Mississippi-Ohio Valley League
Encyclopedia
The Mississippi-Ohio Valley League was an American
minor league baseball
league. It operated from 1949 through 1955.
, Centralia, Illinois
, Marion, Illinois
, Mattoon, Illinois
, Mount Vernon, Illinois
, and West Frankfort, Illinois
moved from the Illinois State League and joined the league. Mount Vernon moved to Paducah, Kentucky
.
Mattoon beat Centralia 3 games to none in the playoffs. Paducah beat West Frankfort by 3 games to none as well. Paducah beat Mattoon 4 games to 3 for the championship.
left the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
and joined. New teams in Paris, Illinois
and Vincennes, Indiana
formed and joined the league.
Centralia beat Mattoon 3 games to 1, and Paducah beat West Frankfort 3 games to none, in the first round of the playoffs. The championship series was cancelled due to bad weather.
. Danville, Illinois
joined the league after having left the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
. The best records for the first and second halves of the season were also recorded.
and Hannibal, Missouri
formed. The team from Vincennes moved to Canton, Ohio
.
Hannibal beat Danville 3 games to 1, and Decatur beat Paris 3 games to 2 in the first round of the playoffs. Decatur won the championship over Hannibal 3 games to 1.
Decatur beat Hannibal 3 games to none, and Paris beat Mattoon 3 games to none, in the first round of the playoffs. Decatur won the championship over Paris 3 games to 2.
and Dubuque, Iowa
formed and joined the league.
Clinton beat Decatur 2 games to none, and Danville beat Dubuque 2 games to 1, in the first round of the playoffs. Danville won the championship over Clinton 3 games to none.
and Lafayette, Indiana
formed and joined the league.
Dubuque beat Clinton 2 games to none, and Mattoon beat Kokomo 2 games to none, in the first round of the playoffs. Dubuque won the championship over Mattoon 3 games to none. The team from Hannibal folded. All other teams from the league became charter members of the new, Class D Midwest League
, now a Low Class A circuit, and the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League folded.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
league. It operated from 1949 through 1955.
1949
Teams from Belleville, IllinoisBelleville, Illinois
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
, Centralia, Illinois
Centralia, Illinois
Centralia is a town located in Marion, Washington, Clinton, and Jefferson Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 13,032 at the 2010 census. The town was founded because it was the point where the two original branches of the Illinois Central Railroad, built in 1853, converged....
, Marion, Illinois
Marion, Illinois
The city of Marion is the county seat of Williamson County, Illinois. The 2010 census counted 17,193 residents, making Marion the 25th most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, in Illinois, and the second most populous city in Southern Illinois, outside of the Metro-East, behind...
, Mattoon, Illinois
Mattoon, Illinois
Mattoon is a city in Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,555 as of the 2010 census. It is a principal city of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.Mattoon was the site of the "Mad Gasser" attacks of the 1940s....
, Mount Vernon, Illinois
Mount Vernon, Illinois
Mount Vernon is a city located near the center of Jefferson County, Illinois, in the United States. In the 2010 census, the city's reported population was 15,277 people....
, and West Frankfort, Illinois
West Frankfort, Illinois
West Frankfort is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, USA. The population was 8,182 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area.-History:...
moved from the Illinois State League and joined the league. Mount Vernon moved to Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
.
| Team Name | Affiliation | |Record |
| Centralia Cubs Centralia Cubs The Centralia Cubs were an Illinois State League and Mississippi-Ohio Valley League baseball team based in Centralia, Illinois, USA. They were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs in 1947 and 1948, and they played their home games at Fan's Field.... |
|74-44 | |
| West Frankfort Cardinals | St. Louis Cardinals 1949 St. Louis Cardinals season The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 68th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 58th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 96-58 during the season and finished second in the National League.- Offseason :... |
|71-49 |
| Mattoon Indians | |62-56 | |
| Paducah Chiefs Paducah Chiefs Paducah Chiefs were a minor league baseball team in Paducah, Kentucky.Early incarnations of the Paducah Chiefs played in the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League in 1903 and 1912–1913, and in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League in 1949–1950... |
|54-65 | |
| Mount Vernon Kings Mount Vernon Kings The Mount Vernon Kings were a Mississippi-Ohio Valley League baseball team based in Mount Vernon, Illinois, USA that played from 1949 to 1954. They played their home games at Veterans Park. Roy Lee played for them.... |
|53-67 | |
| Belleville Stags | |43-76 |
Mattoon beat Centralia 3 games to none in the playoffs. Paducah beat West Frankfort by 3 games to none as well. Paducah beat Mattoon 4 games to 3 for the championship.
