The Waterloo Microbes were a minor league baseball team based in Waterloo, Iowa. The "Microbes" played as members of the Class D level Iowa State League from 1904 to 1907, winning the 1907 league championship.
After beginning minor league play as a member of the 1895 Eastern Iowa League, Waterloo teams also played as members of the Central Association (1908–1909), Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (1910–1911) and Central Association (1913–1917), winning league championships in 1908 and 1914.
In the era, Waterloo teams hosted their minor league home games at both the West End Grounds (1895, 1904–1909) and Red Cedar Park (1908–1917).
Baseball Hall of Fame member Rube Marquard played for the Waterloo Microbes.
History 1895: Expelled from Eastern Iowa League Waterloo first hosted minor league play in 1895, when the Waterloo "Indians" team was formed. The new Waterloo team became charter members of the eight-team, independent Eastern Iowa League. Waterloo joined the Burlington Colts, Cedar Rapids Rabbits, Clinton Bridegrooms, Dubuque Giants, Galesburg Trotters, Ottumwa Brownies and Rock Island Tri-Cities teams in league play.
After beginning play, the 1895 Eastern Iowa league had a tumultuous season, as, three teams were "expelled" from the league, with one of the team being expelled twice and another team folding. Waterloo was one of the three teams expelled from the league. On June 14, 1895, both the Clinton Bridegrooms and the Rock Island Tri-Cities teams were expelled from the Eastern Iowa League. Next, on June 25, 1895, the Galesburg Trotters team was folded . On July 4, 1895, the Clinton Bridegrooms were allowed to rejoin the Eastern Iowa League. However, on July 8, 1895, just four days after being reinstated, the Clinton Bridegrooms were expelled from the league for a second time, along with the Waterloo Indians, who were expelled from the Eastern Iowa League the same day. Leading up to their expulsion from the league, Waterloo had compiled a 1895 season record of 21–25, managed to that point by Mike Lawrence.
In the final standings, after Waterloo's expulsion, the Dubuque Giants (66–31), finished in first place in the Eastern Iowa League, which ended the season with four teams. Dubuque won the Eastern Iowa League championship by winning both halves of the league's planned split season schedule, so no playoff was held. Dubuque ended the season 11.0 games ahead of the second place Burlington Colts.
The Eastern Iowa League did not return to minor league play in 1896 and permanently disbanded after the 1895 season was completed on August 25, 1895.
On August 30, 1895, after the Eastern Iowa League season ended, both Dubuque and Burlington continued minor league play in a new league. The two teams immediately joined the Class B level Western Association as expansion teams and were incorporated into the league. The Waterloo team did not continue play in 1895.
After their 1895 season ended in their expulsion from the Eastern Iowa League, Waterloo did not host another minor league team for nine seasons.
1904 to 1907: Waterloo Microbes / Iowa State League Waterloo resumed minor league play in 1904, when the Waterloo "Microbes" were formed. The team became charter members of the Iowa State League. The Iowa State League had the formal name as the "Iowa League of Professional Baseball Clubs". Waterloo joined the newly formed league, which was formed as an eight-team, Class D level league, consisting entirely of franchised based in Iowa. The Microbes joined the Boone Coal Miners, Burlington River Rats, Fort Dodge Gypsum Eaters, Keokuk Indians, Marshalltown Grays, Oskaloosa Quakers and Ottumwa Snappers teams in beginning Iowa State League play on May 6, 1904.
Waterloo being known by the unique "Microbes" nickname is paralleled by the Chicago Cubs franchise being referred to by the nickname in select newspapers during the era. Waterloo next was known by the "Cubs" nickname as well.
In their first Iowa State League season, the Microbes ended the 1904 season as the league runner up. Waterloo ended the season with a record of 64–43 to finish in second place. The Microbes were managed by James Myers, who led the team to a record of 50–36 in his tenure before being replaced by Charles Cole. Waterloo finished 14-7 playing under Cole and no playoffs were held. In the final standings, Waterloo finished 6.5 games behind the first place Ottumwa Snappers in the final standings.
The Microbes continued play in the eight-team Class D level Iowa State League in the 1905 season and finished next to last. Waterloo ended the season seventh place, playing the season under managers Harry Meek and Frank Lohr. With a final record of 56–69, Waterloo ended the season 21.0 games behind the first place Ottumwa Snappers in the final standings, as Ottumwa won their second consecutive league championship, playing under their namesake manager Snapper Kennedy. After his departure from the Microbes, Waterloo player-manager Hank Meek went to Boone as a player to finish the season and won the Iowa State League batting title, hitting .320.
Iowa native and Grinnell College graduate Charlie Frisbee became the Waterloo player-manager in 1906. After beginning his minor league career in 1896 at age 22, Frisbee played in the major leagues for the 1899 Boston Beaneaters and the 1900 New York Giants as a player, posting a .315 batting average in 26 career games, with his major league career shortened by poor fielding in the outfield and a knee injury. Frisbee had ended the 1905 season serving as the third manager of the year for the Burlington Flint Hills, having lost both of his parents in 1905. After beginning the 1906 season as the player-manager for Waterloo, he was claimed Burlington as a player during the season but did not play for them. Frisbee batted .288 in 24 games and 73 at bats for Waterloo. At age 32, his baseball career ended after his release from Waterloo.
