The Border League was the name of two 20th-century circuits in North America minor league baseball. The first Border league operated in the 1912 and 1913 seasons as a Class D level league with five teams based in Michigan and one in Ontario. The Border League resumed play from 1946 to 1951 as a Class C level minor league, with teams based in New York, Quebec and Ontario.

1912–1913 league in Michigan and Ontario The first, also known as the Eastern Michigan League, was a Class D minor league in 1912 and 1913 at the Canada–US border. It was composed of five teams from Michigan and one from Windsor, Ontario. This six-team league never really got off the ground, playing a minimal 35 game schedule. The league lost one Michigan team that disbanded in 1913. This action helped cause the league's downfall. There was no known effort to organize the league in 1914.

1912–1913 cities and teams Mount Clemens, Michigan: Mount Clemens Bathers 1912–1913 Port Huron, Michigan: Port Huron Independents 1912–1913 Pontiac, Michigan: Pontiac Indians 1912–1913 Windsor, Ontario: Windsor 1912–1913 Wyandotte, Michigan:Wyandotte Alkalis 1912–1913 Ypsilanti, Michigan: Ypsilanti 1913

1946–1951 league in New York, Ontario and Quebec The name was revived for a post-World War II Class C circuit that operated from 1946 through 1951 before shutting down. It was represented by nine cities, five from across the Canada–US border (four from Ontario and one from Quebec) and four from the state of New York. The four New York, teams, along with the Kingston, Ontario, squad were able to make the full run. The Ottawa Senators entry won three of the league's six pennants.

The league proved to be a good solid competitive group for the first five years. Attendance was good, the league drew over 1,600,000 fans the first five years before finally disbanding on July 16, 1951.

1946–1951 cities and teams Auburn, New York: Auburn Cayugas 1946–1950, Auburn Falcons 1951 Cornwall, Ontario: Cornwall Canadians 1951 Geneva, New York: Geneva Red Birds 1947, Geneva Robins 1948–1951 Granby, Quebec: Granby Red Sox 1946 Kingston, Ontario: Kingston Ponies 1946–1951 Ogdensburg, New York: Ogdensburg Maples 1946–1951 Ottawa, Ontario: Ottawa Nationals 1947, Ottawa Senators 1948–1949, Ottawa Nationals 1950 Sherbrooke, Quebec: Sherbrooke Canadians 1946 Watertown, New York: Watertown Athletics 1946–1951

Standings and statistics

1912 and 1913 1912 Border League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Wyandotte Alkalis195.792–H. R. Brown Pontiac Indians149.6094½ Henry McIntoch Mount Clemens Bathers 1115.4239 W. Trombley Windsor914.3919½ J. Wilkie Port Huron Independents717.29212 Bill Brown No Playoffs Scheduled. +Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Frank Loranger WyandotteBA.376 Frank Loranger WyandotteHits37 Orville WoodruffWyandotteRuns21 1913 Border League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Ypsilanti2410.706– W. C. Pearce Wyandotte Alkalis2413.6491½ H. R. Browne Port Huron Independents 1519.4419 Bill Brown Pontiac Indians1318.4189½ Henry McIntoch Windsor1024.29414 James Wilkie / Arthur Goodman Mount Clemens Bathers 79.437NA W.Trombley Mount Clemens disbanded July 12. +Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Jack Shafer YpsilantiBA.395 Ferdy Manning WyandotteW10 Carl Stimpson YpsilantiRuns30 George Mueller Port HuronSO149 Orville WoodruffWyandotteHits49Ralph BellYpsilantiPct1.000; 6–0 Home Runs: 4 players tied with 2 each.

