Mississippi-Ohio Valley League

From BR Bullpen

In 1949 the Illinois State League was renamed the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League. This class D league continued with that name through 1955, after which it became the Midwest League. Only Mattoon, IL lasted for the entire 7 year run of the league.

Cities Represented[edit]

1949 - 1955 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League[edit]

1949[edit]

1949 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League
President: C.C. "Dutch" Hoffman

Team Name W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Centralia Cubs 74 44 .627 - 35,000 Lou Bekeza
West Frankfort 71 49 .592 4 24,140 Robert Stanton
Mattoon Indians 62 56 .525 12 38,325 Chuck Hawley
Paducah Chiefs 54 65 .454 20.5 54,859 Caroll Peterson / Eddie Kearse
Mt. Vernon Kings 53 67 .442 22 36,240 Robert Shreve / Bill Trotter
Belleville Stags 43 76 .361 31.5 13,500 Mueller / Yurkovich / Nesbit / Mick

Playoffs: Mattoon 3 games, Centralia 0; Paducah 3 games, West Frankfort 0;
Finals: Paducah 4 games, Mattoon 3.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Bunny Mick Belleville BA .354 Joseph Prucha Centralia W 19
Ev Joyner West Frankfort Hits 170 Joseph Mattis Mattoon SO 166
Richard Martz Paducah RBI 100 Dick Loeser West Frankfort ERA 2.22
Arthur Oliver Paducah HR 17 Dick Loeser West Frankfort PCT .857 12-2
Ev Joyner West Frankfort Runs 104

1950[edit]

1950 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League - schedule
President: C.C. "Dutch" Hoffman

Team Name W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Centralia Sterlings 83 40 .675 - 35,767 Lou Bekeza
West Frankfort 72 47 .605 9 20,910 Robert Stanton
Mattoon Indians 71 47 .602 9.5 27,982 Chuck Hawley
Paducah Chiefs 67 55 .549 15.5 47,297 Walter DeFreitas
Springfield Giants 60 59 .504 21 21,126 Ham Schulte / Von Price
Paris Lakers 43 75 .364 37.5 24,089 Earl Skaggs / Von Price / John Morris
Vincennes Citizens 43 76 .361 38 18,977 Melvin Ivy / Andy E. Smith
Mt. Vernon Kings 37 77 .325 41.5 28,431 Benny Meyer / Robert Schlemmer

Playoffs: Centralia 3 games, Mattoon 1; Paducah 3 games, West Frankfort 0;
Finals: Cancelled; Bad Weather & Military Call-up.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
James Belz West Frankfort BA .349 Gene Pisarski Centralia W 22
James Belz West Frankfort Hits 154 William Ecklund Centralia SO 174
Lou Bekeza Centralia RBI 120 Gene Pisarski Centralia ERA 2.06
Kenneth Dickens Vincennes HR 21 Gene Pisarski Centralia PCT .880 22-3
James Belz West Frankfort Runs 133

1951[edit]

1951 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League
President: C.C. "Dutch" Hoffman

Team Name W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Paris Lakers 84 36 .700 - 51,331 Tom Sunkel
Centralia Zeroes 69 51 .575 15 38,554 Lou Bekeza
Mt. Vernon Kings 60 59 .504 23.5 39,665 Chuck Hawley / Charles Popovich
Danville Dans 51 67 .432 32 24,775 Frank Piet /Everett Hall
Mattoon Indians 49 69 .415 34 28,442 Melvin Ivy
Vincennes Velvets 43 74 .368 39.5 25,652 George "Stormy" Kromer / Robert Signaigo

Playoffs: Mt. Vernon 2 games, Centralia 0. Danville 2 games, Paris 1.
Finals: Danville 2 games, Mt. Vernon 0.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Clint McCord Paris BA .363 Lee Tunnison Centralia W 20
Clint McCord Paris Hits 173 Lee Tunnison Centralia SO 170
James Given Mt. Vernon RBI 119 Lee Tunnison Centralia ERA 3.12
Clint McCord Paris HR 16 Fred Williams Paris PCT .789 15-4
Clint McCord Paris Runs 132
Lou Bekeza Centralia HR 16

1952[edit]

1952 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League - schedule
President: C.C. "Dutch" Hoffman

Team Name W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Danville Dans 87 40 .685 - 75,898 Virl Minnis
Paris Lakers 85 42 .669 2 36,606 Tom Sunkel
Decatur Commodores 73 52 .584 13 94,300 Julian Acosta
Hannibal Stags 70 57 .551 17 36,616 Walter DeFreitas
Mt. Vernon Kings 55 67 .451 29.5 34,752 Granneman / Sadich / Brookman
Vincennes# / Canton 54 70 .435 31.5 25,654 Chuck Hawley / Robert Sisk
Centralia Zeroes 41 83 .331 44.5 28,755 Charles Starasta / John Streza
Mattoon Indians 35 89 .282 50.5 49,316 Dunkovich / Popovich / Carson

