The Missouri Valley League was an American minor league baseball league which operated from 1901 through 1905.

History

The Missouri Valley league formed in 1901 as an Independent league. The league consisted of teams in Kansas and Missouri:

Columbus, Kansas Columbus is the second largest city and county seat of Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,929. It is located approximately 15 miles south-southwest of Pittsburg. History The first ...

, Fort Scott Memphis Route,

Galena, Kansas Galena is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,761. History Although the railroad was built through the territory of Galena in 1871, the community did not start until the di ...

, Joplin Colts, Monett Railroadmen, Nevada Reds,

Oswego, Kansas Oswego is a city in and the county seat of Labette County, Kansas, United States, and situated along the Neosho River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,668. History Oswego is located on the site of an Osage village calle ...

and Pittsburg Coal Barons. 1901 league records and standings are unknown. In 1902, The teams in Nevada, Missouri, Fort Scott, Kansas and

Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, 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. J ...

remained.

Sedalia, Missouri Sedalia is a city located approximately south of the Missouri River and, as the county seat of Pettis County, Missouri, United States, it is the principal city of the Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had ...

;

Coffeyville, Kansas Coffeyville is a city in southeastern Montgomery County, Kansas, Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, located along the Verdigris River in the state's Southeast Kansas, southeastern region. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...

;

Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the capital of Missouri, United States. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 census, ranking as the 15th most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Cole County and the princip ...

;

Iola, Kansas Iola () is the county seat of Allen County, Kansas, United States. The city is situated along the Neosho River in southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,396. It is named in honor of Iola Colborn. History ...

and

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

joined as the Missouri Valley League became designated as a Class D level league. On June 23, the Coffeyville Indians, with a 9-30 record, relocated to

Chanute, Kansas Chanute () is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, United States. Founded on January 1, 1873, it was named after railroad engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,722. Chanute is home ...

, where they compiled a 32–51 record. In the 1903 season, the teams in Chanute and Jefferson City folded. New teams in

Leavenworth, Kansas Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,351. It is located on the west bank of t ...

, and

Pittsburg, Kansas Pittsburg is a city in 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 census, the population of the ci ...

, formed and joined the league. The Nevada team, with a record of 21–39, relocated to

Webb City, Missouri Webb City is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,031 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. Webb City also has a police department, a fire department, and animal ...

, on July 13, where their record was 0–4. The teams from Leavenworth and Webb City folded mid–season on July 16. In 1904, new teams in Leavenworth, Kansas, and

Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...

, formed and joined the league. After the 1904 season, the Missouri Valley League essentially reformed under a different name as five member teams formed under a new league. Joplin, Leavenworth, Sedalia, Springfield, and Topeka all joined the new 1905

Western Association The Western Association was the name of five different leagues formed in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries. The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Weste ...

. The Iola franchise folded. The Fort Scott and Pittsburg franchises remained in the 1905 Class C level Missouri Valley League. In 1905, South McAlester moved to Ft. Smith on July 6. Muskogee disbanded on August 31, causing the Missouri Valley League to end on September 5.

Cities Represented

* Chanute, KS: Chanute Oilers 1902 * Columbus, KS: Columbus 1901 * Coffeyville, KS: Coffeyville Indians 1902 * Fort Scott, KS: Fort Scott Memphis Route (1901); Fort Scott Giants 1902–1905 * Fort Smith, AR: Fort Smith Giants 1905 * Galena, KS: Galena 1901 * Iola, KS: Iola Gasbags 1902; Iola Gaslighters 1903; Iola Gasbags 1904 *

Jefferson City, MO Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the capital of Missouri, United States. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 census, ranking as the 15th most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Cole County and the princip ...

: Jefferson City Convicts 1902 *

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 Colts 1901;

Joplin Miners The Joplin Miners was the primary name of the minor league baseball team in Joplin, Missouri that played for 49 seasons between 1901 and 1954. Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees Mickey Mantle and Whitey Herzog played for Joplin. Professional baseba ...

1902–1904 * Leavenworth, KS: Leavenworth White Sox 1903; Leavenworth Orioles 1904 *

McAlester, OK McAlester is the county seat of Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. The population was 18,363 at the time of the 2010 census, a 3.4 percent increase from 17,783 at the 2000 census,Shuller, Thurman"McAlester" profile ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History a ...

: South McAlester Giants 1905 * Monett, MO: Monett Railroadmen 1901 *

Muskogee, OK Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as ...

Muskogee Reds Muskogee Reds refers to three baseball teams based in Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States. The first team played in the Missouri Valley League in 1905. The next played in the Western Association in 1917, and the third played in the Western Association ...

1905 * Nevada, MO: Nevada Reds 1901; Nevada Lunatics 1902–1903 * Oswego, KS: Oswego 1901 *

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 Preachers 1905 * Pittsburg, KS: Pittsburg Coal Barons 1901; Pittsburg Coal Diggers 1903–1904; Pittsburg Miners * Sedalia, MO: Sedalia Gold Bugs 1902–1904 *

Springfield, MO Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estima ...

: Springfield Reds 1902; Springfield Midgets 1903–1904 *

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 Un ...

: Topeka Saints 1904 *

Tulsa, OK Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

Tulsa Oilers The Tulsa Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and play in the ECHL. The Oilers played their home games at the Tulsa Convention Center until 2008 when they moved into the new BOK Center. For many years, the Tuls ...

1905 * Vinita, OK: Vinita Cherokees 1905 * Webb City, MO: Webb City Goldbugs 1903, 1905

Teams & statistics

1902 Missouri Valley League

schedule
Coffeyville (9–30) moved to Chanute June 23.

1903 Missouri Valley League

schedule
Nevada (21–39) moved to Webb City July 13, then disbanded July 16; Leavenworth disbanded July 16.

1904 Missouri Valley League

schedule

1905 Missouri Valley League

schedule
Muskogee disbanded Aug 31, causing the season to be shortened to September 5.
South McAlester moved to Ft. Smith July 6.