The Racine Malted Milks were a minor league baseball team based in

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...

. Racine teams played from 1909 to 1914 as members of the Class C level

Wisconsin-Illinois League The Wisconsin State League was a class D baseball league that began in 1905, changing its name to the Wisconsin–Illinois League in 1908 and operating through 1914. The league re–organized under that name in 1926. Another Wisconsin State League ...

, alternating between being known by the "Malted Milks" and "Belles". The Racine Belles played the 1915 season as members of the Bi-State League after the Wisconsin-Illinois League permanently folded following the 1914 season. The Racine teams hosted minor league home games at

Horlick Field Horlick Field, located on the north side of Racine, Wisconsin, in the United States, is a 5,000-seat football stadium and a baseball park enclosed within stone walls and chain fences. The land for the field was donated by William Horlick, the inv ...

. William Horlick was the inventor of

malted milk Malted milk or malt powder is a powdered gruel made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk powder. The powder is used to add its distinctive flavor to beverages and other foods, but it is also used in baking ...

and was an owner of the Horlick Malted Milk Company of Racine.

History

1909 to 1914 Wisconsin-Illinois League

In 1866, a two Racine teams consisting of members of the Racine Baseball Club, played the first known organized baseball game in Racine. In the 1880, the Third Ward Baseball Team was organized in Racine, with Racine residents

Charlie Ganzel Charles William Ganzel (June 18, 1862 – April 7, 1914) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1897. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a catcher, for four major league clubs. His most extensive pl ...

and

John Ganzel John Henry Ganzel (April 7, 1874 – January 14, 1959) was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. Ganzel batted and threw right-handed. He played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1898), Chicago Cubs (1900), New York Giants (19 ...

as a members of the team. There were organized leagues in Racine populated by factory teams beginning in the 1890s. In 1908, the Wisconsin State League changed names to become the

, remaining a Class D level minor league. The name change occurred after the

Rockford Reds Rockford or Rockfords may refer to: Places United States * Rockford, Illinois, a city, the largest municipality of this name *Rockford, Alabama, a town * Rockford, Idaho, a census-designated place * Rockford metropolitan area, Illinois, a United St ...

joined the

Freeport Pretzels The Freeport Pretzels were a minor league baseball franchise based in Freeport, Illinois. Between 1908 and 1915, Freeport teams played as members of the Wisconsin State League (1905–1907), Wisconsin-Illinois League (1908–1909), 1910 Northern A ...

, giving the league two

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

based teams as members. Following the 1908 Wisconsin-Illinois League season, the defending Wisconsin-Illinois League champion

Wausau Lumberjacks The Wausau Lumberjacks (occasionally known as the Timberjacks) were a minor league baseball team based in Wausau, Wisconsin that existed on-and-off from 1905 to 1957. The Wausau franchise then became the Wausau Timbers before relocating to become ...

team switched leagues and became charter members of the Minnesota-Wisconsin League. On January 9, 1909, it was reported that the Racine semi-professional team would not be returning to the Lake Shore League. The departed Wausau franchise was replaced by the new Racine team in the 1909 Wisconsin-Illinois League. The newly formed Racine team joined the Appleton Papermakers,

Fond du Lac Giants In the culinary arts, fond is a contraction of ''fonds de cuisine'' which is loosely described as "the foundation and working capital of the kitchen". It refers to a flavorful liquid that is used as foundation (''fondation'' in French, hence the ...

, Freeport Pretzels,

Green Bay Bays Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combina ...

Madison Senators The Madison Senators were a minor league baseball team based in Madison, Wisconsin that played between 1907 and 1914 in the Wisconsin-Illinois League The Wisconsin State League was a class D baseball league that began in 1905, changing its name t ...

Oshkosh Indians The Oshkosh Indians were a minor league baseball team based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, playing between 1891 and 1914. In 1886 and 1887, the "Indians" were preceded in minor league play by the "Oshkosh" team of the Northwestern League, who won the 18 ...

and Rockford Reds teams in beginning Wisconsin-Illinois League play on May 5, 1909. Horlick Malted Milk Co

Racine teams hosted minor league home games at

. William Horlick was the inventor of malted milk and he and his brother James were the owners of the Horlick Malted Milk Company founded in Racine in 1873. The team being known as the "Malted Milks" corresponds with their home ballpark and the Horlick facility being based in Racine. The Racine Malted Milks began minor league play in 1909 as the team finished in fourth place in the eight-team Class D level Wisconsin-Illinois League final standings. The Malted Milks ended the 1909 season with a record of 66–58, playing the season under returning manager William Armstrong. Racine ended the season 11.0 games behind the first place

in the eight-team league final standings.