1950
Belleville folded. The team from Springfield, IllinoisSpringfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
left the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
The Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League was a minor league baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 years, mostly in those three states. It was popularly known as the Three-I League and also sometimes jokingly as the Three-Eye League....
and joined. New teams in Paris, Illinois
Paris, Illinois
Paris is a city in Paris Township, Edgar County, Illinois, USA, south of Chicago, and west of Indianapolis. In 1900, 6,105 people lived in Paris, Illinois; in 1910, 7,664; and in 1940, 9,281. The population was 8,837 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Edgar County.-Geography:Paris is...
and Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
formed and joined the league.
| Centralia Sterlings Centralia Sterlings The Centralia Sterlings were a Mississippi-Ohio Valley League baseball team based in Centralia, Illinois, USA that played in 1950. They played their home games at Fan's Field. They finished first in the league in their only year of existence, however the finals for the league playoffs against the... |
|83-40 | |
| West Frankfort Cardinals | St. Louis Cardinals 1950 St. Louis Cardinals season The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 69th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 59th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 78-75 during the season and finished 5th in the National League.- Offseason :... |
|72-47 |
| Mattoon Indians | |71-47 | |
| Paducah Chiefs Paducah Chiefs Paducah Chiefs were a minor league baseball team in Paducah, Kentucky.Early incarnations of the Paducah Chiefs played in the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League in 1903 and 1912–1913, and in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League in 1949–1950... |
|67-55 | |
| Springfield Giants Springfield Giants From 1957 through 1965, the Springfield Giants were the Single-A and Double-A baseball team affiliate of the New York/San Francisco Giants in the Eastern League... |
|60-59 | |
| Paris Lakers Paris Lakers The Paris Lakers were a minor league baseball team which played in Paris, Illinois. The team played in the Midwest League from 1950-1959. The Lakers' home field was Twin Lakes Park.... |
|43-75 | |
| Vincennes Citizens | |43-76 | |
| Mount Vernon Kings Mount Vernon Kings The Mount Vernon Kings were a Mississippi-Ohio Valley League baseball team based in Mount Vernon, Illinois, USA that played from 1949 to 1954. They played their home games at Veterans Park. Roy Lee played for them.... |
|37-77 |
Centralia beat Mattoon 3 games to 1, and Paducah beat West Frankfort 3 games to none, in the first round of the playoffs. The championship series was cancelled due to bad weather.
1951
Springfield and West Frankfort folded. Paducah left to join the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee LeagueKentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League
The Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League was a Class D minor league baseball circuit that went through six different lives. The first KITTY League played from 1903 through 1906. The next one ran from 1910 through 1914. The third try played a single season . The circuit was revived in 1922 and lasted...
. Danville, Illinois
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
joined the league after having left the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
The Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League was a minor league baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 years, mostly in those three states. It was popularly known as the Three-I League and also sometimes jokingly as the Three-Eye League....
. The best records for the first and second halves of the season were also recorded.
| Paris Lakers Paris Lakers The Paris Lakers were a minor league baseball team which played in Paris, Illinois. The team played in the Midwest League from 1950-1959. The Lakers' home field was Twin Lakes Park.... |
|84-36 (1st half winner) (2nd half winner) | |
| Centralia Zeros Centralia Zeros The Centralia Zeroes were a Mississippi-Ohio Valley League baseball team based in Centralia, Illinois, USA that played from 1951 to 1952. They played their home games at Fan's Field.... |
|69-51 | |
| Mount Vernon Kings Mount Vernon Kings The Mount Vernon Kings were a Mississippi-Ohio Valley League baseball team based in Mount Vernon, Illinois, USA that played from 1949 to 1954. They played their home games at Veterans Park. Roy Lee played for them.... |
|60-59 | |
| Danville Dans Danville Dans The Danville Dans are a collegiate summer league baseball team located in Danville, Illinois. The team plays in the Prospect League, which their former league, the NCAA sanctioned Central Illinois Collegiate League, was absorbed into.... |
|51-67 | |
| Mattoon Indians | |49-69 | |
| Vincennes Velvets | |43-74 |
1952
New teams in Decatur, IllinoisDecatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
and Hannibal, Missouri
Hannibal, Missouri
Hannibal is a city in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. Hannibal is located at the intersection of Interstate 72 and U.S. Routes 24, 36 and 61, approximately northwest of St. Louis. According to the 2010 U.S. Census the population was 17,606...
