The Iowa State League was a minor league baseball league that played from 1904 to 1907 and again in 1912. The Class D level league had franchises based in Illinois and Iowa. The Ottumwa Snappers franchise won league championships in 1904 and 1905. In 1908, the Iowa State League evolved to become the Central Association.
History The Iowa State League began play in 1904 as an eight-team Class D level minor league in and around Iowa, United States. The league played four seasons and ceased operations following the 1907 season. Seven of the eight 1907 Iowa State League teams formed the Central Association in 1908. The Iowa State League had the formal name as the Iowa League of Professional Baseball Clubs.Johnson, Lloyd and Miles Wolff, editors, The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Second Edition (1997), pp. 142,146,151,155. Baseball America, Inc. .
The Iowa State League reformed in 1912 as an Independent league. Estherville defeated Fort Dodge in the league playoffs to claim the championship. The league permanently folded after the season.
Cities represented Boone, Iowa – Boone Coal Miners (1904), Boone Greyhounds (1905), Boone Miners (1906) Burlington, Iowa – Burlington River Rats (1904), Burlington Flint Hills (1905), Burlington Pathfinders (1906–1907) Clear Lake, Iowa – Clear Lake Fish Eaters (1912) Clinton, Iowa – Clinton Miners (1906) Emmetsburg, Iowa – Emmetsburg (1912) Estherville, Iowa – Estherville (1912) Fort Dodge, Iowa – Fort Dodge Gypsum Eaters (1904), Fort Dodge Gypsumites (1905–1906), Fort Dodge Boosters (1912) Jacksonville, Illinois – Jacksonville Lunatics (1907) Keokuk, Iowa – Keokuk Indians (1904–1907) Marshalltown, Iowa – Marshalltown Grays (1904–1905), Marshalltown Brownies (1906), Marshalltown Snappers (1906) Mason City, Iowa – Mason City Cementmakers (1912) Oskaloosa, Iowa – Oskaloosa Quakers (1904–1907) Ottumwa, Iowa – Ottumwa Snappers (1904–1905), Ottumwa Champs (1906), Ottumwa Packers (1907) Quincy, Illinois – Quincy Gems (1907) Waterloo, Iowa – Waterloo Microbes (1904–1906), Waterloo Cubs (1907)
Standings & statistics
1904 to 1907 1904 Iowa State League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGBAttend Managers Ottumwa Snappers7036.660-17,630 Snapper Kennedy Waterloo Microbes 6443.5986½18,695James Myers / Charles ColeMarshalltown Grays 6049.55011.½23,117 Robert Warner Keokuk Indians5850.5371315,741Tom Hackett Ft. Dodge Gypsum Eaters5752.52314½13,582Frank BoyleBoone Coal Miners 5061.45022½16,581Thomas Reynolds / Walter Holcomb O.P. DePew Oskaloosa Quakers3869.35532½16,620William Tilley / Red Donahue Burlington River Rats 3673.33035½21,352F.L. Sullivan / George Stovall Bob Black
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Snapper KennedyOttumwaBA.325 Louis Schaub OttumwaW23 Snapper KennedyOttumwaHits142 Louis Schaub Ottumwa SO298 Joe Beaver OttumwaRuns76 Louis Schaub OttumwaPct.767; 23-7 Al Spencer OttumwaRuns76 1905 Iowa State League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGBAttend Managers Ottumwa Snappers7445.621-22,261 Snapper Kennedy Ft. Dodge Gypsumites 7349.5992½19,270Frank Boyle Boone Greyhounds 6554.5469 19,588 Frank Haller Oskaloosa Quakers6556.53710 22,256Howard Cassiboine Keokuk Indians5962.48816 18,931Ned Egan Marshalltown Grays 5566.45420 NABobby Warner Waterloo Microbes5669.44821 19,754Harry Meek / Frank Lohr Burlington Flint Hills 3783.36837½26,635Rusty Owens / Thomas Reynolds Charlie Frisbee +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Harry Meek Waterloo/BooneBA.320 Harry Corns BooneW25 Harry Meek Waterloo/BooneHits152 Melvin Blexurd Keokuk SO207 John Bassey BooneRuns83Fred Steel OskaloosaPct.857; 18-3 Red FisherBooneRuns83 1906 Iowa State League schedule Team StandingsWLPCTGB Managers Burlington Pathfinders8339.680- Ned Egan Oskaloosa Quakers 7549.6059 Ham Patterson Fort Dodge Gypsumites 6849.58112½ Frank Boyle Marshalltown Brownies6555.54217 Rollo Brown Keokuk Indians5367.44224 Pat McAndrewsBoone Miners/Clinton Miners 4670.39734 William Wooley / Pat Ryan Harold Johnson Waterloo Microbes4876.38736 Charlie Frisbee / Ernest G. Anklam Ottumwa Champs 4477.36438½ William Niles / William Everett Boone moved to Clinton July 14.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Bill DavidsonFt. DodgeBA.344 Frank Shaw OscaloosaW29 Cy NeighborsBurlingtonHits161 Joe Bills Keokuk SO209 Cy NeighborsBurlingtonRuns96 Frank Dick MarshalltownPct.857; 18-3
1907 Iowa State League schedule Team StandingsWLPCTGBAttend Managers Waterloo Cubs7945.637-27,992 Frank BoyleBurlington Pathfinders 7751.6024 43,420Ned EganOskaloosa Quakers 7055.5609½ 22,585 Ham Patterson Jacksonville Lunatics6361.50816 29,448Frank Belt Marshalltown Snappers6261.50416½ 14,992Snapper Kennedy Quincy Gems 6166.48019½ 37,000Harry Hofer Ottumwa Packers5174.40828½ 24,974Jack Corbett Keokuk Indians 3989.30542 20,760Cy Black / Charles Yeager +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot John House BurlingtonBA.308 Frank Green BurlingtonW28 John HouseBurlingtonHits158 Fred Steel OscaloosaPct.817; 9-2 John House BurlingtonRuns91
1912 1912 Iowa State League schedule Team StandingsWLPCTGBManagers Mason City Cementmakers3827.585-Frank BarberFort Dodge Boosters3425.5761 Connie Collins Estherville2822.5602½ Harry Welch Emmetsburg2438.38712½ Ed Smithson Clear Lake Fish Eaters 1124.314NADick Wells / M. Bacon Clear Lake folded July 14 Playoffs: Estherville 4 games, Fort Dodge 1.
References