The Rockford Rox was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...

, between 1871 and 1949. In an era of early baseball, Rockford hosted teams in numerous leagues beginning in 1871. From 1916 to 1923, the Rox played in the Class B level

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The league began pla ...

, and from 1947 to 1949, they played in the Class C level

Central Association The Central Association was an American minor league baseball league. It began operations in 1908, as it was essentially renamed from the 1907 Iowa State League. The Central Association ran continuously through 1917. It was reorganized thirty yea ...

. The Rockford Rox were preceded by the Rockford Red Sox (1901–1904) and Rockford Wakes (1914–1916) in the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League. Several other Rockford teams played in various leagues leading up to the Rox. The Rockford Rox were an affiliate of the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

from 1947 to 1949. During this era, Rockford was also home to the women's professional baseball

Rockford Peaches The Rockford Peaches were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. A founding member, the team represented Rockford, Illinois. The Peaches were one of two teams to pla ...

of the

AAGPBL 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 ...

from 1943 to 1954. The Rox were succeeded in minor league baseball by the 1988

Rockford Expos The Rockford Expos was the initial moniker of the minor league baseball teams located in Rockford, Illinois from 1988 to 1999. The Expos were Rockford's first entity in the Midwest League and Rockford teams were minor league affiliates of the Mon ...

, who began play as members of the

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

History

Minor league baseball began in Rockford, Illinois with the 1871

Rockford Forest Citys Rockford Forest Citys (officially the Forest City Club), from Rockford, Illinois was one of the first professional baseball clubs. Rockford played for one season during the National Association inaugural year of . They are not to be confused wit ...

. The Forest Citys, also known as the "Forest City Club," played as members of the 1871 National Association, finishing with a record of 4–21, with

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

Cap Anson Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain") and "Pop", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association (NA), he played a record 27 c ...

on the team. This was one of the first professional leagues. Rockford had previously hosted amateur teams with the same name. Rockford played only the 1871 season in the National Association. In 1879, the Rockford White Stockings played in the

Northwestern League The Northwestern League was a sports league that operated in the Central United States during the early years of professional baseball for five seasons: 1879, 1883–1884, and 1886–1887. After the 1887 season, the league was replaced by the We ...

, where they finished with a record of 13–9. Rockford became members of the Central Interstate League in 1888. On June 26, 1888, the Rockford team had a record of 11–23 when it disbanded. In 1891, the Rockford Hustlers joined the Illinois-Iowa League, where they played two seasons. The Hustlers finished with a record of 54–47, to place 3rd in 1891. The Hustlers had a record of 46–38 and placed 2nd in 1892. After four teams in the league disbanded during the 1892 season, the Illinois-Iowa league folded when the season concluded. Rockford Forest City (1895–1897) and the Rockford Rough Riders (1899) played os members of the

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 Western ...

. In their three seasons, Rockford Forest City finished with records of 66–60 (4th), 44–37 (4th) and 70–55 (3rd), disbanding after the 1897 season. The Rockford Rough Riders rejoined the Western Association in 1899. The Western Association disbanded on June 16, 1899, with the Rockford Rough Riders in 2nd place with a 20–16 record. The 1901 Rockford Red Sox became charter members of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (nicknamed the Three-I league). Rockford joined the

Bloomington Blues Bloomington may refer to: Places U.S.A. (most commonly) * Bloomington, Illinois *Bloomington, Indiana * Bloomington, Minnesota U.S.A. (less commonly) * Bloomington, California * Bloomington, Idaho * Bloomington, Kansas * Bloomington, Maryland * ...

Cedar Rapids Rabbitts Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae * Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona ...

Davenport River Rats Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality * Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta ** District Council of Davenport, former local gover ...

Decatur Commodores The Decatur Commodores were a professional minor league baseball team based in Decatur, Illinois that played for 64 seasons. The Commodores are the primary ancestor of today's Kane County Cougars. They played, with sporadic interruptions, from ...

Evansville River Rats The Evansville River Rats were a professional minor league baseball team based in Evansville, Indiana. They played from 1901 to 1902 in the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (the "Three-I" League) and from 1903 to 1910 and 1914 to 1915 in the Cen ...

