Kansas State League
The Kansas State League was a professional baseball league in the United States operated in the state of Kansas in the late 19th century and into the early 20th century.
The first circuit was established in 1887 as a Minor League Baseball "no classification" league and existed for that year only.
The league continued again and played four seasons, 1895 to 1898 as a "no classification" league.
Progressing into the 20th century, the circuit played in 1905-06 as a class D league and this stint lasted two years.
The last segment of the league operated as a class D league from 1909–11, and 1913-14. The original KSL ceased operation in 1911, merged with the Central Kansas League, and the 1912 season was played under the CKL name. In 1913, the CKL switched back to the Kansas State League name. After the 1914 season the league permanently disbanded.
League overview
| Year | Champion | Teams | Classification | League President | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | Ellsworth | 6 | D | George T. Tremble | |
| 1906 | Independence Coyotes | 8 | D | Edward Bero, Jr. | |
| 1909 | Lyons Lions | 8 | D | P. H. Hostutler | |
| 1910 | Hutchinson Salt Packers | 8 | D | P. H. Hostutler | |
| 1911 | Great Bend Millers | 8 | D | C. A. Case/Roy C. Gafford | League disbanded on July 11 |
| 1913 | Great Bend Millers | 6 | D | Roy C. Gafford | |
| 1914 | Emporia Bidwells | 4 | D | Roy C. Gafford |
Season summaries
1905
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellsworth | 34 | 15 | .694 | -.- | N/A |
| Great Bend Millers[a 1] | 19 | 9 | .679 | 4.5 | Carl Moore |
| Minneapolis Minnies | 24 | 22 | .522 | 8.5 | Roy Gafford |
| Hutchinson Salt Miners | 22 | 24 | .478 | 10.5 | Cook/Fred Abbott |
| Lincoln Center[a 1] | 11 | 19 | .375 | 13.5 | Simpson |
| Kingman/Hoisington[a 2] | 13 | 34 | .276 | 20.0 | N/A |
- Great Bend Millers and Lincoln Center joined the league on July 6.
- The Kingman franchise disbanded on July 22. Hoisington took team's place in the league July 24.
| Statistic | Player | Team | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | Jones | Ellsworth | 10 |
| Cy Mason | Hutchinson Salt Miners | ||
| Arthur Relihan | Ellsworth | ||
| Winning percentage | Jones | Ellsworth | .909 (10-1) |
| Complete games | Cy Mason | Hutchinson Salt Miners | 15 |
| Shutouts | Jones | Ellsworth | 5 |
- Two No-Hitters were thrown in 1905. One by Lefty Holmes of Great Bend, and the other by Salter of Minneapolis.
1906
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Coyotes | 69 | 48 | .590 | -.- | Charles McLin/Crutcher/John Hendley |
| Iola Grays/Cherryvale Boosters[b 1] | 62 | 50 | .554 | 4.5 | William Burns |
| Parsons Preachers | 60 | 50 | .545 | 5.5 | C. Pinkerton/P. P. Duffy/B. L. Taft |
| Coffeyville Bricks | 58 | 50 | .537 | 6.5 | Ed Mahley/Harry Barndollar/Haisman/Finney |
| Bartlesville Indians | 51 | 64 | .443 | 17.0 | Gus Albert |
| Chanute Browns | 31 | 82 | .274 | 36.0 | A. Allen |
| Fort Scott Giants[b 2] | 35 | 18 | .660 | NA | M. McDonald |
| Pittsburg Champs/Vinita[b 3] [b 2] | 30 | 25 | .545 | NA | H. Bartley/William Burns |
- The Iola Grays moved to Cherryvale, Kansas on June 15 becoming the Cherryvale Boosters.
- The Fort Scott Giants and Vinita disbanded on July 5. The league discarded all games played before July 10 and the season was restarted.
- The Pittsburg Champs moved to Vinita, Oklahoma on June 6.
