The Western League was the name of several leagues in American minor league baseball. First, its earliest progenitor, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

. Later, during the 20th century, there were four incarnations of the Western League, including a Class D loop, formerly the Nebraska State League, that played from 1939 to 1941, and 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 ...

loop (outside of "organized baseball") that began play in

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

. This article, however, concentrates on the Western Leagues that played from 1900 to 1937 and from 1947 to 1958.

History

The league's longest-serving franchise was located in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, which joined the WL in 1900 and played continuously through 1937, when the league shut down during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Des Moines then rejoined the reborn Western circuit when

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Edwin C. Johnson Edwin Carl Johnson (January 1, 1884 – May 30, 1970) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as both governor of and U.S. senator from the state of Colorado. Background Johnson was born in Scandia in Republic County in ...

founded it in 1947; this team, 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 called the ''

Des Moines Bruins Des Moines Bruins were a minor league baseball based in Des Moines, Iowa. The team played in the Western League from 1947 to 1958. Their home ballpark was Pioneer Memorial Stadium, and they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs (1947–1957) and ...

'', then played for the final 12 years of the league's existence. Minor League baseball went unclassified through 1901. From 1902 until 1911, Class A was the highest level in the minor leagues. In 1912, a new top tier, Class AA, was created; in 1936, a second tier, Class A1, came into being. One year later, the existing Western League disbanded after it ended the 1937 season with only five teams, the

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 Ass ...

, disbanded on July 7. Then, in 1946, the Class AA leagues were renamed AAA, and the A1 loops were renamed AA. Thus the Western League – whose clubs were actually located in the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain States, the Upper Midwest and the Upper Southwest – was a top-level minor league until 1911, then two levels below

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

through 1935, and three steps removed in 1936–37 and when it was revived in

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

during the post-war minor league baseball boom. For several years in the 1910s, the Western League champion played a postseason series against the champion of the Class AA American Association for supremacy of the central states.

1947-1958

The Western League reformed in 1947 with six teams:

Denver Bears Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, Lincoln A's,

Omaha Cardinals The Omaha Cardinals were a minor league baseball team based in Omaha, Nebraska, from 1947 through 1959. They played in the Class A Western League through 1954 and in the Triple-A American Association from 1955 to 1959 as an affiliate of their m ...

Pueblo Dodgers The Pueblo Dodgers were a Class A minor league baseball team that was located in Pueblo, Colorado and played in the Western League from 1947 to 1958. History An affiliate of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1947-1957 and the Chicago Cubs (195 ...

and Sioux City Soos. All six clubs were affiliated with major league

farm system In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

s. The WL expanded to eight teams in 1950, adding the

Colorado Springs Sky Sox The Colorado Springs Sky Sox were a Minor League Baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and was the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Milwaukee Brewers (2015–2018), Colorado Rockie ...

and Wichita Indians, but the encroachment of televised baseball and major league franchise shifts into former AAA cities hit the league hard. In

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

, the Western League's two strongest franchises, the

and the

, were admitted to the AAA

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

. The WL continued for four more seasons before folding in the autumn of 1958. Its last champion, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, attracted only 61,000 fans for the season. In addition to the founding clubs and the Sky Sox, the postwar WL had teams in

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

Amarillo Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat, seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County. It is the List of cities in Texas by population, 14th-most populous city in Texas and th ...

Topeka 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 Uni ...

, and Wichita.

List of teams

1900-1958

Albuquerque Dukes The Albuquerque Dukes were a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. History The first Dukes team was formed in 1915 as part of the Class D Rio Grande Association. The team finished in third place with a 32-25 record. Frank ...

* Amarillo Texans ;

Amarillo Gold Sox The Amarillo Gold Sox was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise that represented the city of Amarillo, Texas, in the Class D West Texas–New Mexico League, the Class A Western League and the Double-A Texas League at various t ...

* Bartlesville Bronchos * Cedar Rapids Raiders * Cheyenne Indians *

Colorado Springs Millionaires The Colorado Springs Millionaires were a minor league baseball team, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado that played primarily in the Western League. History The first Colorado Springs team played in the Colorado State League in 1889 and 1896 ...

;

* Council Bluffs Rails *

Davenport Blue Sox The Davenport Blue Sox was the name given to three minor league baseball teams based in Davenport, Iowa. The first version of the Blue Sox played in the Class B Three-I League from 1913–1916. The second played in the Class D Mississippi Valle ...

;

Denver Grizzlies Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

; Denver Bears , , * Des Moines Hawkeyes ; Des Moines Millers ; Des Moines Midgets ; Des Moines Undertakers ; Des Moines Prohibitionists ; Des Moines Underwriters ; Des Moines Champions ; Des Moines Champs ;

Des Moines Boosters The Des Moines Boosters were a Western League minor league baseball team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States that existed from 1908 to 1924. Des Moines fielded teams in the Western League from 1900-1937 and 1947–1958. Hall of Famers Geor ...