# Vincennes moved to Canton June 7.

Playoffs: Hannibal 3 games, Danville 1. Decatur 3 games, Paris 2.
Finals: Decatur 3 games, Hannibal 1.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Clint McCord Paris BA .392 Ken Gohn Danville W 22
Clint McCord Paris Hits 189 Amacio Ferro Hannibal SO 183
Jim Zapp Paris RBI 136 Ken Gohn Danville ERA 1.58
Jim Zapp Paris HR 20 James Agnew Danville PCT .889 16-2
Quincy Smith Paris Runs 124

1953[edit]

1953 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League - schedule
President: C.C. "Dutch" Hoffman

Team Name W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Decatur Commodores 68 50 .576 - 96,337 Ray Taylor
Paris Lakers 66 53 .555 2.5 35,000 Tom Sunkel
Mattoon Phillies 64 56 .533 5 61,000 James Deery
Hannibal Cardinals 55 62 .470 12.5 35,200 Tince Leonard
Mt. Vernon Kings 55 64 .462 13.5 31,600 Robert Schmidt
Danville Dans 48 71 .403 20.5 62,700 Virl Minnis

Playoffs: Decatur 3 games, Hannibal 0. Paris 3 games, Mattoon 0.
Finals: Decatur 3 games, Paris 2.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Robert Schmidt Mt. Vernon BA .358 Juan Garcia
Tince Leonard		 Decatur
Hannibal		 W 18
James Partin Danville Hits 167 Dennis Hamilton Mattoon SO 195
James Freeman Decatur RBI 106 William Bright Mattoon ERA 2.51
Kenneth Payne Paris HR 16 Michael Rolls|Mt. Vernon PCT .824 14-3
Gonzalo Chenard Decatur Runs 105

1954[edit]

1954 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League - schedule
President: C.C. "Dutch" Hoffman

Team Name W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Decatur Commodores 74 52 .587 - 38,776 Johnny Lucadello
Danville Dans 66 59 .528 7.5 39,992 Richard Klaus
Clinton Pirates 63 59 .516 9 74,768 Robert Clark
Dubuque Packers 62 61 .504 10.5 65,993 Jack Conway
Mattoon Phillies 62 64 .492 12 48,422 Carl Bush / Don Osborn
Paris Lakers 58 68 .460 16 39,103 Tom Sunkel
Hannibal Cardinals 58 68 .460 16 33,065 J.C. Dunn
Mt. Vernon Kings 57 69 .452 17 27,584 Lou Bekeza

Playoffs: Clinton 2 games, Decatur 0. Danville 2 games, Dubuque 1. .
Finals: Danville 3 games, Clinton 1.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Johnny Lucadello Decatur BA .362 John Bumgarner Decatur W 22
Leon Wagner Danville Hits 160 David Jiminez Clinton SO 249
Robert Schmidt Paris RBI 125 John Bumgarner Decatur ERA 2.67
J.C. Dunn Hannibal HR 26 David Jimenez Clinton PCT .769 20-6
Leon Wagner Danville Runs 108

1955[edit]

1955 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League - schedule
President: C.C. "Dutch" Hoffman

Team Name W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Dubuque Packers 74 52 .587 - 94,925 Ira Hutchinson
Mattoon Phillies 68 57 .544 5.5 51,277 Burl Storie
Clinton Pirates 68 57 .544 5.5 57,683 Robert Clark
Kokomo Giants 64 62 .508 10 45,289 Walt Dixon / Jack Milaskey
Lafayette Chiefs 63 63 .500 11 61,287 Mark Wylie
Decatur Commodores 62 64 .492 12 54,260 Al Unser
Paris Lakers 62 64 .492 12 30,245 Richard Rigazio
Hannibal Citizens 42 84 .333 32 40,977 James Granneman / Allan Shinn

Playoffs: Dubuque 2 games, Clinton 0. Mattoon 2 games, Kokomo 0. .
Finals: Dubuque 3 games, Mattoon 0.

Player Statistics

Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Orlando Cepeda Kokomo BA .393 Allen Evans Kokomo W 21
Jimmy Lynn Dubuque Hits 180 Benjamin Rich Clinton SO 199
Jimmy Lynn Dubuque RBI 121 Dave Wegerek Lafayette ERA 2.59
Walt Dixon Kokomo HR 24 Glen Rosenbaum Dubuque PCT .833 15-3
Jimmy Lynn Dubuque Runs 121

Hall of Fame Alumni[edit]

Other Notable Alumni[edit]

Source[edit]

The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Second and Third Editions

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