The Kitty League, formally known as the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League, was a Class D level minor league baseball circuit that went through six different periods of play between 1903 and 1955. The League hosted teams in 29 cities from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee.
History The first Kitty League played from 1903 through 1906. The next one ran from 1910 through 1914. The third try played the 1916 season. The circuit was revived in 1922 and lasted three years. The fifth Kitty League lasted the longest, playing from 1935 through 1955 with a break from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II. The league was also known briefly as the Kentucky–Indiana–Tennessee League, for during this time the league contained teams such as the Evansville Yankees from Evansville, Indiana. Unlike most leagues that were dormant for years in between playing, the Kitty was much the same from 1903 to 1955, through its inactive years. Clifton C. Gosnell was league president in 1906, after which the league stopped playing, and was president in 1910–1911 when play resumed. Then Dr. Frank H. Bassett was league president 1912–1914, 1916, 1922–1924, and 1935–1937, through the active times and the inactive. Hopkinsville, Kentucky was represented for 28 of the 31 active seasons of the Kitty League, while Paducah, Kentucky made it for 23.
League name revived
In 2004, the league moniker was reincarnated, as a summer collegiate baseball league called the "KIT League" was formed. Members of the KIT League featured some of the former Kitty League cities, who formed teams and revived their previous monikers, such as the Fulton Railroaders, Owensboro Oilers and Union City Greyhounds. The KIT League is now defunct, with the teams having evolved to form the currently active ten–team Ohio Valley League in 2010.
Media The league history was the subject of a book. The Kitty League was written by Joshua Maxwell and Kevin McCann and published in 2012.
Cities represented
Bowling Green, Kentucky: Bowling Green Barons (1939–1942) Cairo, Illinois: Cairo Egyptians (1903, 1912–1914, 1922–1924, 1946–1948) Cairo Champions (1904) Cairo Giants (1905–1906) Cairo Dodgers (1949–1950) Central City, Kentucky: Central City Reds (1954) Clarksville, Tennessee: Clarksville Villagers (1903) Clarksville Grays (1904) Clarksville Volunteers (1910, 1913, 1916) Clarksville Billies (1911) Clarksville Rebels (1912) Clarksville Boosters (1914) Clarksville Owls (1946) Clarksville Colts (1947 Clarksville Cats (1948–1949) Danville, Illinois: Danville Old Soldiers (1906) Dawson Springs, Kentucky: Dawson Springs Resorters (1916) Dyersburg, Tennessee: Dyersburg Forked Deers (1923–1924) Evansville, Indiana: Evansville Yankees (1912) Fulton, Kentucky: Fulton Colonels (1911); Fulton Railroaders (1922–1924, 1949–1951) Fulton Eagles (1936–1938) Fulton Tigers (1939–1942) Fulton Chicks (1946–1948) Fulton Lookouts (1952–1955) Harrisburg, Illinois: Harrisburg Merchants (1910) Harrisburg Miners (1911) Harrisburg Coal Miners (1913) Henderson, Kentucky: Henderson Hens (1903, 1905, 1911–1914, 1916) Henderson Blue Birds (1904) Hopkinsville, Kentucky: Hopkinsville Hoppers (1903, 1910–1914, 1916, 1922–1923, 1935–1942, 1946–1954) Hopkinsville Browns (1904) Jackson, Tennessee: Jackson Railroaders (1903) Jackson Climbers (1911) Jackson Blue Jays (1924) Jackson Generals (1935–1942, 1950–1954) Jacksonville, Illinois: Jacksonville Jacks (1906) Lexington, Tennessee: Lexington Giants (1935–1938) Madisonville, Kentucky: Madisonville Miners (1916, 1922, 1946–1955) Mattoon, Illinois & Charleston, Illinois: Mattoon-Charleston Canaries (1906) Mayfield, Kentucky: Mayfield Pantsmakers (1922–1924) Mayfield Clothiers (1936–1938, 1946–1955) Mayfield Browns (1939–1941) McLeansboro, Illinois: McLeansboro Miners (1910–1911) Milan, Tennessee & Trenton, Tennessee: Milan-Trenton Twins (1923) Owensboro, Kentucky: Owensboro Distillers (1903, 1914, 1916) Owensboro Pirates (1936) Owensboro Oilers (1937–1942, 1946–1955) Paducah, Kentucky: Paducah Chiefs (1903, 1912–1913, 1951–1955) Paducah Indians (1904–1906, 1910, 1914, 1922–1923, 1936–1941) Paducah Polecats (1911) Paducah Red Birds (1935) Paris, Tennessee: Paris Travelers (1922); Paris Parisians (1923–1924) Portageville, Missouri: Portageville Pirates (1935–1936) Princeton, Kentucky: Princeton Infants (1905) Springfield, Tennessee: Springfield Blanket Makers (1923) Trenton, Tennessee: Trenton Reds (1922) Union City, Tennessee: Union City Greyhounds (1935–1942, 1946–1952) Union City Dodgers (1953–1955) Vincennes, Indiana: Vincennes Alices (1903–1906, 1910, 1913) Vincennes Hoosiers (1911)
Championship titles
1903 – Cairo Egyptians 1904 – Paducah Indians 1905 – Paducah Indians 1906 – Vincennes Alices 1910 – McLeansboro Miners / Vincennes Alices 1911 – Fulton Colonels / Hopkinsville Hoppers 1912 – Clarksville Rebels 1913 – Paducah Chiefs 1914 – Cairo Egyptians 1916 – Clarksville Volunteers 1922 – Mayfield Pantsmakers 1923 – Mayfield Pantsmakers 1924 – Dyersburg Forked Deers 1935 – None declared 1936 – Union City Greyhounds 1937 – Mayfield Clothiers 1938 – Jackson Generals 1939 – Bowling Green Barons 1940 – Jacksonville Generals 1941 – Mayfield Browns 1942 – Fulton Tigers 1946 – Owensboro Oilers 1947 – Hopkinsville Hoppers 1948 – Union City Greyhounds 1949 – Madisonville Miners 1950 – Mayfield Clothiers 1951 – Fulton Railroaders 1952 – Madisonville Miners 1953 – Paducah Chiefs 1954 – Union City Dodgers 1955 – Paducah Chiefs
Standings and statistics 1903 to 1906
1903 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Cairo Egyptians6741.620- G.P. Eichenbarger Clarksville Villagers 6043.5834½ Claude Carlisle Jackson Railroaders 5352.50512½ Grant Gorman Henderson Hens 4860.44419 Peter Webber Paducah Chiefs 4759.44319 Sam Jackson / Roy Gage Cooney Best Hopkinsville Hoppers 4563.41722 Frank Bassett / Otho Mullen Owensboro Distillers 83.727NA Jack Sheridan / Rolla Jackson Vincennes Alices 1118.379NA Harry Chaney / Jack Tuite Owensboro folded June 1; Vincennes folded June 22
1904 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Paducah Indians 7348.603- John Ray / Red Gilliam Cairo Champions 7249.5951 P.C. Scullin Clarksville Grays 6458.5259½ Senter Rainey Henderson Blue Birds 5468.44319½ Clyde McNutt Hopkinsville Browns 5268.43320½ F.B. Armstrong / William Hancock Vincennes Alices 5073.40723½ Bill Popp / Luke Duffy Harry Eichler / Weed
1905 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Paducah Indians 6835.660- Harry Lloyd Vincennes Alices 6541.6134½ Eddie Kolb Cairo Giants 4557.44722 Dan McCarthy Princeton Infants 4661.43024 R. Meredith / John Ray Henderson Hens 2947.382NA Harry Kubitz Hopkinsville Browns 3144.413NA Lou Rutledge Henderson and Hopkinsville disbanded July 18 Season was shortened with National Association permission to August 17, due to yellow fever epidemic. Playoff: Vincennes 7 games, Paducah 6
1906 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Vincennes Alices 7949.608- Eddie Kolb Jacksonville Jacks 6758.5369 Frank Belt Cairo Giants 6861.52710 Dan McCarthy Danville Old Soldiers5869.45719 Jake Wortham / Ed Bauer Paducah Indians 5769.45219½ Harry Lloyd Mattoon-Charleston Canaries 5474.42223½ Bob Berryhill / Jack McCarthy
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Bill Dithridge CairoBA.329 Hub Perdue VincennesW25 Andy Lotshaw JacksonvilleRuns70 Hub Perdue VincennesSO260 Frank Long CairoHits162 Phil Chenault VincennesPCT.700 14–6 Andy Lotshaw JacksonvilleHR11
1910 to 1916