; Des Moines Demons , * Hutchinson Wheatshockers ; Hutchinson Salt Packers , Hutchinson Wheatshockers *

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 ...

* Kansas City Blues ;

Kansas City Blue Stockings The Kansas City Blue Stockings were a minor league baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1902 and 1903, the Kansas City Blue Stockings played exclusively as members of the Class A level Western League, capturing the 1902 league champ ...

* Keokuk Indians * Lincoln Ducklings ; Lincoln Treeplanters ; Lincoln Greenbackers ;

Lincoln Railsplitters Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...

; Lincoln Greenbackers ; Lincoln Tigers ;

Lincoln Links The Lincoln Links were an American minor league baseball franchise that represented Lincoln, Nebraska, for 18 seasons over a 23-year period (1917–39) during the 20th century. They played in the Class A Western League (1917; 1924–27), the Cla ...

, ; * Lincoln Athletics ;

Lincoln Chiefs Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

* Milwaukee Creams *

Minneapolis Millers The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...

Mitchell Kernels The Mitchell Kernels were a minor league baseball team based in Mitchell, South Dakota. The Kernels played as members of the South Dakota League (1920), Dakota League (1921–1922), South Dakota League (1923), Nebraska State League (1936–1937) ...

Muskogee Oilers The Muskogee Oilers were a professional, minor league baseball team that played in the Western League in 1933. They began the year in Wichita, Kansas as the Wichita Oilers, but moved to Muskogee, Oklahoma after being evicted from their park in W ...

Norfolk Elks The Norfolk Elks were a Nebraska State League (1928–1938), Tri-State League (1924) and Western League (baseball, 1939-41), Western League baseball team based in Norfolk, Nebraska, United States. They were affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinal ...

;

Norfolk Yankees The Norfolk Yankees were a Western League baseball team based in Norfolk, Nebraska, United States that played from 1940 to 1941. They were affiliated with the New York Yankees. Jim Dyck, who played Major League Baseball Major League Baseball ...

Oklahoma City Indians The Oklahoma City Indians was the primary name of an American professional baseball team representing Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, from 1904 though 1957, except for 1913 and three seasons during World War II. The team played in several different minor ...

Omaha Omahogs Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

; Omaha Indians ; Omaha Rangers ; Omaha Rourkes ; Omaha Buffaloes ;

Omaha Crickets Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County, Nebraska, Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. List of ...

; Omaha Packers ;

Omaha Robin Hoods Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

;

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 ...

Pueblo Indians The Puebloans or Pueblo peoples, are Native Americans in the Southwestern United States who share common agricultural, material, and religious practices. Currently 100 pueblos are actively inhabited, among which Taos, San Ildefonso, Acoma, Zun ...

; Pueblo Steelworkers ; Pueblo Braves ;

Pueblo Rollers In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Tribe (Native American), Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorer ...

;

; Rock Island Rocks ; Rock Island Islanders * St. Paul Saints * St. Joseph Saints ; St. Joseph Drummers ; St. Joseph Saints ; St. Joseph Saints *

Sioux City Cornhuskers The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota: /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations peoples in North America. The modern Sioux consist of two major divisions based on language divisions: the Dakota and ...

; Sioux City Soos ;

Sioux City Packers The Sioux City Packers was the primary name of the minor league baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa playing in various seasons between 1888 and 1960. History Sioux City has a long professional baseball history. The team was known as the S ...

; Sioux City Soos ; Sioux City Packers ; Sioux City Indians ; Sioux City Packers ;

Sioux City Cowboys The Sioux City Cowboys were a minor league baseball team that played in the Western League (1900–1958), Western League (1934–1937), Nebraska State League (1938) and another incarnation of the Western League (baseball, 1939-41), Western League (1 ...

; ioux City Soos ; Sioux City Cowboys ; Sioux City Soos *Sioux Falls Canaries *Springfield Cardinals *Topeka Jayhawks ; Topeka Kaws ; Topeka Jayhawks ; Topeka Savages ; Topeka Kaw-nees ; Topeka Jayhawks ; Topeka Senators ; Topeka Hawks *Tulsa Oilers (baseball), Tulsa Oilers * Waterloo Hawks (baseball), Waterloo Hawks ; Waterloo Reds * Wichita Jobbers ; Wichita Witches ; Wichita Jobbers ; (Wichita Witches ; Wichita Izzies ; Wichita Larks ;

Wichita Aviators The Wichita Aviators were a professional indoor football team that played in the American Professional Football League (APFL). The Aviators played their home games in Britt Brown Arena at the Kansas Coliseum during the team's first season (20 ...

