Clarksville Volunteers

The Clarksville Volunteers were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Class D Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY League) from 1910 to 1915 and in 1916. They were located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and played their home games at League Park. The team operated under various names over their six-year run: the Volunteers in their first and last years (1910 and 1916), the Clarksville Billies (1911), Clarksville Rebels (1912), and Clarksville Boosters (1913–1914). They won the KITTY League pennant in 1912.

Clarksville Volunteers
1910–1916
(1910–1914, 1916)
Clarksville, Tennessee
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass D (1910–1914, 1916)
LeagueKentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (1910–1914, 1916)
Major league affiliations
TeamUnaffiliated (1910–1914, 1916)
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Pennants (1)1912
First half titles (1)1916
Team data
Name
  • Clarksville Volunteers (1916)
  • Clarksville Boosters (1913–1914)
  • Clarksville Rebels (1912)
  • Clarksville Billies (1911)
  • Clarksville Volunteers (1910)
BallparkLeague Park (1910–1914, 1916)

History

Clarksville, Tennessee, had been previously represented in the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League by the Clarksville Villagers in 1903 and the Clarksville Grays in 1904.[1] The city returned to professional baseball and the KITTY League in 1910 with the Clarksville Volunteers, which played at League Park.[2]

The Volunteers lost their 1910 season opener on the road to the Vincennes Alice, 2–0, on May 26.[3] They won their first game on May 28 at Vincennes, 2–1.[4] Clarksville's pitchers tossed three no-hitters in 1910. The first occurred on August 6, when Monte Prieste no-hit Vincennes in a 2–1 home win in the first game of a seven-inning doubleheader.[5] Prieste pitched a second no-hitter on September 5 on the road against Vincennes in the second game of a doubleheader, winning 3–0 in seven innings.[6] The third came again in the second game of doubleheader on September 20 when Ewing Harris tossed five no-hit innings at home against the McLeansboro Miners. The game was called so the Miners could catch their train.[7] The Volunteers finished the season in second place with a 55–60 (.478) record but failed to win either half of the split season and qualify for the playoffs.[8]

The 1911 Clarksville team, known as the Billies, placed last of eight KITTY League teams at 51–71 (.418).[9] On June 27 of that season, Applegate pitched a no-hitter against the Fulton Colonels.[10] The 1912 Clarksville Rebels won the KITTY League pennant with a first-place 68–29 (.701) record.[11][12] The Rebels then met the Frankfort Lawmakers, champions of the Blue Grass League, in what was billed as the championship title of Class D.[11] Frankfort won the series.[13]

On September 5, 1913, Charles Humphrey tossed a seven-inning no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader against the Hopkinsville Hoppers.[14] The 1913 Volunteers narrowly missed the pennant with a second-place finish at 78–47 (.624), just one game behind the champion Paducah Chiefs.[15] On July 4, 1914, Goldkamp no-hit Hopkinsville, 6–0.[16] The Clarksville Boosters ended the season fifth out of six teams at 22–39 (.361).[17] The KITTY League was nonoperational in 1915,[18] but it and the Volunteers returned in 1916.[19] Clarksville won the first half of the season.[19] The Volunteers won both games of a doubleheader against Hopkinsville, 2–0 and 3–0, on August 7, the last day of play before the league folded.[20] Clarksville posted a season record of 50–24 (.676).[19] Over six years of competition, Clarksville's record was 324–270 (.545).

The city of Clarksville did not field another professional baseball team until the Clarksville Owls joined the KITTY League in 1946.[1]

Season-by-season results
Season Regular season Postseason Ref.
Record Win % Finish GB Record Win % Result
1910 55–60 .478 2nd ​7 1⁄2 — — — [8]
1911 51–71 .418 8th 26 — — — [9]
1912 68–29 .701 1st — — — Won KITTY League pennant[11] [12]
1913 78–47 .624 2nd 1 — — — [15]
1914 22–39 .361 5th 24 — — — [17]
1916 50–24 .676 1st — — — Won first half title
No playoffs held[19]		 [19]
Totals 324–270 .545 — — — — — —

Notable players

Two players also played in at league one game in Major League Baseball during their careers. These players and their seasons with Clarksville were:

References
  1. "Clarksville, Tennessee Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  2. "1910 Clarksville Volunteers Roster". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  3. "Vincennes Shuts Out Clarksville". News-Democrat. Paducah. May 27, 1910. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Alices Win Three Straights". The Leaf-Chronicle. Clarksville. May 30, 1910. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Win Two Out of Three". The Leaf-Chronicle. Clarksville. August 8, 1910. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Won Double-Header from Vincennes". The Leaf-Chronicle. Clarksville. September 6, 1910. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Moguls Win Second Place". Hopkinsville Kentuckian. Hopkinsville. September 22, 1910. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "1910 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  9. "1911 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  10. "Pitches No-Hit No-Run Game". Nashville Banner. Nashville. June 28, 1911. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Minor Leaguers to Battle For Title". The Courier-Journal. Louisville. September 5, 1912. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "1912 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  13. "Frankfort Won the Championship". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. September 8, 1912. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Joe Humphrey in Rarest Form". Daily Kentucky New Era. Hopkinsville. September 6, 1913. p. 6 – via Google News.
  15. "1913 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  16. "Owensboro to Play Tomorrow". Daily Kentucky New Era. Hopkinsville. July 6, 1914. p. 48 – via Google News.
  17. "1914 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  18. "Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Yearly Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  19. "1916 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  20. "KITTY League Season Over". Nashville Banner. Nashville. August 8, 1916. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Bill Keen Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  22. "Bill Keen Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
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