Iola Cubs

Minor league baseball team

Iola Cubs

* (1902-1904, 1906-1908, 1946-1952, 1954)
* Iola, Kansas

Minor league affiliations
Previous classes|

*   * Class D (1946-1952)
* Class C (1954)

Previous leagues

* Western Association (1954)
* Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League (1946-1952)
* Oklahoma-Kansas League (1908)
* Kansas State League (1906)
* Missouri Valley League (1902-1904)

Major league affiliations
Previous teams|

* Chicago Cubs (1946-1947)
* Cleveland Indians (1948-1952)

Minor league titles
League titles | 3 (1904, 1946)
Division titles | 1952
Team data
Name| Iola Cubs (1946-1947)

Previous names

* Iola Indians (1948-1952, 1954)
* Iola Champs (1908)
* Iola Grays (1906)
* Iola Gasbags (1902, 1904)
* Iola Gaslighters (1903)

Previous parks

| Riverside Municipal Ballpark

Owner(s)/
Operator(s)

| Earl Sifers[1]

The Iola Cubs was the first and primary name of the Class Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League minor league baseball team based in Iola, Kansas, USA, that played in 1946 and 1947. The Iola Cubs were preceded by other early 1900s Iola minor league teams and succeeded by the Iola Indians. Iola won league championships in 1904 and 1946.

## History

[edit]

The 1946 Iola Cubs were the first professional baseball team based in Iola since the 1908 Iola Champs. The Iola Cubs were an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, playing in the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League.[2] Managed by Al Reitz both years, the team finished second and third in the standings in 1946 and 1947, respectively, and reached the league finals both seasons.

Remaining in the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League, Iola became an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians in 1948 and played as the Iola Indians in 1948-1952. After disbanding in 1953, the Iola Indians played a final season in the Western Association in 1954.[3]

Decades earlier, the Iola Gasbags (1902, 1904) and Iola Gaslighters (1903) played in the Missouri Valley League. The 1906 Iola Grays, of the Kansas State League, moved to Cherryvale, Kansas on June 15, 1906, becoming the Cherryvale Boosters. The 1908 Iola Champs, of the Oklahoma-Kansas League, had disbanded on July 8, 1908.[citation needed]

## The ballpark

[edit]

For the duration of the professional franchises, Iola home games were played at Riverside Municipal Ballpark, which is within Riverside Park. The ballpark was a Works Project Administration project. Located at 418 Park Avenue and South State Street in Iola, Kansas, the ballpark and adjacent park grounds are still in use today. The ballpark with a track and stands are utilized by Iola's USD 257 school district sports teams.[4][5][6][7]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

* Woody Fair (1952, MGR)
* Larry Milton (1904)
* Willie Ramsdell (1954, Player/MGR)
* Floyd Temple (1952, MGR)
* Bill Upton (1949)

## Season-by-season

[edit]

Year  | Record  | Manager  | Finish  | Playoffs/notes

|
|
|
|

1946 | 63-57 | Al Reitz | 3rd | Finals Tied 3-3
1947 | 69-57 | Al Reitz | 2nd | Lost in league finals
1948 | 51-22 | Al Reitz | 7th | No playoffs held
1949 | 70-55 | Winlow Johnson | 3rd | Lost in league finals
1950 | 38-84 | Winlow Johnson | 7th | No playoffs held
1951 | 38-84 | Forrest L. Crawford / Al Reitz /
Mason Pool / Floyd Temple | 6th | No playoffs held
1952 | 70-47 | Floyd Temple / Woody Fair | 1st | Won league pennant
Lost in league finals
1954 | 39-101 | Willie Ramsdell (2-17) /
Ralph Kennedy (37-84) | 8th | No playoffs held

[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Rural Kansas Tourism | Iola Exploration: A Chocolate Lover's Paradise". www.getruralkansas.com.
2. ^ "Iola, Kansas Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
3. ^ The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 1993
4. ^ "1946 Iola Cubs Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
5. ^ "Digitalballparks.com – Cleveland Indians Affiliation Listing". digitalballparks.com. November 14, 2024. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010.
6. ^ "Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball Stadium History and Cubs Minor League BaseBall Park history and the history of Chicago Cubs Spring Training Ballpark". digitalballparks.com. November 14, 2024. Archived from the original on December 3, 2014.
7. ^ "Rural Kansas Tourism | Iola Exploration: Riverside Park". www.getruralkansas.com.
8. ^ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.