th century, the circuit played in 1905–1906 as a
class D league and this stint lasted two years.
The last segment of the league operated as a
class D league from 1909–1911, and 1913–1914. The original Kansas State League ceased operation in 1911, merged with the
Central Kansas League, and the 1912 season was played under the CKL name. In 1913, the CKL switched back to the Kansas State League name. After the 1914 season the league permanently disbanded.
Cities represented
*
Arkansas City, KS
Arkansas City () is a city in Cowley County, Kansas, United States, situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Walnut River in the southwestern part of the county. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,974. The n ...
:
Arkansas City 1887;
Arkansas City Grays 1910
*
Arkansas City, KS
Arkansas City () is a city in Cowley County, Kansas, United States, situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Walnut River in the southwestern part of the county. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,974. The n ...
&
Winfield, KS
Winfield is a city and county seat of Cowley County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in South Central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,777. It is home to Southwestern College.
Hi ...
:
Arkansas City-Winfield Twins 1909;
*
Atchison, KS
Atchison is a city and county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri a ...
:
Atchison Huskers 1897-1898
*
Bartlesville, OK:
Bartlesville Indians 1906
*
Chanute, KS:
Chanute 1896;
Chanute Browns 1906
*
Cherryvale, KS:
Cherryvale Boosters 1906
*
Clay Center, KS:
Clay Center Colts 1913
*
Coffeyville, KS:
Coffeyville 1896;
Coffeyville Bricks 1906
*
El Dorado, KS:
El Dorado Crushers 1911
*
Ellsworth, KS:
Ellsworth 1905;
Emporia Bidwells 1914
*
Emporia, KS
Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 24,139. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 33 ...
:
Emporia Reds 1887;
Emporia Maroons 1895, 1897
*
Fort Scott, KS:
Fort Scott Giants 1906
*
Great Bend, KS
Great Bend is a city in and the county seat of Barton County, Kansas, Barton County, Kansas, United States. It is named for its location at the point where the course of the Arkansas River bends east then southeast. As of the 2020 United Stat ...
:
Great Bend Millers
The Great Bend Millers were a minor league baseball team based in Great Bend, Kansas. The "Millers" played as members of the Class D level Kansas State League in 1905 and from 1909 to 1911. Great Bend continues play in the Central Kansas League ...
1905, 1909-1911, 1913-1914
*
Hoisington, KS:
Hoisington 1905
*
Hutchinson, KS:
Hutchinson Salt Miners 1905;
Hutchinson Salt Packers 1909-1911;
Hutchinson Packers 1914
*
Independence, KS:
Independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
1896;
Independence Coyotes The 1906 Independence Coyotes went 69-48 and won the Kansas State League championship. Ben Haas hit .341 to lead the league, while pitcher Chick Brandom paced the circuit with 16 wins and 121 strikeouts.
The league folded after the season, and the ...
1906
*
Iola, KS:
Iola Grays 1906
*
Joplin, MO
Joplin is a city in Jasper and Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. Joplin is the largest city located within both Jas ...
: Joplin 1887
*
Junction City, KS
Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 22,932. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby.
History
Junction City is so named from its ...
:
Junction City Parrots 1897;
Junction City Soldiers 1913
*
Kingman, KS:
Kingman 1905
*
Larned, KS:
Larned Cowboys 1909;
Larned Wheat Kings 1910-1911
*
Leavenworth, KS:
Leavenworth Soldiers
The Leavenworth Soldiers was the first professional baseball team from Leavenworth, Kansas. The club played in the Western League from 1886 to 1888. Their first year, they tied the Lincoln Tree Planters for last place at 31-49 despite the presenc ...
1895
*
Lincoln Center, KS:
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...
1905
*
Lyons, KS:
Lyons Lions 1909-1911, 1913
*
Manhattan, KS
Manhattan is a city and county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States, although the city extends into Pottawatomie County. It is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. As of the 2020 cen ...
