Illinois-Missouri League

The class D Illinois-Missouri League began operations in 1908 and continued through 1914 before ending its run. Missouri was only represented in the league for the first year, by Hannibal, but they did finish first. No city played all 7 years of the league's run, with Canton competing for 6 years. The only city to win two titles was the Lincoln, IL team, who won back to back crowns, in 1912 & 1913.

Cities Represented

1908-1914

• Beardstown, IL: Beardstown Infants 1909-1910
• Canton, IL: Canton Chinks 1908-1911; Canton Highlanders 1912; Canton Chinks 1913
• Champaign, IL & Urbana, IL: Champaign-Urbana Velvets 1911
• Champaign, IL: Champaign Velvets 1912-1914
• Clinton, IL: Clinton Champs 1910-1912
• Galesburg, IL: Galesburg Hornets 1908; Galesburg Boosters 1909
• Hannibal, MO: Hannibal Cannibals 1908, moved to Central Association, 1909-1912
• Havana, IL: Havana Perfectos 1908
• Jacksonville, IL: Jacksonville Jacks 1910
• Kankakee, IL: Kankakee Kanks 1912-1914
• LaSalle, IL: LaSalle Blue Sox 1914
• Lincoln, IL: Lincoln Abes 1910-1914
• Macomb, IL: Macomb Potters 1908-1910
• Monmouth, IL: Monmouth Browns 1908-1909, moved to Central Association, 1910-1913
• Ottawa, IL: Ottawa Indians 1914
• Pekin, IL: Pekin Celestials 1909-1913
• Streator, IL: Streator Speedboys 1912; Streator Boosters 1913-1914
• Taylorville, IL: Taylorville Christians 1911

Teams & Statistics

1908-1914

1908 Illinois-Missouri League
President: A. E. Blain

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Hannibal Cannibals	68	49	.581	-	Bert Hough
Macomb Potters	66	53	.555	3	Jap Wagner
Havana Perfectos	58	61	.487	11	Mike Sampson / Fred Kommers
Canton Chinks	56	61	.479	12	Rodney Turner / Charles Murphy
Monmouth Browns	55	62	.470	13	Robert Hyde / Charles Karnell
Galesburg Hornets	50	67	.427	18	Horne / Mueller / Grogan / Smith

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Fred Kommers	Havana	BA	.349		Henry Rossback	Galesburg	W	21
Fred Kommers	Havana	Runs	75		Charles Fanning	Canton	SO	200
Fred Kommers	Havana	Hits	153		Curly Curtis	Macomb	Pct	.714; 15-6
Fred Kommers	Havana	HR	11

1909 Illinois-Missouri League
President: A. E. Blain

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Monmouth Browns	77	50	.606	-	Jack Corbett
Beardstown Infants	77	52	.597	1	Harry Riggons
Pekin Celestials	73	57	.562	5.5	Doug Jeffries / Harry Horton / Walter Diehl
Macomb Potters	63	67	.485	15.5	Orville Wolfe
Canton Chinks	51	79	.392	27.5	Harry Lloyd
Galesburg Boosters	47	83	.362	31.5	W.C. Dithridge

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Andy Lotshaw	Beardstown	BA	.329		Homer Hargrove	Monmouth	W	27
Andy Lotshaw	Beardstown	Runs	72		Joe Jenkins	Pekin	W	27
Andy Lotshaw	Beardstown	Hits	146		Charles Fanning	Canton	SO	249
Cy Forsythe	Pekin	HR	7		Homer Hargrove	Monmouth	Pct	.750; 27-9
Will Johnston	Monmouth	HR	7
Fred Johnson	Canton	HR	7

1910 Illinois-Missouri League - schedule
President: A. E. Blain

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Pekin Celestials	66	47	.584	-	William Hickey / Bill Dithridge
Clinton Champs	58	57	.504	9	Monte McFarland / Claude Suttles / Charles Cline
Canton Chinks	55	62	.470	13	Elmer Smith / M. McDonald
Lincoln Abes	43	71	.377	23.5	James Novacek / Bill Salliard
Macomb Potters ##	50	43	.538	NA	Stewart
Beardstown #/Jacksonville	44	36	.550	NA	Jack Corbett / Pants Rowland

# Beardstown (38-26) moved to Jacksonville July 21; Jacksonville disbanded August 17.
## Macomb disbanded August 17.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Cy Forsythe	Pekin	BA	.380		Joe Jenkins	Pekin	W	27
Walter Diehl Charles O'Berta	Pekin Macomb/Lincoln	Runs	72 72		Joe Jenkins	Pekin	SO	242
Will Lindberg	Clinton	Hits	138		Joe Jenkins	Pekin	Pct	.771; 27-8
Al Dean	Pekin/Clinton	HR	5

1911 Illinois-Missouri League - schedule
President: R. E. Rollins

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Clinton Champs	74	55	.574	-	Claude Suttles
Pekin Celestials	72	55	.567	1	Jack Herbert
Champaign-Urbana Velvets	66	60	.524	6.5	John Thiery / Fred Donovan
Canton Chinks	60	62	.492	10.5	Fred "Blackie" Wilson
Lincoln Abes	59	64	.480	12	Conley / Salliard / Brady / Vaught / Corbett
Taylorville Christians	47	82	.364	27	Fred Donovan / Joe Adams / R.M. "Oscar" Denney