| Statistic | Player | Team | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batting average | Ben Haas | Independence Coyotes | .341 |
| Hits | Ed Foster | Coffeyville Bricks | 97 |
| Runs | Wilder Gray | Coffeyville Bricks | 44 |
| Wins | Chick Brandom | Independence Coyotes | 16 |
| Strikeouts | Chick Brandom | Independence Coyotes | 121 |
| Winning percentage | Harry Womack | Coffeyville Bricks | 1.000 (10-0) |
1909
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyons Lions | 61 | 37 | .622 | -.- | Cecil Bankhead |
| Hutchinson Salt Packers | 60 | 37 | .619 | 0.5 | Bill Zink |
| McPherson Merry Macks | 59 | 37 | .615 | 1.0 | O. P. Depew/Earl Green |
| Great Bend Millers | 49 | 48 | .505 | 11.5 | Rudy Kling/Stillings |
| Wellington Dukes | 44 | 54 | .449 | 17.0 | Cy Mason/John Meade |
| Newton Railroaders | 42 | 54 | .438 | 18.0 | Con Harlow/A. Stillwell |
| Arkansas City-Winfield Twins[c 1] | 41 | 56 | .423 | 19.5 | M. E. Parks/Frank Layne/Bennie Owens |
| Strong City-Cottonwood Falls/Larned Cowboys[c 2] | 32 | 65 | .330 | 28.5 | Butch Freese/Buck Weaver |
- The city of Winfield bought partial interest in the Arkansas City franchise on July 22.
- The Strong City-Cottonwood Falls Twin Cities moved to Larned, Kansas on July 12 becoming the Larned Cowboys.
| Statistic | Player | Team | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batting average | Jim Miller | Newton Railroaders | .342 |
| Home Runs | Pete LaFlambois | Arkansas City-Winfield Twins | 6 |
| Hits | Jim Miller | Newton Railroaders | 119 |
| Runs | Jasper Hainsey | McPherson Merry Macks | 66 |
| Wins | Robert Hassler | Lyons Lions | 25 |
| Strikeouts | Robert Hassler | Lyons Lions | 193 |
| Winning percentage | Pearl Stanley | Hutchinson Salt Packers | .793 (23-6) |
1910
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson Salt Packers | 70 | 39 | .642 | -.- | Bill Zink |
| McPherson Merry Macks | 58 | 49 | .542 | 11.0 | D. Conklin/F. J. Synek |
| Lyons Lions | 57 | 53 | .518 | 13.5 | Cecil Bankhead/Joe Riggert/Buck Ebright/John Jones |
| Newton Railroaders | 56 | 54 | .509 | 14.5 | Mel Backus |
| Great Bend Millers | 54 | 55 | .495 | 16.0 | Charles Lyons |
| Wellington Dukes | 48 | 56 | .461 | 19.5 | C. Pinkerton/Ody Abbott/Harry Vitter/Lewis Armstrong |
| Larned Wheat Kings | 46 | 56 | .451 | 20.5 | Buck Weaver/Harry McLean |
| Arkansas City Grays | 40 | 67 | .374 | 29.0 | L. Evans/Dennis McGuire/Doc Baker |
| Statistic | Player | Team | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batting average | Joe Riggert | Lyons Lions | .362 |
| Home Runs | Joe Riggert | Lyons Lions | 13 |
| Hits | Bill Zink | Hutchinson Salt Packers | 141 |
| Runs | Charles Weisner | Lyons Lions | 132 |
| Wins | E. J. Smith | Hutchinson Salt Packers | 18 |
| Walt Sizemore | Lyons Lions | ||
| Strikeouts | Rolla Maple | Great Bend Millers | 205 |
| Winning percentage | E. J. Smith | Hutchinson Salt Packers | .750 (18-6) |
1911
The league disbanded on July 11 due to crop failures and drought. There are no team or individual statistics were available.
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bend Millers | 39 | 20 | .661 | 0 | Affie Wilson/William Luhrsen |
| Newton Railroaders | 39 | 21 | .650 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Lyons Lions | 37 | 27 | .578 | 4.5 | Spencer Abbott |
| McPherson Merry Macks | 31 | 28 | .525 | 8.0 | Joseph Harris |
| Hutchinson Salt Packers | 29 | 29 | .500 | 9.5 | Bill Zink |
| Larned Wheat Kings | 23 | 32 | .418 | 14.0 | Harry Berte |
| El Dorado Crushers | 15 | 33 | .313 | 18.5 | Bill Annis/Walter Sizemore |
| Wellington Dukes[d 1] | 15 | 38 | .283 | 21.0 | Peter Ketter/C. E. Powell/Ned Price |
- The Wellington Dukes played 10 home games in Wichita, Kansas from June 11 to June 23.
