The Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League (or KOM League) was a name of an American minor league baseball league which was established in 1946 and played through 1952. As the name indicates, the Class D level league had franchises based in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Baseball Hall of Fame members Mickey Mantle played in the league for the 1949 Independence Yankees and Burleigh Grimes managed the 1948 Independence Yankees.
History The Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League was founded after World War II and ran from 1946 through 1952 as a Class D level league. Like many post-war minor leagues, it did not last a complete decade of play. During the seven year run of the league there were nine cities that represented the league. Four were from Kansas, four from Oklahoma and one from Missouri.
E.L. Dale served as the League president for its entire seven years of operation. The Ponca City Dodgers won three of the seven league titles, winning championships in 1948, 1950 and 1951. No other team won more than one championship. The total attendance of the KOM league, in the seven year period, reached slightly over two million fans. In 1948 the league had its best year, drawing 387,980, before the league permanently folded after the 1952 season. The Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League League had 1,588 total players, 30 made it to the majors and one made it to the Hall of Fame. In his first professional season, Mickey Mantle played for the 1949 Independence Yankees, hitting .313 with 7 HR, 63 RBI. Just graduated from high school in Oklahoma, Mantle received a $1,100 signing bonus from the New York Yankees and a salary of $400 for the rest of the season.
Cities represented
Bartlesville, OK: Bartlesville Oilers (1946–1947) Bartlesville Pirates (1948–1952) Blackwell, OK: Blackwell Broncos (1952) Carthage, MO: Carthage Cardinals (1946–1948) Carthage Cubs (1949–1951) Chanute, KS: Chanute Owls (1946) Chanute Athletics (1947, 1949–1950) Chanute Giants (1948) Independence, KS: Independence Yankees (1947–1950) Independence Browns 1952 Iola, KS: Iola Cubs (1946-1947) Iola Indians (1948–1952) Miami, OK: Miami Blues (1946) Miami Owls (1947-1949) Miami Eagles (1950–1952) Pittsburg, KS: Pittsburg Browns (1946–1951) Pittsburg Pirates (1952) Ponca City, OK: Ponca City Dodgers (1947–1952)
Standings & statistics 1946 to 1947 1946 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League - schedule The League and all of its member teams were created. Teams were formed in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Carthage, Missouri, Chanute, Kansas, Iola, Kansas, Miami, Oklahoma, and Pittsburg, Kansas.
Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttend Managers Chanute OwlsTopeka Owls6853.562-41,600 Goldie Howard Miami BluesBrooklyn Dodgers 6954.561-49,266 Ted Vernon / Guy Froman Iola Cubs Chicago Cubs6357.5254½45,231 Al Reitz Pittsburg Browns St. Louis Browns6159.5086½42,932 Jimmie Crandall Carthage CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals5466.45013½ 47,400Buzz Arlitt Bartlesville Oilers Pittsburgh Pirates4773.39220½ 46,822 Keith Willoughby Playoffs: Iola 3 games, Miami 2; Chanute 3 games, Pittsburg 2. Finals: Iola 3 games, Chanute 3. Rest of playoffs called off due to rain and lack of available playing grounds. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Newt Keithley MiamiBA.346Ross GrimsleyChanuteW18 Richard Bulkley ChanuteRuns111 Oscar Walterman CarthageW18 Newt Keithley MiamiHits167Ross GrimsleyChanuteSO295 Buzz Arlitt CarthageRBI82Ross GrimsleyChanuteERA1.93 Larry Singleton IolaHR10Ross GrimsleyChanutePCT.783 18-5 Brooklyn assigned a few players to Miami that season but the team was actually run by Ted Vernon of Amarillo, Texas. When it was discovered that the Miami Baseball Club Inc. had turned the reigns of the operation of the club to Mr. Vernon, W. G. Bramham, the President of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, sent a very stern letter to the Miami baseball officials that the rules had been violated in this matter. The next year the Dodgers moved their franchise to Ponca City, Oklahoma and Mr. Vernon returned to Amarillo.