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Andy Lotshaw	Canton	BA	.355		Joab McManus	Canton	W	32
Will Lindberg	Clinton	Runs	94		Joab McManus	Canton	SO	243
Andy Lotshaw	Canton	Hits	160		Fred Marks	Clinton	Pct	.727; 24-9
Andy Lotshaw	Canton	HR	29

1912 Illinois-Missouri League - schedule
President: Charles A. Cline

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Lincoln Abes	70	47	.598	-	Louis Ehrgott
Pekin Celestials	61	55	.526	8.5	Jack Herbert
Canton Highlanders	57	56	.504	11
Clinton Champs#/ Kankakee Kanks	56	56	.500	11.5	Claude Suttles / Fred "Blackie" Wilson
Champaign Velvets	53	64	.453	17	Chuck Fleming
Streator Speedboys	46	65	.414	21	Jack Leuter

# Clinton (2-5) moved to Kankakee May 16.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Polly Wolfe	Lincoln	BA	.374		Clarence Vaught	Lincoln	W	22
Polly Wolfe	Lincoln	Runs	89		Fred Witte	Champaign	SO	211
Polly Wolfe	Lincoln	Hits	164		N. Entrich	Champaign	Pct	.786; 11-3
Andy Lotshaw	Canton	HR	11

1913 Illinois-Missouri League - schedule
President: Charles A. Cline

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Lincoln Abes	57	26	.686	-	Louis Ehrgott
Champaign Velvets	53	32	.623	5	Fred "Blackie" Wilson
Kankakee Kanks	35	51	.407	23.5	Red Kelly
Streator Boosters	30	57	.345	29	Bob Coyle / Nick Kahl
Pekin Celestials #	23	26	.469	NA	Jack Herbert
Canton Chinks #	20	26	.435	NA	Ted Raines

# Pekin & Canton disbanded July 10.
Playoff: Lincoln won the first half, Lincoln & Champaign tied for the second half. Lincoln was awarded the Championship when Champaign refused to play off the second half tie.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Fred Dang	Lincoln	BA	.412		Clarence Vaught	Lincoln	W	21
Dick Higgins	Lincoln	Runs	65		Clarence Vaught	Lincoln	SO	166
A.J. Holtzhouser	Kankakee	Hits	118		Ernest Hook	Lincoln	Pct	.889; 16-2
Roy Phillips	Streator	HR	13

1914 Illinois-Missouri League - schedule
President: Charles A. Cline

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Champaign Velvets	62	27	.696	-	Fred "Blackie" Wilson
Ottawa Indians	47	38	.553	13	Chuck Fleming
Streator Boosters	40	48	.454	21.5	John Ray / Heinie Seebach
LaSalle Blue Sox	26	60	.302	34.5	Tony Hinley / John Fitzpatrick
Lincoln Abes #	32	15	.681	NA	Louis Ehrgott
Kankakee Kanks #	14	33	.301	NA	Raines / Randall / Connelly / Hinley

# Lincoln & Kankakee disbanded July 3.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Andy Lotshaw	Champaign-Urbana	BA	.320		Grover Baichley	Champaign-Urbana	W	15
Chuck Fleming	Ottawa	Runs	68		Grover Baichley	Champaign-Urbana	SO	174
Andy Lotshaw	Champaign-Urbana	Hits	108		Grover Baichley	Champaign-Urbana	Pct	.938; 15-1
Andy Lotshaw	Champaign-Urbana	HR	10

League Records 1908-1914

Batting
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr		Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr
Joe Anderson	Canton	G	130	09		A.J. Holzhouser	Kankakee	BA	.405	13
Will Johnston	Monmouth	AB	530	09		Will Lindberg	Clinton	RUNS	94	11
Polly Wolfe	Lincoln	H	164	12		Ed Forsythe	Pekin	2B	33	09
Andy Lotshaw	Beardstown	3B	14	09		Gus Williams	Monmouth	3B	14	09
Andy Lotshaw	Champaign	3B	14	14		Andy Lotshaw	Canton	HR	29	11
Andy Lotshaw	Beardstown	EBH	68	11		Andy Lotshaw	Beardstown	TB	297	11
Tom Fleming	Champ/Urbana	SAC	46	11		Joe Anderson	Pekin	SAC	46	11
Polly Wolfe	Lincoln	SB	72	12		Fred Perry	Linc/LaSalle	SO	119	14

Pitching
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr		Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr
Joe McManus	Canton	GA	46	11		Clarence Vaught	Lincoln	GA	46	11
Earl Hill	Macom/Canton	CG	32	08		Joe McManus	Canton	W	32	11
Fred Witte	Champaign	L	19	12		Grover Baichley	Champaign	Pct	.938,15-1	14
Homer Hargrove	Monmouth	IP	381	09		Henry Rossbach	Galesburg	ShO	9	08
Charles Fanning	Canton	SO	249	09		Charles Delair	Monmouth	BB	120	09
Charles Delair	Monmouth	WP	18	09		Elmer Jacobs	Kankakee	HB	23	12

Hall of Fame Alumni

• Pete Alexander, 1909 Galesburg Boosters
• Ray Schalk, 1911 Taylorville Christians

Source

The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Second and Third Editions.