Cañon City Swastikas

The Cañon City Swastikas were a minor league baseball team based in Cañon City, Colorado, in 1912. Cañon City briefly played in the 1912 season as members of the Class D level Rocky Mountain League, before the Cañon City franchise relocated to Raton, New Mexico, during the season. Canon City hosted minor league home games at Centennial Park.

Cañon City Swastikas
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass D (1912)
LeagueRocky Mountain League (1912)
Major league affiliations
TeamNone
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Team data
NameCañon City Swastikas (1912)
BallparkCentennial Park (1912)

History

An early Cañon City based team called the "Cañon City Inter-Ocean Base Ball Club" played organized baseball, beginning in 1874.[1][2]

The 1912 Cañon City Swastikas began minor league baseball play in Cañon City. Cañon City became charter members of the four–team Class D level Rocky Mountain League in 1912. The league started the season with the Colorado Springs Millionaires, La Junta Railroaders and the Pueblo, Colorado, teams joining Cañon City in league play.[3][4][5][6]

On June 4, 1912, the Cañon City franchise relocated to Raton, New Mexico. The team had a 5–6 record under manager Jack Farrell at the time they relocated to Raton.[3][7]

The team's use of the "Swastikas" moniker has roots that are unknown.[lower-alpha 1] When the team franchise moved to New Mexico, they became the first minor league team based in New Mexico. Shortly after, the Colorado Springs Millionaires franchise moved to Dawson, New Mexico, and became the Dawson Stags.[10]

The Rocky Mountain League permanently folded on July 5, 1912, before the completion of the scheduled season. At the time the league folded, the Cañon City/Raton team was in second place with a 20–14 overall record. Cañon City/Raton finished 4.5 games behind the first place Pueblo/Cheyenne Indians team in the final league standings.[3]

Since 1912, Cañon City, Colorado, has not hosted another minor league team.[11]

Ballpark

Cañon City was noted to have hosted minor league home games at Centennial Park. Possibly having another name in 1912, Centennial Park is still in use today as a public park with ballfields. Centennial Park is located at 221 Griffin Avenue, Cañon City, Colorado.[12][13]

(1915) Panorama of Canon City, Colorado

Timeline
Year(s)# Yrs.TeamLevelLeague
1912 (1)1Cañon City SwastikasClass DRocky Mountain League
1912 (2)1Raton Swastikas

Year–by–year record
YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs/Notes
191220–142ndJack FarrellMoved to Raton June 4
5–6 in Cañon City

Players

Roster information for the 1912 Cañon City team is lacking in online baseball reference sites.[7][6] An article in the Kansas City Times on May 23, 1912—the day before the start of the league's regular season—gave the team's roster as:[14]

  • Infielders: Albert Smith, Bill Kemmer, Maurice McKnight, Clifford Marr, and Hobson
  • Outfielders: Mart Henry, Barrackman, George Henry
  • Catcher: John Peters
  • Pitchers: Art Hanna, Curtis, Wilder, and Littler

Bill Kemmer had played for the major-league Louisville Colonels in 1895, and John Peters later played for three major-league teams between 1915 and 1922.

Notes
  1. Contemporary newspaper reports about the team during 1912 refer only to Canon City;[8] the use of any nickname is absent. A brand of coal known as "Swastika Sugarite" was associated with Raton, New Mexico, where the team relocated to.[9]

References
  1. "American Classic: Community invited to vintage baseball game Saturday". May 12, 2016.
  2. "INTER-OCEAN | Colorado Vintage Base Ball Association". www.cvbba.org.
  3. Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  4. "1912 Rocky Mountain League (RML) minor league baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  5. "Rocky Mountain League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. "1912 Canon City/Raton Swastikas Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  7. "1912 Canon City Swastikas/Raton minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  8. "Canon City Shut Out Strong City". The Kansas City Star. May 5, 1912. p. 12. Retrieved April 22, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  9. "Gibson-Faw Lumber and Coal Co. (advertisement)". The Evening Herald. Albuquerque, New Mexico. November 7, 1918. p. 5. Retrieved April 22, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  10. "Is It True Playing Baseball Was Once A Crime In New Mexico?". www.krwg.org.
  11. "Canon City, Colorado Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
  12. "Centennial Park in Canon City, CO minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  13. "Centennial Park". Canon City, CO.
  14. "'Mile Highers' in Canon City". Kansas City Times. May 23, 1912. p. 10. Retrieved April 22, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
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