The Western League of 1939–1941 was a low-level American circuit in Minor League Baseball. The Class D level league was born when the Nebraska State League changed its identity after the season. It is not related to the Class A level Western League of 1900–1937 and 1947–1958, a higher-level league that suspended operations during the latter years of the Great Depression through World War II.
The 1939–1941 Western League included teams based in Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and Wyoming. After the United States entered the war, the league did not return for and was succeeded by its revived Class A namesake in . The Nebraska State League was revived as a Class D circuit from 1956 to 1959.
Member clubs Cheyenne, Wyoming: Cheyenne Indians 1941 Denver, Colorado: Denver Bears 1941 Lincoln, Nebraska: Lincoln Links 1939 Mitchell, South Dakota: Mitchell Kernels 1939–1940 Norfolk, Nebraska: Norfolk Elks 1939; Norfolk Yankees 1940–1941 Pueblo, Colorado: Pueblo Rollers 1941 Sioux City, Iowa: Sioux City Soos 1939-1940; Sioux City Cowboys 1941 Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Sioux Falls Canaries 1939–1941 Worthington, Minnesota: Worthington Cardinals 1939–1940
Standings & statistics 1939 Western League Team NameWLPCTGBManagersNorfolk Elks7544.630 - Doc BennettSioux Falls Canaries6652.5598½Ralph Brandon Sioux City Soos6352.54810 Pete Monahan Lincoln Links 6455.53811 Pug Griffin Mitchell Kernels4969.41525½ Red Davis (8/1) / Charles MogliaWorthington Cardinals 3681.30838 Joe McDermott Playoffs: Sioux City 3 games, Norfolk 2; Lincoln 3 games, Sioux Falls 2 Finals: Sioux City 4 games, Lincoln 2.
+Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Howard Conners Sioux Falls BA.365Ox Miller LincolnW21 Wendell Finders NorfolkHits167 Ox MillerLincoln SO208 Bob DillingerLincolnRuns139 Lawrence Kempe Sioux Falls ERA3.02 Ted Kakaloris LincolnRBI114 Leonard Bobeck Norfolk PCT.864 19-3 William MorganNorfolkHR17
1940 Western League - schedule Team NameWLPCTGBManagersNorfolk Yankees7339.652 -Doc BennettSioux Falls Canaries5958.50416½Robert Fenner Worthington Cardinals5059.45921½ Ray Martin / George Payne Sioux City Soos / Mitchell Kernels 4470.38630 Jimmy Zinn / Ed Grayston Sioux City moved to Mitchell July 24 League played four quarters: Norfolk won the first, second and fourth quarters, Sioux Falls won the third quarter. Playoff: Sioux Falls 4 games, Norfolk 2.
+Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTotJohnny LucasWorthington BA.356Frank Wagner Sioux FallsW17Leo BohananSioux FallsHits158 Frank WagnerSioux FallsSO193Robert DubyNorfolkRuns112Fred WhalenNorfolkERA1.36 Fred SchenkNorfolkRBI97Fred WhalenNorfolkPCT.786 11-3Russell BurnsNorfolkHR17
1941 Western League - schedule Team NameWLPCTGBManagersNorfolk Yankees6444.593 -Ray PowellCheyenne Indians5944.5732½John Kerr Sioux City Cowboys5456.49111 Richard Tichacek Pueblo Rollers 5254.49111 Pug Griffin Sioux Falls Canaries5156.47712½Robert Fenner / Tony KoenigDenver Bears 4268.38223Cobe Jones Playoffs: Norfolk 3 games, Sioux City 2; Pueblo 3 games, Cheyenne 1 Finals: Pueblo 3 games, Norfolk 2.
+Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTotBernard SteelePueblo BA.383George Milstead CheyenneW19Bernard SteelePuebloHits158 Robert Bergen PuebloSO183Bernard SteelePuebloRuns88Frank WagnerSioux Falls ERA2.15 Frank BocekNorfolkRBI92George MilsteadCheyenne PCT.792 19-5Mel BergmanCheyenneHR10
References Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, N.C.: Baseball America, 2007.