Rock Island Islanders The Rock Island Islanders was the primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Rock Island, Illinois, one of the Quad Cities, between 1892 and 1937. Rock Island teams played as members of the Illinois–Iowa League (1892), Western Asso ...

and

Terre Haute Hottentots The Terre Haute Hottentots were a Minor League Baseball team from Terre Haute, Indiana, that played in the Northwestern League in 1891, Illinois–Iowa League in 1892, Western Interstate League in 1895, Western League in 1895, Class C Central ...

as fellow charter members. After finishing with a record of 57–55 to place 4th in 1901, the Red Sox won the 1902 Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League Championship with a 74–52 record. After finishing last with a 48–76 record in 1904, Rockford folded after the season, replaced by the

Peoria Distillers The Peoria Distillers were a minor league baseball team that existed on-and-off from 1894 to 1917. They played in the Western Association from 1894 to 1896; the Central League (baseball), Central League in 1900, 1904 and 1917; the Western League (1 ...

in the 1905 Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. In 1908, the Rockford Reds became charter members of the

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 ...

. The 1908 Reds were charter members of the Wisconsin-Illinois League, along with the

Fond du Lac Cubs 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 th ...

, Freeport Pretzels,

Green Bay Tigers 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 combin ...

, LaCrosse Pinks, Madison Senators, Oshkosh Indians and

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 ...

. The Rockford Reds (1908– 1910) were renamed the Rockford Wolverines (1911-1913) and Rockford Wolves (1914), while remaining in the Wisconsin-Illinois League. The 1911 Rockford Wolverines captured the Wisconsin-Illinois League Championship with a 74–46 record. The Wisconsin-Illinois League folded after the 1914 season. In 1915, the Rockford Wakes rejoined the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League, where Rockford played from 1915 to 1917 and 1919 to 1923. The Wakes finished with a record of 72–58, to place 3rd in 1915 and 67–66, to place 4th in 1916. The Rockford Rox (1917, 1919–1923) continued play in the "Three-I League", which did not play in 1918 due to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The Rox finished 2nd in the league in 1917, 1921 and 1923. The Rockford franchise folded from the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League following the 1923 season. The next professional team in Rockford were the famed

, who played in the

(1943–1954), when the women's league was formed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The Peaches claimed AAGPL championships in 1945, 1948, 1949, 1950. The Peaches played in every AAGPL season. They are featured prominently in the fictional film

A League of Their Own ''A League of Their Own'' is a 1992 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Penny Marshall that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The film stars Tom Hanks, Geena Dav ...

. In 1947, the Rockford Rox returned minor league baseball to Rockford after a 23–year absence. The 1947 Rockford Rox joined the reformed

, along with the Burlington Indians, Clinton Cubs, Hannibal Pilots, Keokuk Pirates and Moline A's. The Rockford Rox were a minor league affiliate of the

from 1947 to 1949. The Rockford Rox placed 3rd, 5th and 6th in their three seasons. The Central Association folded after the 1949 season. After a 29–season absence, minor league baseball returned to Rockford, when the 1988

began play as members of the

The ballparks

The 1871 Rockford Forest Citys played at the

Agricultural Society Fair Grounds Agricultural Society Fair Grounds was a fairground on the west side of Rockford, Illinois. It served as the grounds for the Winnebago County Agricultural Society. It was used as a baseball grounds by the Rockford Forest Citys baseball club of the ...

.The ballpark had no outfield fences, only trees that surrounded the park. It was located at Kilburn Avenue & Mulberry Street, Rockford, Illinois. In 1879, Rockford played at

Fairgrounds Park Fairgrounds Park (formerly known as Hagerstown Fairgrounds) is an open land park restored from fairgrounds located off Cleveland Avenue in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. Attractions The park is home tHagerstown BMX a biking trackHagerstown I ...