1910 Racine fans incident

On Saturday, May 7, 1910, an incident occurred at the League Park, following the game between Racine and Oshkosh won by Oshkosh 6-0. After a series of controversial calls during the game, Racine fans attacked umpire Jerry" Eddinger after the game, pelting the umpire with thrown stones, bottles and other objects. In the fracas, the young son of player William M. Lewis suffered a fractured skull. Racine manager William Armstrong was hit by rocks while attempting to protect Eddinger. Racine Policeman John Harms intervened. The '' Racine Journal'' reported that after some disputed calls, "''the bleacher crowd became infuriated and made a break toward the umpire, yelling to 'kill him,' 'robber,' 'rotten,' and other things that would not look well in print''." Immediately after the last out of the game was made, the Racine fans who were involved rushed onto the playing field, reportedly throwing stones, sticks, pieces of dirt and soda bottles at the umpire. Eddinger was not severely injured and retreated into the peanut stand. There, Eddinger changed his clothing before he was escorted out of the ballpark into a waiting automobile. The 1910 Wisconsin-Illinois League was upgraded to become a Class C level league from a Class D level league. In 1910, there were 29 leagues classified as Class D level minor leagues, expanded from 13 Class D level leagues in 1909. Continuing play in the 1910 eight-team Wisconsin-Illinois League, the Racine Malted Milks ended the season in sixth place, as the team was led by returning manager William Armstrong. The Malted Miles finished with a record of 59–62, ending the season 16.0 games behind the first place Appleton Papermakers in the eitht-team league. In 1911, Racine Malted Milks again placed sixth in the eight-team Wisconsin-Illinois League. Racine ended the season with a record of 58–64 in playing under manager Larry Hoffman. The champion

Rockford Wolverines Rockford or Rockfords may refer to: Places United States * Rockford, Illinois, a city, the largest municipality of this name * Rockford, Alabama, a town * Rockford, Idaho, a census-designated place * Rockford metropolitan area, Illinois, a United ...

team ended the season with a final record of 74–46 and finished 17.0 games ahead of Racine. With Bill Fox becoming the manager, the team became known as the Racine "Belles" and improved to finish in second place in the 1912 Wisconsin-Illinois League standings. The Malted Milks ended the season with a record of 78–51, as Oshkosh won their first of three consecutive league championships in finishing 7.5 games ahead of runner up Racine in the Class C level eight-team league. Racine pitcher Al Kench led the league with a 21–7 record. The Racine "Belles" continued as members of the 1913 Class C level Wisconsin-Illinois League. In the eight-team league, the Belles again finished as the runner up to Oshkosh as the team compiled a final record of 72–51, with Bill Fox returning as manager. The Malted Milks ended the season 4.0 games behind the Oshkosh Indians in the eight-team league final standings, as Oshkosh won their second consecutive championship. In 1914, the Racine "Malted Milks" played a final season as members of the eight–team Class C level Wisconsin-Illinois League. Racine joined the Appleton Papermakers, Green Bay Bays Madison Senators, Marinette-Menominee Twins, Oshkosh Indians, Rockford Wolves and

teams in playing the final season of the league. The Racine Belles 1914 Wisconsin-Illinois League championship, finishing second in the final standings. With an overall record of 64–58 to place fourth, Racine was led by returning Frank Reynolds. First place Oshkosh finished 13.0 games ahead Racine in the final Wisconsin-Illinois League standings. Pitcher Clayton Clark of Racine led the Wisconsin-Illinois League with a 21–7 record.

1915 Bi-State League

The Wisconsin-Illinois League did not return to play in 1915 and Racine continued play in a new league. Racine again became the

Racine Belles The Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The Belles won the league's first championship. The team played its home games at Horlick Fi ...

and continued play in 1915 charter members of the six-team Class D level Bi-State League. The league folded during the season. The Bi-State League was formed for the 1915 season with the

Aurora Foxes An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

Elgin Watch Makers The Elgin Watch Makers were a minor league baseball team based in Elgin, Illinois in 1915. Elgin teams played as members of the Class D level Northern Association in 1910 and Bi-State League in 1915, winning the 1910 league championship. Elgin p ...

