The Marion Cardinls were a minor league baseball team based in Marion, Ohio. From 1944 to 1947, Marion teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level

Ohio State League The Ohio State League was a minor league baseball league that operated in numerous seasons between 1887 and 1947, predominantly as a Class D level league. League franchises were based in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Histo ...

, failing to qualify for the playoffs in each season. The Cardinals played as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1945 and 1946, after the franchise played as a

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 ...

affiliate in 1944. The Marion Ohio State League teams hosted home minor league games at

Lincoln Park Lincoln Park is a park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US President Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for seven miles (11 km) from Grand Avenue (500 N), on the south, ...

History

After Marion first hosted a minor league team in 1900, the Marion Diggers were preceded in minor league play by the 1937

Marion Presidents Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mari ...

, who played briefly as members of the Class D level

. Marion resumed minor league baseball play in 1944, when the '

Marion Diggers The Marion Diggers were a minor league baseball team based in Marion, Ohio and Marion County, Ohio. From 1908 to 1912, the Diggers played as members of the Class D level Ohio State League, hosting home minor league games at Webb Park. Despite no ...

" revived a former nickname and began play as members of the six–team Class D level Ohio State League, which resumed play during World War II. The Diggers were a minor league affiliate of the

. The

Lima Red Birds Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of th ...

, Middletown Red Sox,

Newark Moundsmen Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-th ...

Richmond Roses Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, Springfied Giants and

Zanesville Dodgers The Zanesville Dodgers were a minor league baseball team based in Zanesville, Ohio. The Dodgers were a minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Brooklyn Dodgers and played as members of the Class D (baseball), Class D level Ohio State Le ...

joined Marion in beginning league play on May 2, 1944. The Diggers ended the 1944 Ohio State League season in last place. With a record of 50–80, Marion placed sixth in the regular season standings, finishing 26.0 games behind the first place Springfield Giants, as Grover Hartley served as manager. Marion did not qualify for the four-team playoffs, won by the Newark Mondsmen. In 1945, Marion became a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, playing as the Marion "Cardinals" in continuing Ohio State League play. With a record of 62–77, the Cardinals placed fifth in the six–team league, playing the season under returning manager Grover Hartley and Wally Schang. Marion finished 27.0 games behind the first place

Middletown Rockets The Middletown Rockets were a Minor League Baseball club based in Middletown, Ohio. The Rockets joined the Ohio State League as a replacement for the Middletown Red Sox, playing from 1945 to 1946, while serving as an affiliate team for the Cincinnat ...

in the regular season final standings. Marion did not qualify for the playoffs, won by the

. In 1946, the Marion Cardinals continued as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, as the Ohio State League expanded from six teams to eight teams. The Cardinals finished the regular season with a record of 63–76, placing sixth in the Ohio State League final regular season standings. Marion finished 17.0 games behind the first place Springfield Giants in the final regular season standings. With their fifth-place finish, the Cardinals did not qualify for the four-team playoff won by the Zanesville Dodgers. In the final season of Ohio State League play, the 1947

Marion Cubs The Marion Cubs were an Ohio State League (1947) and Ohio–Indiana League (1948) baseball team based in Marion, Ohio, USA. They were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs and played their home games at Lincoln Park Lincoln Park is a park along Lake ...

continued play, as the franchise returned to being a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs continued play as the Ohio State evolved into the Ohio-Indiana League in 1948.

The ballpark

The Marion Ohio State League teams hosted home minor league games at

. The 1915

Marion Senators The Marion Senators were a Minor league baseball team based in Marion, Ohio and Marion County, Ohio. In 1915, the Senators played briefly as members of the short–lived Buckeye League, hosting minor league home games at Lincoln Park. The Senator ...

were the first Marion minor league team to play in Lincoln Park and the ballpark hosted all of the remaining Marion minor league teams through 1951. The ballpark had a capacity of 3,000 with field dimensions of (Left, Center, Right): 325-456-325. The ballpark was located at West Fairground Street & Oak Street. Today, Lincoln Park is still in use as a public park with an aquatic center, 12 baseball fields and other amenities on 79 acres. It is located at 879 North Prospect Street.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

Don Carlsen Donald Herbert Carlsen (October 15, 1926 – September 22, 2002) was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Carlsen was signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent ...

(1944) * Grover Hartley (1944-1945, MGR) * Bob Kline (1946, MGR) *

Vern Rapp Vernon Fred "Vern" Rapp (May 11, 1928 – December 31, 2015) was a Major League Baseball manager and coach. A career minor league catcher and a successful skipper in the minors, Rapp had two brief tours of duty as a big league manager. Minor Leag ...

(1946) * Wally Schang (1945-1946, MGR)

References

{{reflist

External links

Marion - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in Ohio Defunct baseball teams in Ohio Baseball teams established in 1945 Baseball teams disestablished in 1946 St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliates Marion, Ohio