The Western League was the name of several American sports leagues in Minor League Baseball. This article concentrates on the Western Leagues that operated from 1900 to 1937 and from 1947 to 1958.
Its earliest progenitor, the Western League of 1885–1899, was the predecessor of the American League. Later, during the 20th century, there were four incarnations of the Western League, including the Western League of 1939–1941 (succeeding the Nebraska State League) that played at the Class D level, and an independent baseball league that operated as the Western Baseball League from 1995 to 2002.
History The league's longest-serving franchise was located in Des Moines, Iowa, which joined the WL in 1900 and played continuously through 1937, when the league shut down during the Great Depression. Des Moines then rejoined the reborn Western circuit when Senator Edwin C. Johnson from Colorado founded it in 1947; this team, a Chicago Cubs affiliate called the Des Moines Bruins, then played for the final 12 years of the league's existence.
Minor league baseball went unclassified through 1901. From 1902 until 1911, Class A was the highest level in the minor leagues. In 1912, a new top tier, Class AA, was created; in 1936, a second tier, Class A1, came into being. One year later, the existing Western League disbanded after it ended the 1937 season with only five teams, the Rock Island Islanders, disbanded on July 7. Then, in 1946, the Class AA leagues were renamed AAA, and the A1 loops were renamed AA. Thus the Western League – whose clubs were located in the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain States, the Upper Midwest and the Upper Southwest – was a top-level minor league until 1911, then two levels below Major League Baseball through 1935, and three steps removed in 1936–37 and when it was revived in 1947 during the post-war minor league baseball boom. For several years in the 1910s, the Western League champion played a postseason series against the champion of the Class AA American Association for supremacy of the central states.
1947–1958 The Western League reformed in 1947 with six teams: Denver Bears, Des Moines Bruins, Lincoln A's, Omaha Cardinals, Pueblo Dodgers and Sioux City Soos. All six clubs were affiliated with major league farm systems. The WL expanded to eight teams in 1950, adding the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and Wichita Indians, but the encroachment of televised baseball and major league franchise shifts into former AAA cities hit the league hard. In 1955, the Western League's two strongest franchises, the Denver Bears and the Omaha Cardinals, were admitted to the AAA American Association.
The WL continued for four more seasons before folding in the autumn of 1958. Its last champion, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, attracted only 61,000 fans for the season. In addition to the founding clubs and the Sky Sox, the postwar WL had teams in Albuquerque, Amarillo, Topeka, and Wichita.
List of teams
1900–1958 Albuquerque Dukes Amarillo Texans ; Amarillo Gold Sox Bartlesville Broncs Cedar Rapids Raiders Cheyenne Indians Colorado Springs Millionaires ; Colorado Springs Sky Sox Council Bluffs Rails Davenport Blue Sox Denver Bears ; Denver Grizzlies ; Denver Bears , , Des Moines Hawkeyes ; Des Moines Millers ; Des Moines Midgets ; Des Moines Undertakers ; Des Moines Prohibitionists ; Des Moines Underwriters ; Des Moines Champions ; Des Moines Champs ; Des Moines Boosters ; Des Moines Demons , Hutchinson Wheatshockers ; Hutchinson Salt Packers , Hutchinson Wheatshockers Joplin Miners Kansas City Blues ; Kansas City Blue Stockings Keokuk Indians Lincoln Ducklings ; Lincoln Treeplanters ; Lincoln Greenbackers ; Lincoln Railsplitters ; Lincoln Greenbackers ; Lincoln Tigers ; Lincoln Links , ; *Lincoln Athletics ; Lincoln Chiefs Milwaukee Creams Minneapolis Millers Mitchell Kernels Muskogee Oilers Norfolk Elks ; Norfolk Yankees Oklahoma City Indians Omaha Omahogs ; Omaha Indians ; Omaha Rangers ; Omaha Rourkes ; Omaha Buffaloes ; Omaha Crickets ; Omaha Packers ; Omaha Robin Hoods ; Omaha Cardinals Peoria Distillers Pueblo Indians ; Pueblo Steelworkers ; Pueblo Braves ; Pueblo Rollers ; Pueblo Dodgers Rock Island Islanders ; Rock Island Rocks ; Rock Island Islanders St. Paul Saints St. Joseph Saints ; St. Joseph Drummers ; St. Joseph Saints ; St. Joseph Saints Sioux City Cornhuskers ; Sioux City Soos ; Sioux City Packers ; Sioux City Soos ; Sioux City Packers ; Sioux City Indians ; Sioux City Packers ; Sioux City Cowboys ;Sioux City Soos ; Sioux City Cowboys ; Sioux City Soos Sioux Falls Canaries Springfield Cardinals Topeka Jayhawks ; Topeka Kaws ; Topeka Jayhawks ; Topeka Savages ; Topeka Kaw-nees ; Topeka Jayhawks ; Topeka Senators ; Topeka Hawks Tulsa Oilers Waterloo Hawks ; Waterloo Reds Wichita Jobbers ; Wichita Witches ; Wichita Jobbers ; (Wichita Witches ; Wichita Izzies ; Wichita Larks ; Wichita Aviators ; Wichita Oilers ; Wichita Indians Worthington Cardinals
1900 to 1936 standings & statistics
1900 The new Western League formed as a Class B league in 1900. Charter teams were the Denver Grizzlies, Des Moines Hawkeyes, Omaha Omahogs, Pueblo Indians, Sioux City Cornhuskers and St. Joseph Saints.