; Wichita Oilers ; Wichita Indians * Worthington Cardinals

1900 to 1936 standings & statistics

1900

The new Western League formed as a Class B league in 1900. Charter teams were the:

, Des Moines Hawkeyes,

and St. Joseph Saints.

1901

The teams in Pueblo and Sioux City folded. New teams in

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

, and St. Paul, Minnesota, formed and joined the League. Teams from

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, and

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

moved from the

1902

The Minneapolis and St. Paul teams joined the

. New teams in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, and

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria ...

, formed and joined the League.

1903

1904

The teams in Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Peoria folded. the

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...

team from the Iowa–South Dakota League joined the League.

1905

The Colorado Springs team, with a record of 22–48, moved to

Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo () is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo County, Colorado ...

on July 15, where they had a record of 30–44.

1906

The St. Joseph team moved to 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 ...

. A new team in

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...

, formed and joined the League.

1907

1908

1909

Teams from

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 ...

, and

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...

, joined from the

1910

The Pueblo team folded. A new team in

St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...

, formed and joined the League.

1911

The Wichita team, with a record of 15–9, moved to

on May 22, Their record there was 77–66.

1912

The Pueblo team moved back to

. Denver defeated the Minneapolis team of the

4 games to 1.

1913

Milwaukee of the

defeated Denver 4 games to 2.

1914

Wichita Jobbers renamed Wichita Wolves. Indianapolis of the

defeated Denver 4 games to 2.

1915

1916

The Wichita team, with a record of 58–84, moved to

on September 10. Their record there was 2–10. Louisville of the

defeated Omaha 4 games to 1.

1917

The Topeka team folded. A new team in

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 ...

formed and joined the League. Colorado Springs moved back to Wichita. St. Joseph, with a record of 34–56, moved to Hutchinson, where their record was 32–24, on July 24. Sioux City moved to St. Joseph on August 5. Hutchinson defeated Joplin 3 games to none for the second half title. Des Moines defeated Hutchinson 4 games to 2 for the championship.

1918

The Denver and Lincoln teams folded. New teams in

, and

, formed and joined the League. Hutchinson, with a record of 14–19, moved to

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

on June 2, where they compiled a record of 19–18. Topeka, with a record of 19–13, moved to Hutchinson, Kansas, where they compiled a record of 18–18, on June 2. The League suspended operations on July 7 due to World War I.

1919

The Hutchinson team folded. A new team was formed in

Tulsa, Oklahoma 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 ...

, and joined the League. Tulsa lead St. Joseph 3 games to 1 in the championship series when the series was cancelled due to bad weather. Wichita's Joe Wilhoit had a 69-game hitting streak, which remains the professional baseball record.

1920

1921

1922

Joplin moved to the

. A new team formed in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and joined the League. Tulsa beat Mobile of the

Southern Association The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), Cl ...

4 games to 1, with 1 tie

1923

1924

Sioux City moved to the

Tri-State League The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball. History The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. The second leagu ...

. Lincoln joined from the Nebraska State League.

1925

1926

Springfield of the Three-I League led Des Moines 3 games to 1 when the series was cancelled due to bad weather.

1927

St. Joseph moved to the

. A new team in

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...

formed and joined. Waco of the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

beat Tulsa 3 games to 2, with 1 tie.

1928

Lincoln moved to the Nebraska State League. A new team in

, formed and joined the League. Tulsa beat Oklahoma City 4 games to 1, with 1 tie, for the championship.

1929

Amarillo folded. The

team from the

joined.

1930

The Tulsa team folded. A new team formed in

and joined the League.

1931

Des Moines Demons beat Wichita 4 games to 2 for the championship.

1932

Topeka moved to the

. The Tulsa team joined. Oklahoma City beat Tulsa 2 games to 1 for the second half title. Tulsa beat Oklahoma City 4 games to none for the championship.

1933

Denver & Pueblo folded. Oklahoma City and Tulsa moved to the

. The teams from

Hutchinson, Kansas Hutchinson is the largest city and county seat in Reno County, Kansas, United States, and located on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch". As of the 2020 cen ...

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 from the

. New teams in

, and

, formed and joined the League. Wichita, with a record of 6–13, moved to Muskogee on June 6, keeping the Oilers name, where they had a record of 20–82. Hutchinson, with a record of 25–32, moved on July 7 to Bartlesville, where they had a record of 26–38. St. Joseph beat Topeka 4 games to 1. St. Joseph lost to the

from the

Mississippi Valley League The Mississippi Valley League (MVL) was a baseball Class D level minor league that operated from 1922 through 1933. Playing its last year as a Class B level league, the league franchises were based in Iowa and Illinois. Like many leagues at the ...

4 games to 2.

1934

Bartlesville, Joplin, Muskogee, and Springfield moved to the

. The teams from

, and

joined from the

. New teams in

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River, north of Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City and north ...

