The Montana State League was a minor league baseball league that played various seasons between 1892 and 1925 as an

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

league. As the name implies, the Montana State League consisted of teams based in exclusively in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

, with the exception of the 1909 season when

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

and

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

were represented. The Montana State League played just the three documented minor league seasons and had several other seasons of professional play without official records.

History

The Montana State League first began play as a non–classified league in 1887. The league also played a season in 1891. The teams are unknown in both seasons, with no official records available. The Montana State League began as six–team Class B level minor league in 1892. The league played a split–season schedule. The Bozeman and Great Falls franchises disbanded on July 23, 1892, after the conclusion of the first half. he overall standings were

Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer *Helena, mother of Constantine I Places Greece * Helena (island) Guyana * ...

(29–21),

Butte __NOTOC__ In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word mea ...

(26–22), Philipsburg Burgers (22–23) and

Missoula Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...

(18–29).. Bozeman had a record of 10–8 and the Great Falls Smelter Cities 6–10 when they folded. Butte won the first–half championship and Missoula won the second–half title. Butte won the overall championship. Helena allegedly forfeited over complaints regarding money and umpiring.

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

Clark Griffith Clark Calvin Griffith (November 20, 1869 – October 27, 1955), nicknamed "The Old Fox", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, manager and team owner. He began his MLB playing career with the St. Louis Browns (1891), Boston Reds ...

played for Missoula in 1892. It was reported Griffith pitched so well in one game that Missoula fans showered him with gold coins after the game. Griffith later bought property and built a home in Montana. After the 1892 season, there were strong allegations of betting and cheating. The league did not return in 1893. The league played a season in 1898 with no records existing and the league was not classified. In 1900, the Montana State League reformed as a four–team Independent minor league. The league president was William Henry Lucas. The overall league standings featured the Anaconda Serpents (34–37), Butte Smoke Eaters (30–40), Great Falls Indians (39–32) and

Helena Senators The Helena Senators were a minor league baseball team based in Helena, Montana. Between 1892 and 1914, Helena minor league teams played as members of the Montana State League (1892, 1900), 1902 Pacific Northwest League, 1903 Pacific National Leag ...

(39–33). Helena won the first–half championship and Great Falls won the second–half title. Baseball Hall of Fame member

Joe Tinker Joseph Bert Tinker (July 27, 1880 – July 27, 1948) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played from 1902 through 1916 for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Chicago Whales of the ...

played for both the Great Falls Indians and

in 1900 at age 19. The Montana State League played a season in 1905, Butte, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula composed the league. No league standings or records are available. In 1909, the Montana State League played as a four–team league, adding teams in Idaho and Utah. The league comprised Helena (35–16), the Salt Lake City Cubs (34–17), Butte (20–31) and Boise (13–38). In 1925, the Montana State League played a final season as a four team Independent minor league. Butte,

Great Falls Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

, Helena and Missoula played in the league, which has no official results.

Montana State League teams

Standings and statistics

1892 Montana State League

1900 Montana State League

1909 Montana State League

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

(1900), Mizzoula. Inducted, 1946 *

(1900) Great Falls Indians &

. Inducted, 1946

References

{{Professional Baseball Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Montana Baseball leagues in Idaho Baseball leagues in Utah Sports leagues disestablished in 1909 Sports leagues established in 1892