Iowa State League
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The Iowa State League was a minor league baseball league that played from 1904 to 1907 and again in 1912. The Class D level league had franchises based in Illinois and Iowa. The Ottumwa Snappers franchise won league championships in 1904 and 1905. In 1908, the Iowa State League evolved to become the Central Association.
| Classification | Class D (1904–1907) Independent (1912) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Minor League Baseball |
| First season | 1904 |
| Ceased | 1912 |
| Replaced by | Central Association |
| President | Frank S. Norton (1904-1905) L.S. Peckham (1906-1907) D.M. Conroy (1912) James Williams (1912) |
| No. of teams | 15 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Most titles | 2 Ottumwa Snappers (1904–1905) |
| Related competitions | Southwest Iowa League Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League |
History
The Iowa State League began play in 1904 as an eight-team Class D level minor league in and around Iowa, United States. The league played four seasons and ceased operations following the 1907 season. Seven of the eight 1907 Iowa State League teams formed the Central Association in 1908. The Iowa State League had the formal name as the Iowa League of Professional Baseball Clubs.[1][2]
The Iowa State League reformed in 1912 as an Independent league. Estherville defeated Fort Dodge in the league playoffs to claim the championship. The league permanently folded after the season.[3]
Cities represented
- Boone, Iowa – Boone Coal Miners (1904), Boone Greyhounds (1905), Boone Miners (1906)
- Burlington, Iowa – Burlington River Rats (1904), Burlington Flint Hills (1905), Burlington Pathfinders (1906–1907)
- Clear Lake, Iowa – Clear Lake Fish Eaters (1912)
- Clinton, Iowa – Clinton Miners (1906)
- Emmetsburg, Iowa – Emmetsburg (1912)
- Estherville, Iowa – Estherville (1912)
- Fort Dodge, Iowa – Fort Dodge Gypsum Eaters (1904), Fort Dodge Gypsumites (1905–1906), Fort Dodge Boosters (1912)
- Jacksonville, Illinois – Jacksonville Lunatics (1907)
- Keokuk, Iowa – Keokuk Indians (1904–1907)
- Marshalltown, Iowa – Marshalltown Grays (1904–1905), Marshalltown Brownies (1906), Marshalltown Snappers (1906)
- Mason City, Iowa – Mason City Cementmakers (1912)
- Oskaloosa, Iowa – Oskaloosa Quakers (1904–1907)
- Ottumwa, Iowa – Ottumwa Snappers (1904–1905), Ottumwa Champs (1906), Ottumwa Packers (1907)
- Quincy, Illinois – Quincy Gems (1907)
- Waterloo, Iowa – Waterloo Microbes (1904–1906), Waterloo Cubs (1907)
Standings & statistics
1904 to 1907
1904 Iowa State League
schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa Snappers | 70 | 36 | .660 | - | 17,630 | Snapper Kennedy |
| Waterloo Microbes | 64 | 43 | .598 | 6½ | 18,695 | James Myers / Charles Cole |
| Marshalltown Grays | 60 | 49 | .550 | 11.½ | 23,117 | Robert Warner |
| Keokuk Indians | 58 | 50 | .537 | 13 | 15,741 | Tom Hackett |
| Ft. Dodge Gypsum Eaters | 57 | 52 | .523 | 14½ | 13,582 | Frank Boyle |
| Boone Coal Miners | 50 | 61 | .450 | 22½ | 16,581 | Thomas Reynolds / Walter Holcomb O.P. DePew |
| Oskaloosa Quakers | 38 | 69 | .355 | 32½ | 16,620 | William Tilley / Red Donahue |
| Burlington River Rats | 36 | 73 | .330 | 35½ | 21,352 | F.L. Sullivan / George Stovall Bob Black |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snapper Kennedy | Ottumwa | BA | .325 | Louis Schaub | Ottumwa | W | 23 | |
