| Hannibal, Missouri minor league baseball teams | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class | Class D (1908–1912) Class B (1916–1917) Class C (1947–1948) Class D (1952–1955) |
| League | Illinois–Missouri League (1908) Central Association (1909–1912) Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (1916–1917) Central Association (1947–1948) Mississippi–Ohio Valley League (1952–1955) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team | St. Louis Browns (1947–1948) St. Louis Cardinals (1953–1954) |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles(1) | 1908 |
| Wild card berths(4) |
|
| Team data | |
| Name | Hannibal Cannibals(1908–1912) Hannibal Mules (1916–1917) Hannibal Pilots (1947–1948) Hannibal Stags (1952) Hannibal Cardinals (1953–1954) Hannibal Citizens (1955) |
| Ballpark | League Park (1908–1909) Mainland's Park (1910–1917) Clemens Field (1947–1955) |
Minor league baseball teams were based inHannibal, Missouri in various seasons between 1908 and 1955. Hannibal teams played as members of theIllinois–Missouri League in 1908,Central Association from 1909 to 1912,Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League from 1916 to 1917, Central Association from 1948 to 1949 and theMississippi–Ohio Valley League from 1952 to 1955. The Mississippi-Ohio Valley League evolved to become theMidwest League.
Hannibal was a minor league affiliate of theSt. Louis Browns in 1947 and 1948 andSt. Louis Cardinals from 1953 to 1954.
Baseball Hall of Fame member and Hannibal nativeJake Beckley was player/manager of the 1911 Hannibal Cannibals.
Hannibal, Missouri is the hometown of authorMark Twain, also known asSamuel Clemens, the namesake of the Hannibal baseball park:Clemens Field.
Hannibal teams played under a variety of monikers throughout their history. The first Hannibal minor league team was known as the Hannibal Cannibals, beginning play in the 1908Illinois–Missouri League and continuing in theCentral Association from 1909 to 1912.Baseball Hall of Fame memberJake Beckley played and managed for the 1911 Hannibal Cannibals. On August 25, 1911, Roy Brown of the Hannibal Cannibals pitched ano-hitter against theMonmouth Browns as Hannibal won the game 3–0.[1]
TheHannibal Mules played as members of theIllinois–Indiana–Iowa League in 1916 and 1917.[1][2]
After decades without hosting a minor league team, theHannibal Pilots formed as members of the Central Association, playing in the league in 1947 and 1948.[1][2]
Hannibal was an expansion team in the 1952 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League, the predecessor of theMidwest League. The 1952Hannibal Stags,Hannibal Cardinals from 1953 to 1954 andHannibal Citizens in 1955, were members of theMississippi–Ohio Valley League. Hannibal pitcher Richard Lessman threw a no–hitter against theLafayette Red Sox on August 9, 1955, in a 1–0 victory. After the 1955 season, the Hannibal franchise relocated to become theMichigan City White Caps for the firstMidwest League season. Hannibal has not hosted another professional minor league team.[2][3][1][4]
Between 2014 and 2019, theHannibal Cavemen andHannibal Hoots of the collegiate summerProspect League played at a renovated Clemens Field, which is also used for youth baseball.[5]
Clemens Field, named for native Samuel Clemens, was built in 1938 as aWorks Project Administration (WPA) Project and was home to the Hannibal teams thereafter. Clemens Field underwent a major renovation in 2009. today, the stadium has the original grandstand and brick wall perimeter, with a capacity of 2,500. Clemens Field is located at 403 Warren Barrett Drive, Hannibal, Missouri.[6][7]
Previous to Clemens Field, the earlier Hannibal teams played atMainland's Park (1910–1917), located on Market Street in the Oakwood neighborhood andLeague Park (1908–1909), located at the corner of Lyon and Glasscock Street, Hannibal, Missouri.[8][9]
| Year(s) | # Yrs. | Team | Level | League | Affiliate | Ballpark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 1 | Hannibal Cannibals | Class D | Illinois–Missouri League | None | League Park |
| 1909 | 1 | |||||
| 1910–1912 | 3 | Central Association | Mainland's Park | |||
| 1916–1917 | 2 | Hannibal Mules | Class B | Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League | ||
| 1947–1948 | 2 | Hannibal Pilots | Class C | Central Association | St. Louis Browns | Clemens Field |
| 1952 | 1 | Hannibal Stags | Class D | Mississippi–Ohio Valley League | None | |
| 1953–1954 | 2 | Hannibal Cardinals | St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| 1955 | 1 | Hannibal Citizens | None |
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs/notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 68–49 | 1st | Bert Hough | League champions |
| 1909 | 83–52 | 2nd | Bert Hough / Ben Prout | No playoffs held |
| 1910 | 77–60 | 3rd | Bill Prout / Bill Forney | No playoffs held |
| 1911 | 45–81 | 8th | Jake Beckley | No playoffs held |
| 1912 | 67–61 | 5th | Eddie Herr /Ed Painter | No playoffs held |
| 1916 | 79–57 | 2nd | Ted Waring | No playoffs held |
| 1917 | 39–27 | 3rd | John Castle | League season shortened to July 8 |
| 1947 | 69–56 | 2nd | Ted Waring | Lost in league Finals |
| 1948 | 67–62 | 3rd | Walter DeFreitas | Lost in 1st round |
| 1952 | 70–57 | 4th | Walter DeFreitas | Lost in league Finals |
| 1953 | 55–62 | 4th | Tince Leonard | Lost in 1st round |
| 1954 | 58–68 | 7th | J.C. Dunn | Did not qualify |
| 1955 | 42–84 | 8th | James Granneman / Allan Shinn | Did not qualify |