| Formerly | Illinois State League |
|---|---|
| Classification | Class D (1949–1955) |
| Sport | Minor League Baseball |
| First season | 1949 |
| Ceased | 1955 |
| Replaced by | Midwest League |
| President | Dutch Hoffman (1949–1955) |
| No. of teams | 23 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Most titles | 2 Danville Dans (1951, 1954) Decatur Commodores (1952–1953) |
| Related competitions | Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League |
TheMississippi–Ohio Valley League was aClass D level Americanminor league baseball league. Evolving from the renamedIllinois State League (1947-1948), the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League operated for seven seasons, from 1949 through 1955.[1] In 1956 the league was renamed theMidwest League, which still exists today.[2]
In 1947, theIllinois State League was formed. Charter franchises were in the Illinois cities of Belleville, Centralia, Marion, Mattoon, Mount Vernon and West Frankfort.[3] After the 1948 season, theMarion Indians moved out of Illinois to Kentucky. This necessitated a name change for the league.
The league changed names in 1949 to theMississippi–Ohio Valley League. The league incorporated the newPaducah Chiefs and the five former Illinois State League teams, theBelleville Stags,Centralia Cubs,Mattoon Indians,Mount Vernon Kings, andWest Frankfort Cardinals as 1949 charter members.[3][4]
In 1950, aSpringfield, Illinois franchise left theIllinois–Indiana–Iowa League, the join the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League. The Mississippi–Ohio Valley League added expansion teams in theParis Lakers andVincennes Velvets. The Belleville franchise folded.[5] There was more movement in 1951, as theSpringfield Giants andWest Frankfort Cardinals both folded and thePaducah Chiefs left to join theKentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League. The league played 1951 with six teams, asDanville Dans joined from theIllinois–Indiana–Iowa League.[6][3]
In 1952, the league again expanded to eight teams, adding theCommodores inDecatur, Illinois andCardinals inHannibal, Missouri, while Vincennes relocated toCanton, Ohio.[7][3] In 1953, the Canton and Centralia franchises both folded and the league returned to six teams.[8][3] There was expansion again in 1954, as two Iowa teams, theClinton Pirates andDubuque Packers returned the league to eight members.[3][9]
In the final season of the league, theDanville Dans moved toKokomo, Indiana and became theKokomo Giants and Mount Vernon moved toLafayette, Indiana as theLafayette Red Sox. Following the 1955 season, Hannibal moved to become theMichigan City White Caps, joining Kokomo, Lafayette, Clinton, Dubuque, Decatur, Mattoon and Paris in the renamedMidwest League.[10][11] The Midwest League still exists today, with 16 teams.[12]
1949 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centralia Cubs | 74 | 44 | .627 | – | 35,000 | Lou Bekeza |
| West Frankfort Cardinals | 71 | 49 | .592 | 4 | 24,140 | Robert Stanton |
| Mattoon Indians | 62 | 56 | .525 | 12 | 38,325 | Chuck Hawley |
| Paducah Chiefs | 54 | 65 | .454 | 20½ | 54,859 | Caroll Peterson /Eddie Kearse |
| Mt. Vernon Kings | 53 | 67 | .442 | 22 | 36,240 | Robert Shreve /Bill Trotter |
| Belleville Stags | 43 | 76 | .361 | 31½ | 13,500 | Les Mueller / Joe Yurkovich / Addie Nesbit / Bunny Mick |
Playoffs: Mattoon 3 games, Centralia 0; Paducah 3 games, West Frankfort 0;
Finals: Paducah 4 games, Mattoon 3.
| 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 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League -schedule
| 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 | 9½ | 27,982 | Chuck Hawley |
| Paducah Chiefs | 67 | 55 | .549 | 15½ | 47,297 | Walter DeFreitas |
| Springfield Giants | 60 | 59 | .504 | 21 | 21,126 | Ham Schulte / Von Price |
| Paris Lakers | 43 | 75 | .364 | 37½ | 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 | 41½ | 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 | 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 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League
| 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 | 23½ | 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 | 39½ | 25,652 | Stormy Kromer / Robert Signaigo |
Playoffs: Mt. Vernon 2 games, Centralia 0. Danville 2 games, Paris 1.
Finals: Danville 2 games, Mt. Vernon 0.
| 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 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League -schedule
| 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 | 29½ | 34,752 | James Granneman / Stanley Sadich Frank Brookman |
| Vincennes Velvets / Canton Citizens | 54 | 70 | .435 | 31½ | 25,654 | Chuck Hawley / Robert Sisk |
| Centralia Zeroes | 41 | 83 | .331 | 44½ | 28,755 | Charles Starasta / John Streza |
| Mattoon Indians | 35 | 89 | .282 | 50½ | 49,316 | Walter Dunkovich / Charles Popovich Robert 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 | 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 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League -schedule
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Commodores | 68 | 50 | .576 | – | 96,337 | Ray Taylor |
| Paris Lakers | 66 | 53 | .555 | 2½ | 35,000 | Tom Sunkel |
| Mattoon Phillies | 64 | 56 | .533 | 5 | 61,000 | James Deery |
| Hannibal Cardinals | 55 | 62 | .470 | 12½ | 35,200 | Tince Leonard |
| Mt. Vernon Kings | 55 | 64 | .462 | 13½ | 31,600 | Robert Schmidt |
| Danville Dans | 48 | 71 | .403 | 20½ | 62,700 | Virl Minnis |
Playoffs: Decatur 3 games, Hannibal 0. Paris 3 games, Mattoon 0.
Finals: Decatur 3 games, Paris 2.
| 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 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League -schedule
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Commodores | 74 | 52 | .587 | – | 38,776 | Johnny Lucadello |
| Danville Dans | 66 | 59 | .528 | 7½ | 39,992 | Richard Klaus |
| Clinton Pirates | 63 | 59 | .516 | 9 | 74,768 | Robert Clark |
| Dubuque Packers | 62 | 61 | .504 | 10½ | 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 | 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 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League -schedule
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque Packers | 74 | 52 | .587 | – | 94,925 | Ira Hutchinson |
| Mattoon Phillies | 68 | 57 | .544 | 5½ | 51,277 | Burl Storie |
| Clinton Pirates | 68 | 57 | .544 | 5½ | 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 | 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 |
Following the 1955 season, Hannibal folded. The other seven teams became charter members of the newly named, Class D levelMidwest League and the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League was permanently folded.[13][12]