formed. The team from Vincennes moved to Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
| Danville Dans Danville Dans The Danville Dans are a collegiate summer league baseball team located in Danville, Illinois. The team plays in the Prospect League, which their former league, the NCAA sanctioned Central Illinois Collegiate League, was absorbed into.... |
Boston Braves 1952 Boston Braves season The Boston Braves season involved the 64-89 team finishing seventh in the National League, 32 games behind the pennant-winning Brooklyn Dodgers... |
|87-40 (1st half winner) |
| Paris Lakers Paris Lakers The Paris Lakers were a minor league baseball team which played in Paris, Illinois. The team played in the Midwest League from 1950-1959. The Lakers' home field was Twin Lakes Park.... |
|85-42 (2nd half winner) | |
| Decatur Commodores Decatur Commodores The Decatur Commodores were a professional minor league baseball team based in Decatur, Illinois. They played, with sporadic interruptions, from 1900 to 1974 in a variety of minor leagues, but spent the majority of their existence in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League , later joining the... |
|73-52 | |
| Hannibal Stags | |70-57 | |
| Mount Vernon Kings Mount Vernon Kings The Mount Vernon Kings were a Mississippi-Ohio Valley League baseball team based in Mount Vernon, Illinois, USA that played from 1949 to 1954. They played their home games at Veterans Park. Roy Lee played for them.... |
|55-67 | |
| Vincennes Velvets/Canton Citizens | |54-70 | |
| Centralia Zeros Centralia Zeros The Centralia Zeroes were a Mississippi-Ohio Valley League baseball team based in Centralia, Illinois, USA that played from 1951 to 1952. They played their home games at Fan's Field.... |
|41-83 | |
| Mattoon Indians | Cincinnati Reds 1952 Cincinnati Reds season The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Cincinnati Reds attempting to win the National League.- Offseason :... |
|35-89 |
Hannibal beat Danville 3 games to 1, and Decatur beat Paris 3 games to 2 in the first round of the playoffs. Decatur won the championship over Hannibal 3 games to 1.
1953
Canton and Centralia folded.| Decatur Commodores Decatur Commodores The Decatur Commodores were a professional minor league baseball team based in Decatur, Illinois. They played, with sporadic interruptions, from 1900 to 1974 in a variety of minor leagues, but spent the majority of their existence in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League , later joining the... |
|68-50 | |
| Paris Lakers Paris Lakers The Paris Lakers were a minor league baseball team which played in Paris, Illinois. The team played in the Midwest League from 1950-1959. The Lakers' home field was Twin Lakes Park.... |
|66-53 | |
| Mattoon Phillies | Philadelphia Phillies 1953 Philadelphia Phillies season The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 71st in franchise history.- Roster :- Starters by position :Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in- Other batters :... |
|64-56 |
| Hannibal Cannibals | St. Louis Cardinals 1953 St. Louis Cardinals season The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 72nd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 62nd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 83-71 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League.... |
|55-62 |
| Mount Vernon Kings Mount Vernon Kings The Mount Vernon Kings were a Mississippi-Ohio Valley League baseball team based in Mount Vernon, Illinois, USA that played from 1949 to 1954. They played their home games at Veterans Park. Roy Lee played for them.... |
|55-64 | |
| Danville Dans Danville Dans The Danville Dans are a collegiate summer league baseball team located in Danville, Illinois. The team plays in the Prospect League, which their former league, the NCAA sanctioned Central Illinois Collegiate League, was absorbed into.... |
Chicago White Sox 1953 Chicago White Sox season The 1953 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 53rd season in the major leagues, and its 54th season overall. They finished with a record 89-65, good enough for third place in the American League, 11.5 games behind the first place New York Yankees.... |
|48-71 |
Decatur beat Hannibal 3 games to none, and Paris beat Mattoon 3 games to none, in the first round of the playoffs. Decatur won the championship over Paris 3 games to 2.
1954
New teams in Clinton, IowaClinton, Iowa
Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26231as of 2010. Clinton, along with DeWitt, Iowa , was named in honor of the seventh governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton. Clinton is the principal city of the Clinton Micropolitan Statistical...
and Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
formed and joined the league.