:
Manhattan Giants 1913
*
McPherson, KS:
McPherson Merry Macks 1909-1911
*
Minneapolis, KS:
Minneapolis Minnies 1905
*
Newton, KS
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 18,602. Newton is located north of Wichita. The city of North Newton is located immediately north and e ...
:
Newton Railroaders 1909-1911
*
Ottawa, KS
Ottawa (pronounced ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Franklin County, Kansas, United States. It is located on both banks of the Marais des Cygnes River near the center of Franklin County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the c ...
: Ottawa 1898
*
Parsons, KS
Parsons is a city in Labette County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 9,600. It is the most populous city of Labette County, and the second-most populous city in the southeastern region of Kansas. ...
:
Parsons Parsons 1896;
Parsons Preachers 1906
*
Pittsburg, KS
Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, Kansas, Crawford County, Kansas, United States, located in southeast Kansas near the Missouri state border. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 United St ...
:
Pittsburg Champs 1906
*
Salina, KS: Salina/Junction City/
Salina Blues 1898;
Salina Insurgents 1913;
Salina Coyotes 1914
*
Strong City, KS &
Cottonwood Falls, KS:
Strong City-Cottonwood Falls Twin Cities 1909
*
Topeka, KS
Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central Unit ...
:
Topeka Giants 1895, 1898;
Topeka Colts 1897
*
Troy, KS:
Troy Browns 1895
*
Vinita, OK:
Vinita 1906
*
Webb City, MO: Webb City 1887
*
Wellington, KS:
Wellington Browns 1887;
Wellington Dukes
The Wellington Dukes are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Wellington, Ontario, Canada. They are in the Eastern Division of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and used to be a part of the Metro Junior A Hockey League. Originally a Junior C team in ...
1909-1911
*
Whiting, KS/
Horton, KS: Whiting-Horton 1895
*
Wichita, KS
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...
:
Wichita Braves
The Wichita Braves were an American Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, that played in the American Association (1902–1997), American Association from 1956 to 1958 as the top affiliate of the M ...
1887;
Wichita Blues 1898
*
Winfield, KS
Winfield is a city and county seat of Cowley County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in South Central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,777. It is home to Southwestern College.
Hi ...
: Winfield 1887
League overview
Standings & statistics
1887 Kansas State League
Wichita dropped out to enter the
Western League July 21; Joplin entered July 26 and then disbanded August 4; Webb City entered the league July 28 and then disbanded August 4; Winfield entered league July 6th, disbanded July 15th.
The league folded August 8
1895 Kansas State League
Leavenworth (7-10) suspended July 22 and Whiting-Horton took the franchise
1896 Kansas State League
Parsons disbanded August 10, causing the league to fold August 20
1905 Kansas State League
Lincoln Center and Great Bend joined the league on July 6; Kingman disbanded on July 22 and Hoisington took Kingman's place July 24.
Two No–Hitters were thrown in 1905. One by Lefty Holmes of Great Bend, and the other by Salter of Minneapolis.
1906 Kansas State League
Pittsburg moved to Vinita June 6; Iola moved to Cherryvale on June 15; Fort Scott and Vinita disbanded on July 5. The league discarded all games played before July 10 and the season was restarted.
1909 Kansas State League
The city of
Winfield, Kansas
Winfield is a city and county seat of Cowley County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in South Central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,777. It is home to Southwestern College.
Hi ...
bought partial interest in the Arkansas City franchise on July 22; Strong City–Cottonwood Falls moved to Larned July 12.
1910 Kansas State League
1911 Kansas State League
Wellington played 10 home games in
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...
from June 11 to June 23.
The league disbanded on July 11 due to crop failures and drought. No individual statistics available.
1913 Kansas State League
After Junction City disbanded July 9, the league dropped Manhattan on July 10.
1914 Kansas State League
Sources
*''Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'' (1997, second edition), edited by W. Lloyd Johnson]and Miles Wolff
{{reflist
Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States
Baseball leagues in Kansas
Sports leagues established in 1887
Sports leagues disestablished in 1914
1887 establishments in Kansas
1914 disestablishments in Kansas
Baseball leagues in Oklahoma
Baseball leagues in Missouri