Chanute beat Pittsburg by 3 games to 2 in the first round of the playoffs. Iola beat Miami by the same number. The championship series between Chanute and Iola ended tied at three games apiece, although Chanute won 4 games. A dispute arose between the Chanute and Iola club officials regarding Chanute selecting Dave Dennis from the Miami club for the playoffs. Although Iola owner Earl Sifers originally agreed to the arrangement he later changed his mind. By the time the dispute was settled it was too late in the fall, young men had to go back to school, the rodeo took over the ball park playing area and then the rains came.
1947 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League Teams from Independence, Kansas and Ponca City, Oklahoma joined. Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttend Managers Miami OwlsTopeka Owls7649.608-53,119William Davis Iola CubsChicago Cubs 6954.5616 39,862 Al ReitzPittsburg Browns St. Louis Browns 6954.5616 59,435 Jimmie CrandallBartlesville Oilers Pittsburgh Pirates 6856.5487½ 64,074 Edward Marleau Carthage CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals6659.52810 42,838Woody Fair / Alvin Kluttz Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers6162.49614 55,554Boyd Bartley Chanute AthleticsNone4480.35531½ 34,758 Dave Dennis / Charles Bates Independence YankeesNew York Yankees4180.33933 22,460 Goldie Howard Playoffs: Miami 3 games, Bartlesville 1; Iola 3 games, Pittsburg 1. Finals: Miami 4 games, Iola 1. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Loren Packard MiamiBA.364 Carroll Dial BartlesvilleW22 Albert Solenberger BartlesvilleRuns131 James Morris MiamiSO240 Loren Packard MiamiHits185 Carroll Dial BartlesvilleERA3.32 Loren Packard MiamiRBI124 Jim Post PittsburgPCT.813 13-3 Jim BaxesPonca CityHR20
1948 to 1949 1948 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttend Managers Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers7947.627-78,305Boyd Bartley Independence YankeesNew York Yankees7446.6172 46,270 Goldie Howard / Burleigh Grimes / Bones Sanders Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates7152.5776½ 64,090 Edward MarleauPittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns6060.50016 53,743 Shan Deniston / Donald Smith Miami OwlsTopeka Owls5866.46820 33,716 Arthur Priebe / James Hansen Carthage CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals5167.43224 36,525 Alvin Kluttz Iola IndiansCleveland Indians5172.41526½ 42,770 Al Reitz Chanute Giants New York Giants4478.36133 32,561Al Smith Playoffs: Pittsburg 3 games, Ponca City 2; Independence 3 games, Bartlesville 2. Finals: Independence 4 games, Pittsburg 1. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot William Fox ChanuteBA.327 Harland Coffman IndependenceW18 Louis Godla BartlesvilleRuns83 Lou Michels IndependenceW18 Al Solenberger BartlesvilleHits134 Joseph Tufteland Ponca CityW18 Charles Sturnborg PittsburgRBI78Bill PierroBartlesvilleSO300 Charles Sturnborg PittsburgHR13 Harland Coffman IndependenceERA1.94 Joseph Beran Ponca CityHR13 Joseph Tufteland Ponca CityPCT.900 18-2
1949 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League schedule Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttend Managers Independence YankeesNew York Yankees7153.573-46,607Harry Craft Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates7155.5631 51,000Tedd Gullic Iola IndiansCleveland Indians7055.5601½ 49,491 Windy Johnson Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers6659.5285½ 62,082 Boyd Bartley Chanute AthleticsNone6560.5206½ 39,228 James Hansen / Charles BatesCarthage CubsChicago Cubs6264.49210 38,028Don AndersonMiami OwlsTopeka Owls5669.44815½ 32,887 Omar Lane Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns3985.31532 39,755 Al Barkus / Olan Smith Playoffs: Independence 3 games, Ponca City 1; Iola 3 games, Bartlesville 1. Finals: Independence 3 games, Iola 0. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Richard Drury BartlesvilleBA.317Jake ThiesChanuteW18 Charles Weber IndependenceRuns98 Bob Weisler IndependenceSO240 James Bello IndependenceHits156 Conrad Swensson Ponca CityERA1.69 Harry BrightMiamiRBI96 Conrad Swensson Ponca CityPCT.800 12-3 Bob SpeakeCarthageHR14