. er local newspapers The various Rockford clubs of the 1880s and 1890s played at several parks that are difficult to locate precisely. By 1901, they were playing at Riverside Park, which was outside the city limits to the north. In 1913, the club abandoned Riverside Park and moved to Kishwaukee Park. Also known as "Rockford Base Ball Park", Kishwaukee Park was located at 15th Avenue and Seminary Street in Rockford. This site would later be developed as

Beyer Stadium The Beyer Stadium, one mile from downtown in Rockford, Illinois, was the home of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League's Rockford Peaches from 1943 to 1954. It was a multi-purpose facility, as contemporary newspaper articles also ...

. er city directories and local newspapersSome sources give an erroneous location. In 1947–1949, the Rockford Rox played home games at Rox Park a.k.a. 15th Avenue Park, which was just east of and adjacent to the main

, the home of the

. er local newspapersSome sources say they played within Blackhawk Park, but the newspapers contradict that claim.

Notable alumni

Hal Carlson Harold Gust Carlson (May 17, 1892 – May 28, 1930) was a professional baseball pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1917 to 1930, for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates. Carlson used his curveball exclusively, owing to ...

(1912, 1914-1916) * Jim Canavan (1888) *

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

(1923) *

George Creamer George W. Creamer (1855 – June 27, 1886), born George W. Triebel, was an American Major League Baseball second baseman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He played with four teams in two leagues: the Milwaukee Grays (), the Syracuse Stars (), t ...

(1879) *

Cozy Dolan Patrick Henry "Cozy" Dolan (December 3, 1872 – March 29, 1907) was an American professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Beaneaters, Chicago Orphans, Brooklyn Superbas, Chicago White Sox and C ...

(1909) * John Dolan (1895) *

Bill Gleason William G. Gleason (November 12, 1858 – July 21, 1932) was a shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from through for three different teams of the American Association. Listed at , 170 lb., Gleason batted and threw right-handed. H ...

(1891) *

Mike Golden Michael or Mike Golden may refer to: * Michael Golden (comics), American comic book and graphic novel artist and writer * Michael Golden (actor) (1913–1983), Irish-born English stage, film and television actor * Michael Golden (businessman), Amer ...

(1879) * Scott Hastings (1871, MGR) * Davy Jones (1901) *

Ed Killian Edwin Henry Killian (November 12, 1876 – July 18, 1928), nicknamed "Twilight Ed" and the "Twilight Twirler", was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Killian played professional baseball from 1902 to 1912, including seven ...

(1902-1903) *

Johnny Kling Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females. Variant ...

(1895, 1897) *

Art Kruger Arthur Theodore Kruger (March 16, 1881 – November 28, 1949) was a professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from -. He would play for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Naps, Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a c ...

(1902) *

Algie McBride Algernon Griggs "Algie" McBride (May 23, 1869 – January 10, 1956), was an American professional baseball player in the late 19th and early 20th century. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1869, he played as an outfielder for five seasons in Major Leag ...

(1895) * Dusty Miller (1892) *

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on Daredevil (Marvel Comics ser ...

(1908) *

Hugh Nicol Hugh N. Nicol (January 1, 1858 – June 27, 1921) was a Scottish born professional baseball player. An outfielder, Nicol played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Stockings, St. Louis Browns, Cincinnati Red Stockings, and Cincinn ...

(1879, 1891-1892, 1895-1896, 1901-1904) *

Paul O'Dea Paul O'Dea (July 3, 1920 – December 11, 1978) was an American professional baseball player, manager and scout. He saw Major League service during World War II for the and Cleveland Indians. He threw and batted left-handed, stood tall and we ...

(1948, MGR) * Dave Rowe (1879) *

Jack Rowe John Charles "Jack" Rowe (December 8, 1856 – April 25, 1911) was an American professional baseball player, manager and team owner from 1877 to 1898. He played 12 years in Major League Baseball, as a shortstop (657 games), catcher (298 games), ...

(1879) * Billy Serad (1891) *

Corky Valentine Harold Lewis "Corky" Valentine (January 4, 1929 – January 21, 2005) was an American professional baseball pitcher who worked in 46 career games in Major League Baseball as a member of the 1954 and 1955 Cincinnati Redlegs. Born in Troy, Ohio, ...

(1949)

Rockford Rox Year-by-year records

References

External links