| Decatur Commodores Decatur Commodores The Decatur Commodores were a professional minor league baseball team based in Decatur, Illinois. They played, with sporadic interruptions, from 1900 to 1974 in a variety of minor leagues, but spent the majority of their existence in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League , later joining the... |
|74-52 | |
| Danville Dans Danville Dans The Danville Dans are a collegiate summer league baseball team located in Danville, Illinois. The team plays in the Prospect League, which their former league, the NCAA sanctioned Central Illinois Collegiate League, was absorbed into.... |
New York Giants 1954 New York Giants season The 1954 New York Giants season was the 30th season for the club in the National Football League.-Schedule:-Standings:-See also:*List of New York Giants seasons... |
|66-59 |
| Clinton Pirates | |63-59 | |
| Dubuque Packers Dubuque Packers The Dubuque Packers were a minor league baseball team that played in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League from 1954-55 and the Midwest League from 1956-67 and 1974-76.Their minor league affiliations included:*1954-58: Chicago White Sox... |
Chicago White Sox 1954 Chicago White Sox season The 1954 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 54th season in the major leagues, and its 55th season overall. They finished with a record 94-60, good enough for third place in the American League, 17 games behind the first place Cleveland Indians.... |
|62-61 |
| Mattoon Phillies | Philadelphia Phillies 1954 Philadelphia Phillies season The Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in Major League Baseball. The Phillies finished fourth in the National League with a record of 75 wins and 79 losses.- Offseason :* December 1, 1953: 1953 minor league draft... |
|62-64 |
| Paris Lakers Paris Lakers The Paris Lakers were a minor league baseball team which played in Paris, Illinois. The team played in the Midwest League from 1950-1959. The Lakers' home field was Twin Lakes Park.... |
|58-68 | |
| Hannibal Cannibals | St. Louis Cardinals 1954 St. Louis Cardinals season The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 73rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 63rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 72-82 during the season and finished 6th in the National League.- Offseason :... |
58-68 |
| Mount Vernon Kings Mount Vernon Kings The Mount Vernon Kings were a Mississippi-Ohio Valley League baseball team based in Mount Vernon, Illinois, USA that played from 1949 to 1954. They played their home games at Veterans Park. Roy Lee played for them.... |
|57-69 |
Clinton beat Decatur 2 games to none, and Danville beat Dubuque 2 games to 1, in the first round of the playoffs. Danville won the championship over Clinton 3 games to none.
1955
Danville and Mount Vernon folded. New teams in Kokomo, IndianaKokomo, Indiana
Kokomo is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States, Indiana's 13th largest city. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard and Tipton counties....
and Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
formed and joined the league.
| Dubuque Packers Dubuque Packers The Dubuque Packers were a minor league baseball team that played in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League from 1954-55 and the Midwest League from 1956-67 and 1974-76.Their minor league affiliations included:*1954-58: Chicago White Sox... |
Chicago White Sox 1955 Chicago White Sox season The 1955 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 55th season in the major leagues, and its 56th season overall. They finished with a record 91-63, good enough for third place in the American League, 5 games behind the first place New York Yankees.... |
74-52 |
| Mattoon Phillies | Philadelphia Phillies 1955 Philadelphia Phillies season The Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in American baseball. It was the first season for Phillies' manager Mayo Smith. Prior to the season, the Phillies were seen to have strong pitching with ace Robin Roberts but did not have power hitters to match pennant favorites Brooklyn, New York, or... |
68-57 |
| Clinton Pirates | Pittsburgh Pirates 1955 Pittsburgh Pirates season - Offseason :* Prior to 1955 season: Ellis Burton was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pirates.- Notable transactions :* August 27, 1955: Red Swanson was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pirates.- Roster :- Starters by position :... |
|68-57 |
| Kokomo Giants | |64-62 | |
| Lafayette Chiefs | Cleveland Indians 1955 Cleveland Indians season - Offseason :* October 14, 1954: Owen Friend was purchased from the Indians by the Boston Red Sox.* November 16, 1954: Ralph Kiner was acquired by the Indians from the Chicago Cubs for $60,000 as part of an earlier deal made on September 30, 1954... |
|63-63 |
| Decatur Commodores Decatur Commodores The Decatur Commodores were a professional minor league baseball team based in Decatur, Illinois. They played, with sporadic interruptions, from 1900 to 1974 in a variety of minor leagues, but spent the majority of their existence in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League , later joining the... |
St. Louis Cardinals 1955 St. Louis Cardinals season The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 74th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 64th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 68-86 during the season and finished seventh in the National League, 30½ games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers.... |
62-64 |
| Paris Lakers Paris Lakers The Paris Lakers were a minor league baseball team which played in Paris, Illinois. The team played in the Midwest League from 1950-1959. The Lakers' home field was Twin Lakes Park.... |
Brooklyn Dodgers 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers season In , the Brooklyn Dodgers finally fulfilled the promise of many previous Dodger teams. Although the club had won several pennants in the past, and had won as many as 105 games in 1953, it had never won a World Series. This team finished 13.5 games ahead in the National League pennant race, leading... |
62-64 |
| Hannibal Citizens | |42-84 |
Dubuque beat Clinton 2 games to none, and Mattoon beat Kokomo 2 games to none, in the first round of the playoffs. Dubuque won the championship over Mattoon 3 games to none. The team from Hannibal folded. All other teams from the league became charter members of the new, Class D Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
, now a Low Class A circuit, and the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League folded.