Team NameRecordDenver Grizzlies61–44Des Moines Hawkeyes54–45Sioux City Cornhuskers49–48Omaha Omahogs51–53St. Joseph Saints51–58Pueblo Indians41–64
1901 The teams in Pueblo and Sioux City folded. New teams in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and St. Paul, Minnesota, formed and joined the League. Teams from Kansas City, Missouri, and Minneapolis, Minnesota moved from the American League.
Team NameRecordKansas City Blues79–44St. Paul Saints69–54St. Joseph Saints69–58Denver Grizzlies60–59Omaha Omahogs61–62Minneapolis Millers 56–62Des Moines Hawkeyes48–75Colorado Springs Millionaires45–73
1902 The Minneapolis and St. Paul teams joined the American Association. New teams in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Peoria, Illinois, formed and joined the League.
Team NameRecordKansas City Blue Stockings82–54Omaha Indians84–56Milwaukee Creams80–54Denver Grizzlies81–57St. Joseph Saints71–68Colorado Springs Millionaires63–75Des Moines Midgets54–83Peoria Distillers35–103
1903
Team NameRecordMilwaukee Creams83–43Colorado Springs Millionaires76–52Kansas City Blue Stockings65–61St. Joseph Saints62–59Denver Grizzlies61–70Peoria Distillers57–69Des Moines Undertakers55–76Omaha Indians49–78
1904 The teams in Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Peoria folded. the Sioux City, Iowa team from the Iowa–South Dakota League joined the League.
Team NameRecordOmaha Packers90–60Colorado Springs Millionaires85–58Denver Grizzlies87–61Des Moines Prohibitionists76–69St. Joseph Saints53–93Sioux City Soos45–98
1905 The Colorado Springs team, with a record of 22–48, moved to Pueblo, Colorado on July 15, where they had a record of 30–44.
Team NameRecordDes Moines Underwriters95–54Denver Grizzlies92–58Omaha Rourkes87–62Sioux City Packers80–68Colorado Springs Millionaires/Pueblo Indians52–92St. Joseph Saints37–109
1906 The St. Joseph team moved to the Western Association. A new team in Lincoln, Nebraska, formed and joined the League.
Team NameRecordDes Moines Champions97–50Lincoln Ducklings75–74Omaha Rourkes73–74Sioux City Packers69–81Denver Grizzlies68–81Pueblo Indians63–85
1907 Team NameRecordOmaha Rourkes84–63Lincoln Treeplanters79–63Des Moines Champs76–63Denver Grizzlies67–75Pueblo Indians65–73Sioux City Packers56–90
1908 Team NameRecordSioux City Soos88–57Omaha Rourkes86–59Lincoln Greenbackers74–73Denver Grizzlies71–75Pueblo Indians63–78Des Moines Boosters54–94
1909 Teams from Topeka, Kansas, and Wichita, Kansas, joined from the Western Association.
Team NameRecordDes Moines Boosters93–59Sioux City Soos94–60Omaha Rourkes84–68Topeka Jayhawks76–73Wichita Jobbers71-82Denver Grizzlies69–82Lincoln Greenbackers61–89Pueblo Indians58–93
1910 The Pueblo team folded. A new team in St. Joseph, Missouri, formed and joined the League.
Team NameRecordSioux City Packers108–60Denver Grizzlies102–65Lincoln Railsplitters95–71Wichita Jobbers89–78Omaha Rourkes84–82St. Joseph Drummers76–91Des Moines Boosters72–96Topeka Jayhawks42–125