The Microbes continued play and Waterloo finished in seventh place in the 1906 Iowa State League. Compiling a record of 48–76, the Microbes finished next to last in the eight-team Class D level league, playing the season under managers Charlie Frisbee and his replacement as manager, Ernest Anklam. Waterloo finished the season 36.0 games behind the first place Burlington Pathfinders, managed by Ned Egan, in the final standings.
Born in Germany, Ernest Anklam was a second baseman who was in his third season with Waterloo. In 1906, at age 26, Anklam batted .214 for Waterloo in 109 games and 384 at bats.
At age 21, outfielder Ward Miller made his professional debut with Waterloo in 1906 after graduating from Northern Illinois University, hitting .278 in 70 games. In eight seasons playing with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1909), Cincinnati Reds (1909–1910), Chicago Cubs (1912–1913), St. Louis Terriers (1914–1915) and St. Louis Browns (1916–1917), Miller batted .278 with an OBP of .375 and 128 stolen bases in 769 career games.
In 1907 Baseball Hall of Fame member Rube Marquard pitched again for Waterloo in his second professional season. Marquard compiled a record of 23–13 with a 2.01 earned run average (ERA) and led the league in victories."1907 Central League Pitching Leaders". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved April 14, 2025. After serving for a few years as a batboy for his hometown Cleveland Naps as a youth, Marquard was recommended to Waterloo for a professional tryout and stowed away on freight trains to reach Waterloo for his tryout in 1906, as he had no money to travel. After a successful tryout Marquard had left the Waterloo team after a dispute with manager Charlie Frisbee over an advance on his salary so he could eat. He had made three successful appearances for the team without any compensation. Marquard made his major league debut in 1908 with the New York Giants, embarking on his 18-season major league career with the Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds and Boston Braves. Marquard was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.
At age 30, Frank Boyle became the manager for Waterloo in 1907, beginning a five-season tenure with the franchise that produced two league championships. Previously, Boyle had spent the 1904 to 1906 seasons in the league as the manager of the Fort Dodge Gypsumites, moving to Waterloo after the Fort Dodge franchise was folded following the 1906 season. Boyle managed in the minor leagues thorough the 1925 season, compiling 1233 wins.
After two consecutive seventh-place finishes, Waterloo won the Iowa State League championship in 1907. The franchise continued play in the Iowa State League with a new nickname as the Microbes became known as the "Cubs" for the 1907 season. The Cubs dominated the league with a record of 76–45 and finished in first place in their first season under manager Frank Boyle. Waterloo finished 4.0 games ahead of the second place Burlington Pathfinders in the final standings and 42.0 games ahead of the last place Keokuk Indians.
Iowa native Harry Gaspar first pitched for Waterloo in 1907, compiling an 18–9 record at age 24 in his second professional season. Gaspar returned to Waterloo for the 1908 season and had a notwworthy season.
The Iowa State League was renamed following Waterloo's championship in 1907. The "Iowa State League" did not return to play until reorganizing for a final season in 1912 without a Waterloo franchise.
1908 & 1909: Waterloo Lulus / Central Association
Having expanded with franchises outside of Iowa, the Iowa State League changed names in 1908 and became the known as the Central Association. Waterloo also had a new nickname, as the 1908 Waterloo "Lulus" became a charter member of the newly named league. Waterloo joined the Class D level league with the six other teams other that played with them in the 1907 Iowa State League. One new franchise joined in forming the new league. Waterloo joined the Burlington Pathfinders, Jacksonville Lunatics (Jacksonville, Illinois), Keokuk Indians, Oskaloosa Quakers, Ottumwa Packers and the Quincy Gems (Quincy, Illinois), all who had been members of the 1907 Iowa State League. The Kewanee Boilermakers based in Kewanee, Illinois, were a new franchise replacing the Marshalltown Snappers. The new Central Association began their league schedule on May 7, 1908.
In their first season of play in the newly formed league, the Waterloo Lulus won their second consecutive league championship in the 1908 Central Association. With no playoffs held, Waterloo ended the season schedule 4.5 games ahead of the second place Burlington Pathfinders in the final league standings. Waterloo ended their championship season with a final record of 88–37, while Burlington finished with a normally dominant 83–41 record and the Quincy Gens were in third place 16.5 games behind Waterloo, with last place Ottumwa finishing 41.5 games behind in the eight-team league. No playoffs were held, which was common in the era. Manager Frank Boyle remained in Waterloo, leading Waterloo to a second consecutive league championship.
In his second season with the team, pitcher Harry Gaspar returned to Waterloo for the 1908 season and had a sensational season in helping the Lulus to the championship. Gaspar led the league in wins with a 32–4 record and a league leading 2.17 ERA. After Waterloo's season ended, Gaspar made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 1909 and remained with the Reds through the 1912 season, before his major league career ended. Gaspar compiled a 2.69 career ERA in 143 games with a 46–48 career record and 14 saves in the major leagues. Gaspar operated a photography business called Gaspar Studio in Le Mars, Iowa and he ran the business full time when his pitching career began to wane following the 1912 season. Gaspar later co-owned and managed the Gaspar-Anderson Bowling Alleys in Santa Ana, California, where he died in 1940.