1946 to 1951 1946 Border League Team standingsWLPCTGBAttend Managers Auburn Cayugas7244.621–48,683 Barney Hearn Watertown Athletics6951.5755 53,605 Jim Scott Kingston Ponies 5855.51312½ 60,957 Ben Lady Granby Red Sox5460.47417 31,159 Bill Sisler / Hal Cleves Ogdensburg Maples5068.42423 28,395 Bob Dill Sherbrooke Canadiens 4671.39326½ 25,576George T. Smith / Dutch Proecher Playoffs: Kingston 3 games, Auburn 1. Watertown 3 games, Granby 1. Finals: Watertown 4 games, Kingston 2. +Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Bob Dill OgdenburgBA.397 Arnold Jarrell KingstonW21 Bob Dill OgdenburgRBI118 Peter Karpuk KingstonSO175 Bob Dill OgdenburgHR20 Arnold Jarrell KingstonERA2.30 James Heximer KingstonHits156 1947 Border League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGBAttend Managers Ottawa Nationals8242.661–62,607Paul Dean Watertown Athletics7054.56512 53,600Bob Shawkey Auburn Cayugas 6660.52417 59,637 Barney Hearn Ogdensburg Maples6165.48422 63,486Steve Yerkes Kingston Ponies4977.38934 52,268 Ben Lady Geneva Red Birds 4676.37735 57,308Charles Small Playoffs: Ottawa 4 games, Auburn 0. Ogdensburg 4 games, Watertown 3. Finals: Ottawa 4 games, Ogdensburg 2. +Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Barney Hearn AuburnBA.361Frank Fanovich WatertownW16 Anthony Gudaitis OgdensburgRuns122 Arnold Jarrell KingstonW16 Fred Gerken WatertownHits172 Charles Schupp OttawaW16 Donald Phelps GenevaRBI103 Nick Butcher OttawaW16 Donald Phelps GenevaHR25Frank FanovichWatertownSO182 Anthony Gudaitis GenevaHR25Frank FanovichWatertownERA2.41 1948 Border League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGBAttend Managers Ottawa Senators7948.622–76,299Bill Metzig Geneva Robins7254.5716½ 66,149Charles Small Ogdensburg Maples 6960.53511 60,116 Russ WeinWatertown Athletics6365.49216½ 65,590 Fred Gerken Kingston Ponies4976.39229 40,656 Ben Lady Auburn Cayugas 4978.38630 43,102 Barney Hearn Playoffs: Ogdensburg 4 games, Ottawa 1. Watertown 4 games, Geneva 3. Finals: Ogdensburg 4 games, Watertown 0. +Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Garland LawingOgdensburgBA.379 Leonard Seamon OttawaW21 Garland LawingOgdensburgRuns112 Arthur Cook KingstonW21 Garland LawingOgdensburgHits164Bill Gates WatertownSO232 Garland LawingOgdensburgRBI122 Leonard Seamon OttawaERA2.00 Bill Reardon KingstonHR24 1949 Border League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGBAttend Managers Geneva Robins8149.623–67,259Charles SmallOttawa Senators7455.5746½ 78,577 Bill Metzig Ogdensburg Maples 7060.5381158,749 Russ Wein Auburn Cayugas6762.51913 55.634 Barney Hearn Watertown Athletics5871.45022½ 61,026Frank Heller Kingston Ponies 3891.29542½ 38,671Zeke Bonura / Harold Leach Playoffs: Geneva 4 games, Ogdensburg 3. Auburn 4 games, Ottawa 3. Finals: Geneva 4 games, Auburn 2. +Player StatisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Doug HarveyOttawaBA.351 Donald Bryant OgdensburgW20 Doug HarveyOttawaRuns121 Bill Forst GenevaSO170 William ScallyOgdensburgHits177 Robert Sundstrom GenevaERA2.29 Doug HarveyOttawaRBI109 Pete Kousagen GenevaHR22 1950 Border League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGBAttend Managers Ottawa Nationals7553.586–97,091 Bill Metzig Ogdensburg Maples7454.5781 55,291 Russ Wein Kingston Ponies 6860.5317 52,453 Barney Hearn Watertown Athletics6068.46915 65,329Frank Heller Geneva Robins5671.44118½ 42,353Charles Small / Clyde Theriault Auburn Cayugas 5077.39424½ 41,755Bill Sisler /Tom Accardo / Bill Gates Playoffs: Ottawa 4 games, Kingston 1. Ogdensburg 4 games, Watertown 1. Finals: Ogdensburg 4 games, Ottawa 2. +Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot John Sosh OgdensburgBA.348 Harry Pilarski Kingston W19 Peter Karpuk OttawaRuns111 Norm Gosselin GenevaW19 Irvin Schupp OgdensburgHits173 Joseph Greco OgdensburgSO204 Peter Kousagan GenevaRBI125Edward Flanagan OttawaERA1.96 Peter Kousagan GenevaHR31 1951 Border League Team standingsWLPCTGBAttend Managers Kingston Ponies3825.603–13,862 Barney Hearn Ogdensburg Maples2935.4539½ 13,978 John Sosh / Irvin Schupp Cornwall Canadians 2918.617NA4,892 Bill MetzigAuburn Cayugas 2626.500NA13,826 Bill Gates Watertown Athletics2230.423NA18,055Bob Shawkey Geneva Robins 2030.400NA12,405 Humberto Baez Cornwall and Geneva disbanded June 26; Auburn and Watertown disbanded July 1. The league disbanded July 16. Last game played on July 10. +Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Bob Masterson AuburnBA.394 Gideon Applegate Kingston W10 Pedro Arroyo KingstonRuns53 Bill Gates AuburnSO94 Pedro Arroyo KingstonHits79 Gideon Applegate KingstonERA2.85 Olav KollevollOgdensburgRBI57 John Sosh OgdensburgHR12 Olav KollevollOgdensburgHR12

References

External links Baseball Reference