1950 to 1952 1950 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttend Managers Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers8042.656-63,313Boyd Bartley Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates 7348.6036½ 56,250Tedd Gullic Carthage CubsChicago Cubs 7550.6006½ 29,080 Don AndersonPittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns 7152.5779½ 43,953 Olan Smith / Jimmie CrandallMiami EaglesNone6260.50818 27,548 Jack Hodge / Jim Oglesby / Pug Griffin Independence YankeesNew York Yankees6066.47622 38,274 Bunny Mick / Bones SandersIola IndiansNone3584.29443½ 23,872 Windy JohnsonChanute AthleticsNone3589.28246 21,372Charles Bates /Thomas Imfeld / Chuck Hostetler Playoffs: Ponca City 3 games, Pittsburg 2; Bartlesville 3 games, Carthage 1. Finals: Ponca City 3 games, Bartlesville 1. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Stan Gwinn Ponca CityBA.320 Tom Vines CarthageW17 Jim PisoniPittsburgRuns115 Donald McKeonMiamiW17 Don Hunter Ponca CityHits152 Tom Vines CarthageSO234 Loren Doll Ponca CityHits152 David Elliot BartlesvilleERA2.04 Harold Neighbors BartlesvilleRBI107 Joe Stanek Ponca CityPCT.846 11-2 Willard Davis Ponca CityHR21
1951 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League The teams in Chanute and Independence folded. Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttend Managers Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers8539.686-44,960George Scherger Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates7745.6317 34,296Tedd Gullic Miami Eagles None6755.54917 23,500 Pug Griffin / Tom Warren Carthage CubsChicago Cubs6065.48025½ 20,022Don Anderson / Al ReitzPittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns4180.33942½ 22,534 Bill EnosIola IndiansNone3884.31146 16,981 Forrest L. Crawford / Al Reitz/ Mason Pool / Floyd Temple Playoffs: Carthage 3 games, Ponca City 2; Miami 3 games, Bartletsville 1. Finals: Carthage 3 games, Miami 0. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Jack Denison Ponca CityBA.365Ron KlineBartlesvilleW18 Jack Denison Ponca CityRuns133 Donald Cochran BartlesvilleW18 Jack Denison Ponca CityHits167Ron KlineBarletsvilleSO208 Robert Ottesen PittsburgRBI89 John Mudd CarthageERA2.12 Brandy DavisBartlesvilleHR13Ron KlineBartlesvillePCT.818 18-4 Bill Phillips BartlesvilleHR13
1952 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League The Carthage Cubs moved to Blackwell, Oklahoma. The Pittsburg Brownies moved to Independence, Kansas. The Bartlesville Pirates moved to the now-vacant Pittsburg on July 7. Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttend Managers Iola IndiansNone7947.627-42,327Floyd Temple / Woody Fair Miami EaglesPhiladelphia Phillies6757.54011 43,008 John Davenport Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers6858.54011 55,726 Boyd Bartley Bartlesville Pirates / Pittsburg Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates 5965.47619 34,267 Hersh Martin / Ed Hayes Blackwell BroncosChicago Cubs5769.45222 51,000 Al ReitzIndependence Browns St. Louis Browns4680.36533 39,487 Fred Collins Bartlesville moved to Pittsburg July 7. Playoffs: Ponca City 1 game, Iola 0; Miami 1 game, Pittsburg 0; Finals: Miami 2 games, Ponca City 0. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot John Vossen MiamiBA.335 Joe VilkIolaW26 Paul Weeks IolaRuns128[Jim OwensMiamiS0300 Gaspar del Toro IolaHits155Jim OwensMiamiERA1.76 John Davenport MiamiRBI116 Joe Vilk IolaPCT.813 26-6 Don Ervin MiamiHR24
References
External links Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. Minor League Baseball Standings:All North American Leagues, Through 1999. Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland. Hall, John G. "Majoring in the Minors--a glimpse of baseball in a small town. 1996 Oklahoma Bylines. . Reprinted 2000 by Inter-State Printing. Sedalia, Missouri. Hall, John G. "The KOM League Remembered." Arcadia Publishing. Charleston SC, Chicago IL, Portsmouth NH, San Francisco. . Hall, John G. "Mickey Mantle Before the Glory." Leathers Publishing, Leawood, Kansas 2006. .
External links Baseball Reference