Indianapolis Hoosiers

• Location: Indianapolis, IN
• Leagues: American Association 1884; Western League 1885; National League 1887-1889; Western League 1894-1899; American League 1900; Western Association 1901; Federal League 1914
• Ballparks: Seventh Street Park II (May 14-September 20, 1884), Bruce Grounds (May 18-September 21, 1884) Seventh Street Park II (April 20 – October 8, 1887); Seventh Street Park III (April 20, 1888 – October 5, 1889), Market-Oriental Park (1894 - 1899), Washington Park I (1900-1901), Federal League Park (April 23 – October 8, 1914) (20,000)

Indianapolis Hoosiers (Federal) Clinched Pennant: October 7, 1914, vs. St. Louis Terriers

Team History

The first Indianapolis Hoosiers were an expansion team in the American Association for the 1884 season. They were then invited by the owners of the Kansas City Cowboys and Milwaukee Milwaukees to join the Western League for the 1885 season. The team dropped out mid-season, which caused the league to fold.

The second team to be called the Hoosiers were the former St. Louis Maroons which had been purchased by a group of businessmen and moved to Indianapolis for the 1887 National League season. The third Hoosiers team was previously the Indianapolis Rainmakers and were owned by Cincinnati Reds owner John T. Brush. Because of his syndicate ownership of the 2 franchises, the Hoosiers were able to win three pennants during the 1890s.

The next team to use the name was the Federal League entry in 1914. The team played in Indianapolis for only one season before becoming the Newark Pepper in 1915. Since then, teams from Indianapolis have mostly been known as the Indianapolis Indians. The last surviving player from the Hoosiers was Edd Roush, who died in 1988.

Year-by-Year Record

Year	League	Affiliation	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs
1884	American Association	none	29-78	11th	Jim Gifford / Bill Watkins	none
1885	Western League	none	27-4	1st	Bill Watkins	none
1887	National League	none	37-89	8th	Watch Burnham / Fred Thomas / Horace Fogel	none
1888	National League	none	50-85	7th	Harry Spence	none
1889	National League	none	59-75	7th	Frank Bancroft / Jack Glasscock	none
1894	Western League	none	60-64	6th	Bill Sharsig	none
1895	Western League	none	78-43	1st	Bill Watkins	none League Champs
1896	Western League	none	78-54	2nd	Bill Watkins	none
1897	Western League	none	98-37	1st	Bill Watkins	none League Champs
1898	Western League	none	84-50	2nd	Bill Watkins / Bob Allen	none
1899	Western League	none	75-47	1st	Bob Allen	none League Champs
1900	American League	none	71-64	3rd	Bill Watkins	none
1901	Western Association	none	57-79	6th	Bill Watkins	none
1914	Federal League	none	88-65	1st	Bill Phillips	League Champs

See also

• Newark Pepper

Sources:

• Jerrod Cotosman: "October 7, 1914: Indianapolis Hoosiers clinch second straight Federal League pennant" SABR
• Eugene C. Murdock: Ban Johnson: Czar of Baseball (Contributions to the Study of Popular Culture)

Greenwood Press; annotated edition (Oct. 28, 1982)

• W.C.Madden and Patrick J. Stewart: The Western League (C) 2002 McFarland & Co., Inc. Publishers
• Peter Filichia: Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebrations of All 273 Major League and Negro League Ballparks Past and Present, Addison Wesley Publishing Company (March 1993)
• Benson, Michael: Ballparks of North America: A Comprehensive Historical Reference to Baseball Grounds, Yards, and Stadiums, 1845 to Present. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland (C) 1989