1913
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bend Millers | 53 | 36 | .596 | -.- | Affie Wilson/William Luhrsen |
| Clay Center Cubs | 51 | 37 | .580 | 1.5 | Max Addington |
| Lyons Lions | 50 | 39 | .562 | 3.0 | William Nelson |
| Salina Insurgents | 26 | 63 | .292 | 27.0 | Lon Ury/Mike Welday |
| Manhattan Elks[e 1] | 27 | 24 | .529 | N/A | Fred Moore |
| Junction City Soldiers[e 1] | 21 | 29 | .420 | N/A | Norm Price/Cecil Bankhead |
- After the Junction City Soldiers disbanded on July 9, the league to dropped the Manhattan Elks on the following day.
| Statistic | Player | Team | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batting average | John Singleton | Clay Center Cubs | .335 |
| Hits | John Singleton | Clay Center Cubs | 133 |
| Runs | John Singleton | Clay Center Cubs | 78 |
| Wins | J. L. O'Byrne | Lyons Lions | 17 |
| Winning percentage | C. H. Riley | Great Bend Millers | 1.000 (9-0) |
1914
| Team | W | L | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emporia Bidwells | 54 | 32 | 0.0 | Ira Bidwell |
| Salina Coyotes | 47 | 41 | 8.0 | Dick Robin |
| Hutchinson Packers | 40 | 49 | 15.5 | Jesse Clifton |
| Great Bend Millers | 35 | 54 | 20.5 | Affie Wilson |
| Stat | Player | Team | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batting average | Pete LaFlambois | Emporia Bidwells | .342 |
| Hits | Rick Freeman | Hutchinson Packers | 98 |
| Wins | Otis Lambeth Ralph Shimeal | Emporia Bidwells Emporia Bidwells | 14 |
| Runs | Paul Turgeon | Emporia Bidwells | 61 |
| Strikeouts | Powell Burnett | Salina Coyotes | 166 |
| Winning percentage | Otis Lambeth | Emporia Bidwells | .737 (14-5) |
League Presidents
1905–1906 League
- George T. Tremble: 1905
- Edward Bero, Jr.: 1906
1909–1911 League
- P. H. Hostutler: 1909–1910
- C. A. Case: 1911
- Roy C. Gafford: 1911
1913–1914 League
- Roy C. Gafford: 1913–1914
Cities represented
1905–1906 League
- Bartlesville, Oklahoma: Bartlesville Indians 1906
- Chanute, Kansas: Chanute Browns 1906
- Cherryvale, Kansas: Cherryvale Boosters 1906
- Coffeyville, Kansas: Coffeyville Bricks 1906
- Ellsworth, Kansas: Ellsworth 1905
- Fort Scott, Kansas: Fort Scott Giants 1906
- Great Bend, Kansas: Great Bend Millers 1905
- Hoisington, Kansas: Hoisington 1905
- Hutchinson, Kansas: Hutchinson Salt Miners 1905
- Independence, Kansas: Independence Coyotes 1906
- Iola, Kansas: Iola Grays 1906
- Kingman, Kansas: Kingman 1905
- Lincoln Center, Kansas: Lincoln Center 1905
- Minneapolis, Kansas: Minneapolis Minnies 1905
- Parsons, Kansas: Parsons Preachers 1906
- Pittsburg, Kansas: Pittsburg Champs 1906
- Vinita, Oklahoma: Vinita 1906
1909–1911 League
- Arkansas City, Kansas & Winfield, Kansas: Arkansas City-Winfield Twins 1909; Arkansas City Grays 1910
- El Dorado, Kansas: El Dorado Crushers 1911
- Great Bend, Kansas: Great Bend Millers 1909–1911
- Hutchinson, Kansas: Hutchinson Salt Packers 1909–1911
- Larned, Kansas: Larned Cowboys 1909; Larned Wheat Kings 1910–1911
- Lyons, Kansas: Lyons Lions 1909–1911
- McPherson, Kansas: McPherson Merry Macks 1909–1911
- Newton, Kansas: Newton Railroaders 1909–1911
- Strong City, Kansas & Cottonwood Falls, Kansas: Strong City-Cottonwood Falls Twin Citys 1909
- Wellington, Kansas: Wellington Dukes 1909–1911
1913–1914 League
- Clay Center, Kansas: Clay Center Cubs 1913, moved from Central Kansas League
- Emporia, Kansas: Emporia Bidwells 1914
- Great Bend, Kansas: Great Bend Millers 1913–1914, moved from Central Kansas League
- Hutchinson, Kansas: Hutchinson Packers 1914
- Junction City, Kansas: Junction City Soldiers 1913, moved from Central Kansas League
- Lyons, Kansas: Lyons Lions 1913, moved from Central Kansas League
- Manhattan, Kansas: Manhattan Elks 1913, moved from Central Kansas League
- Salina, Kansas: Salina Insurgents 1913, moved from Central Kansas League; Salina Coyotes 1914
Sources
- Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (1997, second edition), edited by W. Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff
- Baseball Reference: Kansas State League
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