The Iowa–South Dakota League was a minor league baseball circuit that operated from 1902 to 1903 in the states of Iowa and South Dakota. The league was a Class D level league in both seasons. The Sioux Falls Canaries (1902) and Le Mars Blackbirds (1903) won the league championships.
History The Iowa–South Dakota League contained six teams in its inaugural season, before being reduced to three in the final season. The Flandreau Indians, Le Mars Blackbirds, Rock Rapids Browns, Sheldon, Sioux City Cornhuskers and Sioux Falls Canaries were the charter members in 1902.
The Sioux Falls Canaries won the championship in 1902, with the Le Mars Blackbirds capturing the 1903 Iowa–South Dakota League final championship.
The 1903 president of the Iowa–South Dakota League was J. U. Sammism, a Le Mars, Iowa attorney.
Cities represented Council Bluffs, Iowa: Council Bluffs Bluffers (1903) Flandreau, South Dakota: Flandreau Indians (1902) Le Mars, Iowa: Le Mars Blackbirds (1902–1903) Rock Rapids, Iowa: Rock Rapids Browns (1902) Sheldon, Iowa: Sheldon (1902) Sheldon, Iowa and Primghar, Iowa: Sheldon-Primghar Hyphens (1903) Sioux City, Iowa: Sioux City Cornhuskers 1902; Sioux City Soos (1903) Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Sioux Falls Canaries (1902–1903)
Standings & statistics 1902 Iowa–South Dakota League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Sioux Falls Canaries6524.730– Bobby Warner Flandreau Indians5119.7294½NA Sioux City Cornhuskers 5640.58312½ Jack MesserlyLe Mars Blackbirds4348.47323 Bob Black Rock Rapids Browns 3259.35234 Grandpa GreeneSheldon 1471.16549NA Flandreau joined on June 20, and was awarded a record of (9–9), which made its overall first-half record 31–22.Flandreau won the second half and folded before the playoff against Sioux Falls.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot John DormanFlandreauBA.314 Harry Swalm Sioux FallsW23 Moose BaxterSioux CityRuns63 Jack Corbett Sioux FallsPct.882; 15–2 Moose BaxterSioux CityHR21 1903 Iowa–South Dakota League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Le Mars Blackbirds4834.585–Bob Black Council Bluffs Bluffers / Sheldon-Primghar Hyphens 4435.5572½ Buck Keith / John McBurney / Bud Jones Sioux City Soos 4441.5185½ Frank Lohr Sioux Falls Canaries4042.4888 Bobby Warner Council Bluffs folded on June 20 with a record of 1–22. On June 25, Council Bluffs transferred to Sheldon–Primghar, which was awarded a record of 14–11. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Tony Fremmer Sheld-PrimBA.325 Fred Helmsdorfer Sheld-PrimW19 Frank Lohr Sioux CityRuns62Ralph HutchinsonLeMarsPct.909; 10–1 Jim Metcalf LeMarsHits100
MLB alumni Bob Black (Cornhuskers/Sioux) George Bristow (Blackbirds) Jim Buchanan (Blackbirds) Fred Carisch (Canaries) Bill Carney (Indians) Homer Hillebrand (Indians) Pete Lister (Blackbirds) Bill Moriarty (Cornhuskers) Peaches O'Neill (Blackbirds) Branch Rickey (Blackbirds) Shag Shaughnessy (Soos) Dan Stearns (Indians) Babe Towne (Browns)
References/Sources Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America (Third edition). Baseball Reference – Iowa-South Dakota League (D) Encyclopedia and History