1911 The Wichita team, with a record of 15–9, moved to Pueblo, Colorado on May 22, Their record there was 77–66.
Team NameRecordDenver Grizzlies111–54St. Joseph Drummers93–72Wichita Jobbers/Pueblo Indians92–75Omaha Rourkes85–80Sioux City Packers85–80Lincoln Railsplitters84–81Topeka Kaws60–104Des Moines Boosters49–113
1912 The Pueblo team moved back to Wichita, Kansas.
Team NameRecordDenver Grizzlies99–63St. Joseph Drummers94–72Omaha Rourkes92–71Des Moines Boosters82–80Lincoln Railsplitters83–81Sioux City Packers74–85Wichita Jobbers75–89Topeka Jayhawks51–109
Denver defeated the Minneapolis team of the American Association 4 games to 1.
1913 Team NameRecordDenver Bears104–62Des Moines Boosters93–72St. Joseph Drummers89–78Lincoln Greenbackers87–80Omaha Rourkes79–86Sioux City Packers73–92Topeka Jayhawks73–92Wichita Jobbers65–101
Milwaukee of the American Association defeated Denver 4 games to 2.
1914 Wichita Jobbers renamed Wichita Wolves.
Team NameRecordSioux City Indians 105–60Denver Bears96–72St. Joseph Drummers89–75Des Moines Boosters82–81Lincoln Tigers81–87Omaha Rourkes77–87Topeka Jayhawks68–97Wichita Wolves63–102
Indianapolis of the American Association defeated Denver 4 games to 2.
1915 Team NameRecordDes Moines Boosters87–53Denver Bears82–55Topeka Jayhawks75–63Omaha Rourkes71–69Lincoln Tigers70–69Sioux City Packers66–68Wichita Wolves57–80St. Joseph Drummers43–94
1916 The Wichita team, with a record of 58–84, moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado on September 10. Their record there was 2–10.
Team NameRecordOmaha Rourkes92–57Lincoln Tigers87–63Sioux City Indians79–71Denver Bears78–75Des Moines Boosters75–75Topeka Savages67–86Wichita Wolves/Colorado Springs Millionaires57–94
Louisville of the American Association defeated Omaha 4 games to 1.
1917 The Topeka team folded. A new team in Joplin, Missouri formed and joined the League. Colorado Springs moved back to Wichita. St. Joseph, with a record of 34–56, moved to Hutchinson, where their record was 32–24, on July 24. Sioux City moved to St. Joseph on August 5.
Team NameRecordDes Moines Boosters84–62 (1st half winner)Lincoln Links83–64Sioux City Indians/St. Joseph Drummers80–66Joplin Miners79–68Omaha Rourkes73–75St. Joseph Drummers/Hutchinson Wheatshockers66–80Denver Bears 62–86Wichita Wolves 61–87
Hutchinson defeated Joplin 3 games to none for the second half title. Des Moines defeated Hutchinson 4 games to 2 for the championship.
1918 The Denver and Lincoln teams folded. New teams in Sioux City, Iowa, and Topeka, Kansas, formed and joined the League. Hutchinson, with a record of 14–19, moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on June 2, where they compiled a record of 19–18. Topeka, with a record of 19–13, moved to Hutchinson, Kansas, where they compiled a record of 18–18, on June 2. The League suspended operations on July 7 due to World War I.
Team NameRecordWichita Jobbers41–24Topeka Kaw-nees /Hutchinson Salt Packers37–31Des Moines Boosters36–31Joplin Miners34–31Omaha Rourkes33–32Hutchinson Salt Packers / Oklahoma City OklahomansSt. Joseph Saints30–38Sioux City Indians22–42
1919 The Hutchinson team folded. A new team was formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and joined the League.
Team NameRecordSt. Joseph Saints78–57Tulsa Oilers77–63Wichita Jobbers75–65Des Moines Boosters71–67Oklahoma City Indians69–69Sioux City Indians68–72Joplin Miners57–78Omaha Rourkes56–80
Tulsa lead St. Joseph 3 games to 1 in the championship series when the series was cancelled due to bad weather.
Wichita's Joe Wilhoit had a 69-game hitting streak, which remains the professional baseball record.
1920 Team NameRecordTulsa Oilers92–61Wichita Jobbers92–62Oklahoma City Indians82–68Omaha Rourkes76–77St. Joseph Saints74–80Joplin Miners73–81Sioux City Packers63–88Des Moines Boosters58–93
1921