Central Kansas League

Central Kansas LeagueFormerly| Kansas State League

|

Classification| Class D (1908–1912)
Sport| Minor League Baseball
First season| 1908
Ceased| 1912
Replaced by| Kansas State League
President| Ralph W. Hoffman (1909–1910)
H. Cramer(1910)
C.A. Case (1911)
Roy C. Gafford (1911–1912)
No. of teams| 15
Country| United States of America
Most titles| 2
Ellsworth Blues (1909–1910)

The Central Kansas League was a Class D level baseball league established in 1908, playing through 1912. Member teams were based exclusively in Kansas. The Central Kansas League evolved from and into the Kansas State League.[1]

## History

[edit]

The original Kansas State League ceased independent operations in 1911, combined with the Central Kansas League. After five seasons of play, the Central Kansas League subsequently changed its name to back to the Kansas State League for the 1913 and 1914 seasons before disestablishing. The league champions in 1909 and 1910 were the Ellsworth Blues.[2][3]

There is an ongoing debate about whether former US President Dwight Eisenhower played professional baseball in 1911 for the Junction City Soldiers prior to attending West Point.

## Cities represented

[edit]

This is a complete list of the teams which played under the Central Kansas League.[4]

* Abilene, KS: Abilene Red Sox (1909); Abilene Reds (1910)
* Beloit, KS: Beloit (1909–1910)
* Chapman, KS: Chapman (1910)
* Clay Center, KS: Clay Center Cubs (1909–1911)
* Concordia, KS: Concordia Travelers (1910–1911)
* Ellsworth, KS: Ellsworth Worthies (1908–1910)
* Great Bend, KS: Great Bend Millers (1912)
* Junction City, KS: Junction City Soldiers (1909–1912)
* Little River, KS: Little River (1908)
* Lyons, KS: Lyons Lions (1912)
* Manhattan, KS: Manhattan Maroons (1909–1911); Manhattan Giants (1912)
* McPherson, KS: McPherson Merry Macks (1908)
* Minneapolis, KS: Minneapolis Minnies (1908–1909, 1912)
* Newton, KS: Newton Browns (1908); Newton Railroaders (1912)
* Salina, KS: Salina Trade Winners (1908–1910); Salina Insurgents (1912)

[4]

## Standings & statistics

[edit]

1908 Central Kansas League \- schedule

Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers

|
|
|
|
|

Minneapolis Minnies | 31 | 19 | .620 | - | Ben Young
Newton Browns | 25 | 22 | .532 | 4.5 | Carl Becker
Ellsworth Blues | 25 | 22 | .532 | 4.5 | F.S. Foster
Salina Trade Winners | 24 | 23 | .511 | 5.5 | Frank Everhart
McPherson Merry Macks | 20 | 27 | .426 | 9.5 | Davis
Little River | 18 | 30 | .375 | 12.0 | G.W. Hamilton / I.C. Meyer

1909 Central Kansas League

Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers

|
|
|
|
|

Ellsworth Blues | 44 | 23 | .657 | - | George Seigle
Salina Trade Winners | 40 | 28 | .588 | 4.5 | Ernie Quigley
Abilene Red Sox | 37 | 30 | .552 | 7.0 | F.D. Parent / Affie Wilson
Minneapolis Minnies | 36 | 32 | .529 | 8.5 | Roy Gafford / Harry Short
Junction City Soldiers | 34 | 32 | .515 | 9.5 | Lewis Armstrong / Tom Campbell
Beloit | 33 | 36 | .478 | 12.0 | Hi Ebright
Clay Center Cubs | 32 | 37 | .464 | 13.0 | Lee Gramley
Manhattan Maroons | 16 | 54 | .229 | 29.5 | Earle Bryant / Murphy

No Playoffs held

Player statistics Player | Team | Stat | Tot |  | Player | Team | Stat | Tot

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Tom Campbell | Junction City | BA | .335 |  | Ora Williams | Abilene | W | 19
James Whalen | Junction City | Runs | 49 |  | Ora Williams | Abilene | SO | 178
Claude Jennings | Minneapolis | Hits | 72 |  | Ora Williams | Abilene | Pct | .826; 19-4

1910 Central Kansas League \- schedule

Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers

|
|
|
|
|

Ellsworth Blues | 53 | 28 | .654 | - | Dick Ford
Clay Center Cubs | 48 | 33 | .593 | 5.0 | Lee Gramley
Abilene Reds | 44 | 33 | .571 | 7.0 | Affie Wilson
Salina Trade Winners | 44 | 34 | .564 | 7.5 | Elmer Meredith
Concordia Travelers | 43 | 38 | .531 | 10.0 | Harry Short
Manhattan Maroons | 35 | 43 | .449 | 16.5 | Jim Gardiner
Junction City Soldiers | 34 | 48 | .415 | 19.5 | Ernie Quigley /
Thomas Dugan / Cecil Bankhead
Beloit /
Chapman | 18 | 62 | .225 | 34.5 | Ben Dimond / Jim Green

Beloit moved to Chapman July 20.

Player statistics Player | Team | Stat | Tot |  | Player | Team | Stat | Tot

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

A.B. Conley | Abilene | BA | .348 |  | Paul Stokesberry | Clay Center | W | 19
Walter Wentz | Clay Center | Runs | 53 |  | Otis Peebles | Ellsworth | Pct | .769; 10-3
Mugsy Monroe | Abiline | Hits | 110 |

1911 Central Kansas League

Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers

|
|
|
|
|

Concordia Travelers | 44 | 27 | .620 | - | Harry Short / Roy Gafford
Junction City Soldiers | 40 | 31 | .563 | 4.0 | Cecil Bankhead
Clay Center Cubs | 33 | 38 | .465 | 11.0 | Lee Gramley
Manhattan Maroons | 25 | 46 | .352 | 19.0 | Dee Poindexter

The league disbanded July 21.
Playoff: Concordia 4 games, Junction City 3.