| Snapper Kennedy | Ottumwa | Hits | 142 | Louis Schaub | Ottumwa | SO | 298 | |
| Joe Beaver | Ottumwa | Runs | 76 | Louis Schaub | Ottumwa | Pct | .767; 23-7 | |
| Al Spencer | Ottumwa | Runs | 76 |
1905 Iowa State League
schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa Snappers | 74 | 45 | .621 | - | 22,261 | Snapper Kennedy |
| Ft. Dodge Gypsumites | 73 | 49 | .599 | 2½ | 19,270 | Frank Boyle |
| Boone Greyhounds | 65 | 54 | .546 | 9 | 19,588 | Frank Haller |
| Oskaloosa Quakers | 65 | 56 | .537 | 10 | 22,256 | Howard Cassiboine |
| Keokuk Indians | 59 | 62 | .488 | 16 | 18,931 | Ned Egan |
| Marshalltown Grays | 55 | 66 | .454 | 20 | NA | Bobby Warner |
| Waterloo Microbes | 56 | 69 | .448 | 21 | 19,754 | Harry Meek / Frank Lohr |
| Burlington Flint Hills | 37 | 83 | .368 | 37½ | 26,635 | Rusty Owens / Thomas Reynolds Charlie Frisbee |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Meek | Waterloo/Boone | BA | .320 | Harry Corns | Boone | W | 25 | |
| Harry Meek | Waterloo/Boone | Hits | 152 | Melvin Blexurd | Keokuk | SO | 207 | |
| John Bassey | Boone | Runs | 83 | Fred Steel | Oskaloosa | Pct | .857; 18-3 | |
| Red Fisher | Boone | Runs | 83 |
1906 Iowa State League
schedule
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington Pathfinders | 83 | 39 | .680 | - | Ned Egan |
| Oskaloosa Quakers | 75 | 49 | .605 | 9 | Ham Patterson |
| Fort Dodge Gypsumites | 68 | 49 | .581 | 12½ | Frank Boyle |
| Marshalltown Brownies | 65 | 55 | .542 | 17 | Rollo Brown |
| Keokuk Indians | 53 | 67 | .442 | 24 | Pat McAndrews |
| Boone Miners/Clinton Miners | 46 | 70 | .397 | 34 | William Wooley / Pat Ryan Harold Johnson |
| Waterloo Microbes | 48 | 76 | .387 | 36 | Charlie Frisbee / Ernest G. Anklam |
| Ottumwa Champs | 44 | 77 | .364 | 38½ | William Niles / William Everett |
Boone moved to Clinton July 14.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Davidson | Ft. Dodge | BA | .344 | Frank Shaw | Oscaloosa | W | 29 | |
| Cy Neighbors | Burlington | Hits | 161 | Joe Bills | Keokuk | SO | 209 | |
| Cy Neighbors | Burlington | Runs | 96 | Frank Dick | Marshalltown | Pct | .857; 18-3 |
1907 Iowa State League
schedule
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Cubs | 79 | 45 | .637 | - | 27,992 | Frank Boyle |
| Burlington Pathfinders | 77 | 51 | .602 | 4 | 43,420 | Ned Egan |
| Oskaloosa Quakers | 70 | 55 | .560 | 9½ | 22,585 | Ham Patterson |
| Jacksonville Lunatics | 63 | 61 | .508 | 16 | 29,448 | Frank Belt |
| Marshalltown Snappers | 62 | 61 | .504 | 16½ | 14,992 | Snapper Kennedy |
| Quincy Gems | 61 | 66 | .480 | 19½ | 37,000 | Harry Hofer |
| Ottumwa Packers | 51 | 74 | .408 | 28½ | 24,974 | Jack Corbett |
| Keokuk Indians | 39 | 89 | .305 | 42 | 20,760 | Cy Black / Charles Yeager |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John House | Burlington | BA | .308 | Frank Green | Burlington | W | 28 | |
| John House | Burlington | Hits | 158 | Fred Steel | Oscaloosa | Pct | .817; 9-2 | |
| John House | Burlington | Runs | 91 |
1912
1912 Iowa State League
schedule
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason City Cementmakers | 38 | 27 | .585 | - | Frank Barber |
| Fort Dodge Boosters | 34 | 25 | .576 | 1 | Connie Collins |
| Estherville | 28 | 22 | .560 | 2½ | Harry Welch |
| Emmetsburg | 24 | 38 | .387 | 12½ | Ed Smithson |
| Clear Lake Fish Eaters | 11 | 24 | .314 | NA | Dick Wells / M. Bacon |
Clear Lake folded July 14
Playoffs: Estherville 4 games, Fort Dodge 1.[3]