Kokomo Dodgers

Minor league baseball team

Kokomo Dodgers

* 1955-1961
* Kokomo, Indiana

Minor league affiliations
Previous classes| Class D (1955–1961)
League| Midwest League (1956–1961)

Previous leagues

| Mississippi–Ohio Valley League (1955)
Major league affiliations
Previous teams|

* Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1956–1961)
* New York Giants (1955)

Team data

Previous names

* Kokomo Dodgers (1956–1961)
* Kokomo Giants (1955)

Previous parks

| Highland Park Stadium (1955–1961)

The Kokomo Dodgers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Kokomo, Indiana, between 1955 and 1961. After playing the 1955 season as the Kokomo Giants, a New York Giants, the 1956 "Dodgers" became charter members of the Midwest League, as the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League, as the changed Mississippi–Ohio Valley League names following the 1955 season. The Dodgers were an affiliate of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1956 to 1961. The Kokomo teams hosted minor league home games at Highland Park Stadium.

Baseball Hall of Fame member Orlando Cepeda played for the 1955 Kokomo Giants.

## History[edit]

In 1955, Kokomo replaced the Danville Dans in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League, playing as the Kokomo Giants, an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.[1][2] The next season, the Kokomo Dodgers became an charter member of newly formed Midwest League, which grew out of the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League. The other seven Midwest League charter franchises were the Clinton Pirates, Dubuque Packers, Decatur Commodores, Michigan City White Caps, Paris Lakers, Lafayette Red Sox and Mattoon Phillies.[3][4][5]

Former Dodger Pete Reiser was the team's manager during the 1956 and 1957 seasons.[6][7] The team won the Midwest League pennant in 1957, but lost in the playoffs.[8][9][10]

## The Ballpark[edit]

The team played at Highland Park Stadium.[10]

## Notable alumni[edit]

### Baseball Hall of Fame alumni[edit]

* Orlando Cepeda (1955) Inducted, 1999

### Notable alumni[edit]

* Mike Brumley (1957)
* Tommy Davis (1957) 3x MLB All–Star; 2× NL Batting Champion (1962, 1963); 1962 NL RBI Leader
* Tim Harkness (1957)
* Clarence Jones (1961)
* Bill Kelso (1961)
* Don Miles (1956)
* Rod Miller (1959)
* Ed Palmquist (1956)
* Pete Reiser (1956–1957, MGR) 3x MLB All–Star; 1941 NL Batting Champion; 2× NL Stolen Base Leader (1942, 1946)
* Nate Smith (1956)
* Hector Valle (1960)

### See also[edit]

Kokomo Dodgers players

## References[edit]

1. ^ "1955 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com.
2. ^ "1954 Mississippi-Ohio Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com.
3. ^ "1956 Midwest League".
4. ^ "1955 Kokomo Giants Statistics".
5. ^ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
6. ^ (27 October 1981). Reckless Reiser Dead at 62, Windsor Star, Retrieved December 10, 2010 ("for two years managed the Kokomo Dodgers in the Class D Midwest League")
7. ^ (24 January 1956). Sports in short, Milwaukee Journal, Retrieved December 10, 2010
8. ^ Cox, Don (29 November 1957). Sports salutes, The Gadsden Times, Retrieved December 10, 2010
9. ^ Cox, Don. (15 March 1958). Sports salutes, The Gadsden Times, Retrieved December 10, 2010
10. ^ a b Boyle, Robert H. (2 September 1957). Pete In The Bush, Sports Illustrated, Retrieved December 10, 2010 (detailed article profiling Reiser at Kokomo)

## External links[edit]

* Baseball Reference
* Midwest League Guide – Kokomo history

* v
* t
* e

City of Kokomo

* Geography
* Government
* Metropolitan Area
* Howard County, Indiana
* National Register of Historic Places

History|

* Apperson
* Delco Electronics
* Haynes Automobile Company
* Haynes-Apperson
* Kingston Products
* Ma-Ko-Ko-Mo
* Ponderosa Steakhouse

Attractions|

* Elwood Haynes Museum
* Haynes-Apperson Festival
* Indiana Mustangs
* Industrial Heritage Trail
* Kokomo Beach Family Aquatic Center
* Kokomo Country Club
* Kokomo Dodgers
* Kokomo Event and Conference Center
* Kokomo Jackrabbits
* Kokomo Municipal Stadium
* Highland Park Stadium
* Markland Mall
* Nickel Plate Trail
* Old Silk Stocking Neighborhood
* Seiberling Mansion
* Wildcat Walk of Excellence

Economy|

* Chrysler
* Aptiv
* Delphi Technologies
* GM Components Holdings
* Coca-Cola
* HP Enterprise Services (formerly)
* Haynes International

Notable people|

* Elwood Haynes
* George Kingston
* Norman Bridwell
* Ryan White
* Steve Kroft
* Kent C. Nelson
* Elwood Hillis
* Margaret Hillis
* Strother Martin
* Tavis Smiley
* Joe Thatcher

Education|

| Public school districts|

* Eastern Howard School Corporation
* Kokomo-Center Township Consolidated School Corporation
* Northwestern School Corporation
* Taylor Community School Corporation
* Western School Corporation

|

Universities and colleges|

* Indiana University Kokomo
* Ivy Tech Community College
* Indiana Wesleyan University
* Purdue College of Technology

Healthcare|

| Community health network|

* Community Howard Regional Health

|

St. Vincent Health|

* St. Joseph Hospital

Transportation|

| Transit|

* City Line Trolley

|

Highways|

* SR 19
* SR 22
* SR 26
* SR 931
* US 31
* US 35

* v
* t
* e

Midwest League

East Division|

* Dayton Dragons
* Fort Wayne TinCaps
* Great Lakes Loons
* Lake County Captains
* Lansing Lugnuts
* West Michigan Whitecaps

West Division|

* Beloit Sky Carp
* Cedar Rapids Kernels
* Peoria Chiefs
* Quad Cities River Bandits
* South Bend Cubs
* Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Former teams|

* Belleville Stags
* Beloit Snappers
* Battle Creek Yankees
* Bowling Green Hot Rods
* Burlington Bees
* Canton Citizens
* Centralia Cubs
* Centralia Sterlings
* Centralia Zeros
* Clinton LumberKings
* Danville Dodgers
* Danville Warriors
* Danville Suns
* Decatur Commodores
* Dubuque Packers
* Hannibal Cardinals
* Hannibal Citizens
* Hannibal Stags
* Kane County Cougars
* Kenosha Twins
* Keokuk Cardinals
* Keokuk Dodgers
* Kokomo Dodgers
* Kokomo Giants
* Lafayette Chiefs
* Madison Muskies
* Madison Hatters
* Mattoon Indians
* Mattoon Phillies
* Michigan Battle Cats
* Michigan City White Caps
* Midwest Dodgers
* Mount Vernon Blues
* Mount Vernon Kings
* Paducah Chiefs
* Paris Lakers
* Quincy Cubs
* Quincy Gems
* Rockford Cubbies
* Rockford Expos
* Rockford Reds
* Rockford Royals
* Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
* Springfield Cardinals
* Springfield Sultans
* Vincennes Citizens
* Vincennes Velvets
* Waterloo Diamonds
* Waterloo Hawks
* Waterloo Indians
* Wausau Mets
* Wausau Timbers
* West Frankfort Cardinals
* Wisconsin Rapids Twins

* Champions
* Manager of the Year Award
* MVP Award
* Rosters
* Stadiums
* Top MLB Prospect Award

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