Player statistics Player | Team | Stat | Tot |  | Player | Team | Stat | Tot

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Gilbert Britton | Clay Center | BA | .347 |  | G.H. Jepson | Junction City | W | 21
Claude Jennings | Clay Center | Runs | 53 |  | G.H. Jepson | Junction City | Pct | .724; 21-8
Gilbert Britton | Clay Center | Hits | 90
Claude Jennings | Clay Center | SB | 30

1912 Central Kansas League \- schedule

Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers

|
|
|
|
|

Great Bend Millers | 54 | 36 | .600 | - | Affie Wilson
Manhattan Giants | 52 | 38 | .578 | 2.0 | Robert Kahl /
Fred Moore / Nick Kohl
Newton Railroaders/
Minneapolis Minnies | 50 | 40 | .555 | 4.0 | A. Stillwell
Junction City Soldiers | 47 | 43 | .522 | 7.0 | Cecil Bankhead
Lyons Lions | 36 | 54 | .400 | 18.0 | Fred Wilson
Salina Insurgents | 31 | 59 | .344 | 23.0 | Bert Lamb

Newton moved to Minneapolis July 12.
No Playoffs held

Player statistics Player | Team | Stat | Tot |  | Player | Team | Stat | Tot

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Muggsy Monroe | Newt/Minn | BA | .352 |  | Fred Hagg | Manhattan | W | 18
Burnham Smith | Manhattan | Runs | 88 |  | Elmer Brown | Great Bend | W | 18
Muggsy Monroe | Newt/Minn | Hits | 118 |  | Fred Hagg | Manhattan | Pct | .750; 18-6

[4]

## Notable players

[edit]

* Fred Blanding (played under a pseudonym)[5]
* Harry Chapman[6]
* John Misse[7]
* Ross Reynolds[8]
* Harry Short[9]
* Chick Smith[10]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Reichard, Kevin (November 4, 2008). "Central Kansas League / Kansas State League". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
2. ^ "1911 Central Kansas League". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
3. ^ Worth, Richard (February 27, 2013). Baseball Team Names: A Worldwide Dictionary, 1869-2011. McFarland. p. 82\. ISBN 9780786468447.
4. ^ a b c Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
5. ^ "Fred Blanding Minor League Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com.
6. ^ "Harry Chapman Minor League Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
7. ^ "John Misse Minor League Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
8. ^ "Ross Reynolds Minor League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
9. ^ staff (June 17, 1910). "Base Ball Notes". The Beloit Daily Caller. p. 4.
10. ^ "Chick Smith Minor League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 20, 2016.

* v
* t
* e

Professional baseball leagues

Americas

Major|

* Major League Baseball
* American League
* National League

Minor|

| Triple-A|

* International League
* Pacific Coast League

|

Double-A|

* Eastern League
* Southern League
* Texas League

High-A|

* Midwest League
* Northwest League
* South Atlantic League

Single-A|

* California League
* Carolina League
* Florida State League

Rookie|

* Arizona Complex League
* Dominican Summer League
* Florida Complex League

Independent|

| MLB Partner Leagues|

* American Association
* Atlantic League
* Frontier League
* Pioneer League
* MLB Draft League

|

Non-partnered leagues|

* Cuban National Series
* Curaçao AA League
* Empire League
* Mexican League
* Liga Norte de México
* Pecos League
* United Shore League
* Venezuelan Major League
* Women's Pro Baseball League

Off-season|

| MLB-affiliated|

* Arizona Fall League
* Dominican Professional Baseball League
* Mexican Pacific League
* Puerto Rico Baseball League
* Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
* Liga Paralela

|

Independent|

* Argentine Baseball League
* Colombian Professional Baseball League
* Cuban Elite League
* Curaçao Professional Baseball League
* Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League
* Panamanian Professional Baseball League
* Veracruz Winter League

Defunct|

| MLB-recognized|

* American Association
* Federal League
* Negro league baseball
* Players' League
* Union Association

|

Other major|

* All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
* Continental League
* Cuban League
* National Association
* United States Baseball League

Minor|

* List of defunct minor leagues

Asia

China|

* China National Baseball League

Israel|

| Defunct major|

* Israel Baseball League

|

Japan|

| Major|

* Nippon Professional Baseball
* Central League
* Pacific League

|

Minor|

* Eastern League
* Western League

Off-season|

* Miyazaki Phoenix League

Independent|

* Baseball Challenge League
* Shikoku Island League Plus

Women's|

* Japan Women's Baseball League

South Korea|

| Major|

* KBO League

|

Minor|

* KBO Futures League

Taiwan|

| Major|

* Chinese Professional Baseball League

|

Minor|

* Chinese Professional Baseball League

Defunct major|

* Taiwan Major League

United Arab Emirates|

* Baseball United

Europe

Italy and San Marino|

* Italian Baseball League

Netherlands|

| Major|

* Honkbal Hoofdklasse

|

Minor|

* Honkbal Overgangsklasse

Rookie|

* Honkbal Rookie League

Oceania

Australia|

| MLB-affiliated:|

Australian Baseball League

|

Inter-league

* Asia Professional Baseball Championship
* Asia Winter Baseball League
* Baseball Champions League Americas
* Caribbean Series
* Serie de las Américas
* Latin American Series
* Triple-A National Championship Game

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template