, and

formed and joined the League. St. Joseph beat Sioux City 3 games to 1 in the first round of playoffs. Davenport beat Des Moines by the same number. In the championship, St. Joseph beat Davenport 4 games to 3.

1935

Topeka folded. A new team in

Keokuk, Iowa Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States, along with Fort Madison. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk, who is ...

formed and joined the League. Omaha, with a record of 22–15, moved to

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...

on June 25, where they had a record of 33–31. Rock Island folded July 17. Council Bluffs folded August 27. Sioux City beat Davenport 3 games to none, and St. Joseph beat Des Moines 3 games to none, in the first round of the playoffs. St. Joseph beat Sioux City 4 games to 3 for the championship.

1936

Keokuk and St. Joseph folded. New teams formed in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, and

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...

, and joined the League. Omaha moved to Rock Island on August 18.

1937

Rock Island folded July 7. Cedar Rapids and Waterloo moved to the Three-I League. Sioux City moved to the Nebraska State League. Davenport, Des Moines, and the League itself folded.

1939 to 1941 standings & statistics

1939 Western League Playoffs: Sioux City 3 games, Norfolk 2; Lincoln 3 games, Sioux Falls 2
Finals: Sioux City 4 games, Lincoln 2. 1940 Western League Sioux City moved to Mitchell July 24.
The league played four quarters. Norfolk won the first, second and fourth quarters, while Sioux Falls won the third quarter.
Playoff: Sioux Falls 4 games, Norfolk 2. 1941 Western League Playoffs: Norfolk 3 games, Sioux City 2; Pueblo 3 games, Cheyenne 1
Finals: Pueblo 3 games, Norfolk 2. The League did not operate from 1942 - 1946. It returned in 1947 and regained its Class A Status.

1947 to 1958 standings & statistics

1947 Western League Playoffs: Sioux City 3 games, Omaha 1; Pueblo 3 games, Des Moines 1
Finals: Pueblo 4 games, Sioux City 1. 1948 Western League Playoffs: Lincoln 3 games, Des Moines 2; Sioux City 3 games, Denver 2. Lincoln defeated Sioux City 6-0 for third place.
Finals: Sioux City 4 games, Lincoln 2. 1949 Western League Playoffs: Denver defeated Pueblo 5-3 for second place. Des Moines 3 games, Lincoln 1; Pueblo 3 games, Denver 1
Finals: Pueblo 4 games, Des Moines 3. 1950 Western League Playoffs: Wichita 3 games, Omaha 0; Sioux City 3 games, Des Moines 2
Finals: Sioux City 3 games, Wichita 1. 1951 Western League' Playoffs: Sioux City 3 games, Omaha 1; Denver 3 games, Wichita 1
Finals: Sioux City 3 games, Denver 1. 1952 Western League' Playoffs: Denver 3 games, Sioux City 1; Omaha 3 games, Colorado Springs 1
Finals: Denver 3 games, Omaha 0. 1953 Western League' Playoffs: Des Moines 3 games, Colorado Springs 1; Denver 3 games, Pueblo 0
Finals: Des Moines 3 games, Denver 1. 1954 Western League' Playoffs: Denver 3 games, Pueblo 1; Des Moines 3 games, Omaha 1
Finals: Des Moines 3 games, Denver 1. 1955 Western League' Playoffs: Des Moines 3 games, Colorado Springs 1; Wichita 3 games, Pueblo 2. Wichita defeated Des Moines in a one-game playoff for third place.
Finals: Wichita 3 games, Des Moines 0. 1956 Western League Playoff: Lincoln 4 games, Amarillo 1. 1957 Western League No Playoffs held. 1958 Western League No Playoffs held.

Media

The Western League was the topic of the book ''The Western League: A Baseball History, 1885 through 1999'' (2002, McFarland Publishing) by

W.C. Madden W.C. Madden is a retired journalist, teacher and author who has written multiple books about baseball, including two about the AAGPBL. He has also written about the Western League and the College World Series. While much of his work is based on ba ...

& Patrick J. Stewart. The .

References

*Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, editors. ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'', 1997 edition. Durham, North Carolina: ''

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''. *Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. ''Minor League Baseball Standings: All North American Leagues, Through 1999.'' Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland. {{DEFAULTSORT:Western League (1900-1958) 1900 establishments in the United States Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Defunct professional sports leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in New Mexico Baseball leagues in Iowa Baseball leagues in Nebraska Baseball leagues in Colorado Baseball leagues in Missouri Baseball leagues in Kansas Baseball leagues in Oklahoma Baseball leagues in Texas Baseball leagues in Wisconsin Baseball leagues in Illinois Baseball leagues in Minnesota Sports leagues established in 1885 Sports leagues disestablished in 1958