Ottawa Indians The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ), said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, commonly known as the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They ha ...

and

Streator Boosters The Streator Boosters were a minor league baseball team based in Streator, Illinois. Beginning play as the Streator "Speedboys" in 1912, Streator teams played as members of the Class D (baseball), Class D level Illinois-Missouri League from 1912 ...

teams joined with Racine as charter members in beginning play on May 11, 1915. The Bi-State League disbanded on July 7, 1915, after the Aurora and Elgin teams folded simultaneously. The Belles were managed by the returning Frank Reynolds and James Sheffield. Racine finished in second place when the Bi-State League folded. With a 30–10 record, Racine was 1.0 game behind the first place Streator Boosters (30–18) in the final standings. They were followed by Elgin Watch Makers (27–26), Aurora Foxes (25–27), Freeport Pretzels (23–29) and Ottawa Indians (20–35) teams in the final standings. Racine played led the Bi=State League in several categories. Albert "Bull" Durham led the league in hitting, with a batting average of .356. James Sheffield scored 40 runs and Clay Schoonover had 67 total hits and 5 home runs to lead the league. After the folding of the Bi-State League, Racine next hosted a minor league team when Racine played the 1926 season, placing fifth in the Wisconsin-Illinois Association. In 1946, Racine became home of the

, who began a tenure of play in the

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

The ballpark

Racine hosted minor league home games at

. The land for the field was donated by William Horlick and was designed by Walter Dick. The ballpark site opened and first hosted sports beginning in 1906, first being called "League Park." On October 1, 1922, after their name change from the Decatur Staleys, the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

played their first

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

under that nickname in a game at Horlick Field, a 6-0 win over the

Racine Legion The Racine Legion was a professional American football team based in Racine, Wisconsin, of the National Football League from 1922 to 1924. Its official name was the Horlick-Racine Legion. The team then operated as the Racine Tornadoes in 1926. ...

team. The

, known through the film '' A League of Their Own'', hosted home

home games at the ballpark. In 1945, the

Chicago American Giants The Chicago American Giants were a Chicago-based Negro league baseball team. From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the American Giants were the most dominant team in black baseball. Owned and managed from 1911 to 1926 by player-manager Andrew "Rube" Fo ...

team of the

Negro American League The Negro American League was one of the several Negro leagues created during the time organized American baseball was segregated. The league was established in 1937, and disbanded after its 1962 season. Negro American League franchises :''An ...

hosted several games at the Horlick Field. Still in use today, Horlick Field is located at 1648 North Memorial Drive in Racine, Wisconsin.

Timeline

Year-by-year records

Notable alumni

* Bert Brenner (1912) *

Art Bues Arthur Frederick Bues was a Major League Baseball third baseman. He was born on March 3, 1888, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He batted and threw right-handed, weighed , and was . Bues was considered one of the best third basemen in the country during h ...

(1909-1910) * Bill Fox (1912-1913, MGR) *

Frank Genins C. Frank Genins (November 2, 1866 – September 30, 1922) was a Major League Baseball utility player who played for three seasons. He played for the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Browns in 1892, the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1895, and the Cle ...

(1909) *

Herb Hall Herbert L. Hall (March 28, 1907 – March 5, 1996) was an American jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist. Early life Hall was born in Reserve, Louisiana, the brother of Edmond Hall and the son of clarinetist Edward Hall. Career Hall began ...

(1914) * Larry Hoffman (1911, MGR) * Ellis Johnson (1912-1913) * Frank Kitson (1909) *

Art Kores Arthur Emil Kores (July 22, 1886 – March 26, 1974) was a professional baseball player whose career spanned nine seasons, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the St. Louis Terriers (1915). In the majors, he compiled a .234 ...

(1910) *

Braggo Roth Robert Frank Roth (August 28, 1892 – September 11, 1936), nicknamed Braggo, was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball over parts of eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Phi ...

(1911) *

Ray Shook Raymond Curtis Shook (November 18, 1889 – September 16, 1970) was a Major League Baseball player. He played for the Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compet ...

(1914-1915) * Racine Belles players * Racine Malted Milks players

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Racine - Baseball Reference1915 Bi-State League scheduleHorlick Field - baseball field photo
Defunct baseball teams in Wisconsin Wisconsin-Illinois League teams Baseball teams established in 1909 Baseball teams established in 1911 Baseball teams established in 1914 Baseball teams disestablished in 1914