1910 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - 1st half schedule - 2nd half schedule Team overall standingsWLPCTGB Managers Vincennes Alices 6454.542- John Nairn Clarksville Volunteers 5560.4787½ M.O. Bridges / William McAndrews Paducah Indians 5564.4629½Louis Angermeier / Eddie Gilligan Hopkinsville Hoppers 5068.42414Dave Anderson / John Ray McLeansboro Miners 4018.690NAOllie Gfoerer Harrisburg Merchants 2929.500NAIra Hastings McLeansboro and Harrisburg were added for the second half July 24 Playoff: Cancelled; Vincennes and McLeansboro were declared co-champions
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTotJohn NairnVincennesBA.285Lyman JohnsonVincennesW20Arista DeHavenVincennesRuns54Lyman JohnsonVincennesSO182Stewart BrownWalter JantzenHopkinsvilleVincennesHits99 Clarence Kraft McLeansboroPCT.867 13–2Brown Keene Clarence Kraft ClarksvilleMcLeansboroHR4
1911 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Hopkinsville Hoppers 7846.629-John Nairn Fulton Colonels 6758.53611½Nig Langdon / John Blakemore McLeansboro Miners / Henderson Hens 6558.52812½Miles Bradshaw / John Stelle Vincennes Hoosiers 6259.51214½Charlie Gosnell Paducah Polecats 5864.47519Ollie Pickering Cairo Egyptians 5867.46420½Morris Michaels Harrisburg Miners / Jackson Climbers 5368.43823½Ira Hastings / Nathan Reiser Eugene Fulghum Clarksville Billies 5171.41826 Johnny Siegle / Gene Curtis McLeansboro (19–15) moved to Henderson June 20; Harrisburg (8–15) moved to Jackson Playoff: Cancelled due to inclement weather; Fulton and Hopkinsville declared co-champions
+Player statistics Player TeamStat Tot Ernie Gust Harrisburg/JacksonBA.354Harry HeckertFultonRuns86 Ernie Gust Harrisburg/JacksonHits148Ernie CalbertHarrisburg/JacksonHR10
1912 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Clarksville Rebels 6829.701-Senter Rainey Henderson Hens 5248.52017½ Offa Neal / Ward Snyder Evansville Yankees 4752.47522Charles Barton Paducah Chiefs 4555.45024½John Nairn / Dave Anderson Hopkinsville Hoppers 4454.44924½Dudley Lewis / Nig Langdon Tommy Atkins Cairo Egyptians 4159.41028½Carl Page / Bill Everett Tim Flood
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTotPatrick BohannonPaducahBA.326Ira NicksClarksvilleW22A.G. WeberHopkinsvilleRuns72Charles HumphreyClarksvilleSO157Henry HugheCairoHits110Jim ColemanClarksvillePCT.760 19–6Al BashamClarksvilleHR12
1913 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Paducah Chiefs 8047.630- Art Brouthers Clarksville Volunteers 7847.6241Senter Rainey / William McAndrews Hopkinsville Hoppers 7353.5796½Dave Anderson / George Kalkoff Henderson Hens 7055.5609Ward Snyder Owensboro Distillers 6956.55210William Long / Senter Rainey Cairo Egyptians 5768.45622John Nairn / Clyde Kessling Harrisburg Coal Miners 4285.33138Lewis Brooks / John Stelle Vincennes Alices 3492.27045½ Ollie Pickering / Bob Anderson William McAndrews / John Nairn
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTotHarry HeckertClarksvilleBA.345Leslie JohnsonHopkinsvilleW23Lee HartClarksvilleRuns102Charles HumphreyClarksvilleSO240Grady BurgessPaducahHits172Clifford SnyderHendersonPCT.917 11–1P. VogtHopkinsvilleHR13
1914 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Cairo Egyptians 7746.626-John Herbert Owensboro Distillers 6655.54510William Long / Ollie Pickering Henderson Hens 6458.52512½Ward Snyder Paducah Indians 5965.47618½Dow Vandyne / Arthur Brouthers Clarksville Boosters 2239.361NAJames Coleman Hopkinsville Hoppers 2045.308NAGeorge Kalkoff Clarksville and Hopkinsville disbanded July 10
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTotJames AllenHendersonBA.307John GroganCairoW22Ed WiseCairoRuns70John GroganCairoSO143Charlie GosnellPaducahHits135Win FrewenCairoPCT.792 19–5
1915 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League The Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League did not play in 1915 during World War I
1916 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule