Central League (minor league)

Central League
Classification	Independent (1900); Class B 1903–1917, 1920–1922, 1928–1930, 1932, 1934; Class C 1926; Class A 1948–1951
Sport	Minor League Baseball
Inaugural season	1900
Ceased	1951
President	William F.H. Schmidt (1900); George W. Bement (1903-1904); Frank R. Carson (1905-1911); Louie Heilbroner (1912-1915); Emerson Dickerson (1916-1917); Harry W. Stahlhefer (1917); Emerson Dickerson (1921-1926); L.J. Wylie (1928-1929); Donald C. Jacobs (1930); Frederick Howell (1932); Emerson Dickerson (1934); Thomas J. Halligan (1948-1951)
No. of teams	37
Country	United States of America
Most titles	5 ; Dayton
Related; competitions	Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League

The Central League was a minor league baseball league that operated sporadically from 1903–1917, 1920–1922, 1926, 1928–1930, 1934, and 1948–1951. In 1926, the league merged mid-season with the Michigan State League and played under that name for the remainder of the season.[1] The Central League later reformed in 1928.

Minor League class history

Before the current minor league baseball classification system was introduced in 1963, minor leagues/teams were classified from Class D up to Class Triple-A. The following is a list of the various classifications that the Central League had during its years of operation:

Class B: 1903–1917, 1920–1922, 1928–1930, 1932, 1934
Class C: 1926
Class A: 1948–1951

Cities represented

The following are former cities and teams that made up the Central League.

Akron, Ohio: Akron Rubbermen 1912; Akron Tyrites 1928–1929, 1932
Anderson, IN: Anderson Orphans 1903
Bloomington, IL: Bloomington Blues 1900
Canton, Ohio: Canton Red Stockings 1905; Canton Chinamen 1906–1907; Canton Statesmen 1912; Canton Terriers 1928–1930, 1932
Charleston, WV: Charleston Senators 1949–1951
Danville, IL: Danville Champions 1900
Dayton, Ohio: Dayton Veterans 1903–1917; Dayton Aviators 1928–1930; Dayton Ducks 1932; Dayton Indians 1948–1951
Decatur, IL: Decatur Commodores 1900
Erie, PA: Erie Sailors 1912, 1915, 1928–1930, 1932
Evansville, IN: Evansville River Rats 1903–1910, 1913–1915; Evansville Strikers 1911; Evansville Evas 1916–1917
Flint, MI: Flint Arrows, 1948–1951
Fort Wayne, IN: Fort Wayne Railroaders 1903, 1905; Fort Wayne Billikens 1908–1910; Fort Wayne Brakies 1911; Fort Wayne Railroaders 1912, Fort Wayne Champs 1913; Fort Wayne Railroaders 1914; Fort Wayne Cubs 1915; Fort Wayne Chiefs 1928–1930, 1932, 1934; Fort Wayne Generals 1948
Grand Rapids, MI: Grand Rapids Orphans 1903–1905; Grand Rapids Wolverines 1906–1909; Grand Rapids Raiders 1910 Grand Rapids Furniture Makers 1911; Grand Rapids Grads 1911; Grand Rapids Bill-eds 1913; Grand Rapids Black Sox 1912, Grand Rapids Champs 1914 Grand Rapids Black Sox 1915–1917; Grand Rapids Joshers 1920–1921; Grand Rapids Billbobs 1922; Grand Rapids Black Sox 1926; Grand Rapids Tigers 1934; Grand Rapids Jets 1948–1951
Ionia, MI: Ionia Mayors 1921–1922
Jackson, MI: Jackson Mayors 1921
Jacksonville, IL: Jacksonville Reds 1900
Kalamazoo, MI: Kalamazoo Celery Pickers 1920–1922, 1926
Lansing, MI: Lansing Senators 1921–1922
Lima, OH: Lima Buckeyes 1934
Lansing, MI: Ludington Mariners 1920–1922
Ludington, MI: Ludington Tars 1926
Marion, OH: Marion Oilworkers 1903–1904
Muskegon, MI: Muskegon Reds 1916; Muskegon Muskies 1920–1922; Muskegon Reds 1926, 1934; Muskegon Clippers 1948–1950; Muskegon Reds 1951
Newark, Ohio: Newark Skeeters 1911
Peoria, IL: Peoria Distillers 1900, 1904, 1917; Peoria Tractors 1934
Richmond, IN: Richmond Quakers 1917; Richmond Roses 1930
Saginaw, MI: Saginaw Bears 1948-1950; Saginaw Jacks 1951
South Bend, IN: South Bend Greens 1903–1909 South Bend Bronchos 1910; South Bend Bux 1911; South Bend Benders 1911, South Bend Benders 1912, 1916–1917; South Bend Twins 1932
Springfield, IL: Springfield 1900; Springfield Red Birds 1934
Springfield, Ohio: Springfield Babes 1905-1907; Springfield Reapers 1912–1914, 1916–1917; Springfield Buckeyes 1928; Springfield Dunnmen 1929; Springfield Blue Sox 1930
Terre Haute, IN: Terre Haute Hottentots 1900, 1903–1909; Terre Haute Stags 1910; Terre Haute Miners 1911; Terre Haute Terre-iers 1912–1914; Terre Haute Highlanders 1915–1916
Wheeling, WV: Wheeling Stogies 1903–1912, 1915–1916
Youngstown, Ohio: Youngstown Steelmen 1912; Youngstown Buckeyes 1932
Zanesville, Ohio: Zanesville Infants 1908–1909; Zanesville Potters 1910–1912

Standings & statistics

1948-1951

1948 Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Flint Arrows	89	49	.645	-	Jack Tighe
Dayton Indians	84	55	.604	5.5	Joe Vosmik
Muskegon Clippers	73	66	.525	16.5	Bennie Huffman
Fort Wayne Generals	64	76	.457	26.0	Boom-Boom Beck
Saginaw Bears	55	85	.393	35.0	Robert Finley
Grand Rapids Jets	52	86	.377	37.0	Milton Galatzer / Jack Knight

Playoffs: Fort Wayne 3 games, Flint 2; Dayton 3 games, Muskegon 1
Finals: Dayton 4 games, Fort Wayne 2

**Player statistics**
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Herb Conyers	Dayton	BA	.354	Charles Sipple	Dayton	W	18
Richard Lane	Muskegon	Runs	121	Bill Evans	Muskegon	SO	187
Louis Farotto	Saginaw	Hits	185	Alex Nedelco	Flint	ERA	2.08
Homer Johnson	Muskegon	RBI	109	William Morgan	Dayton	PCT	.765 13-4
Joe Morjoseph	Dayton	HR	31

1949 Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Dayton Indians	80	57	.584	-	Oscar Melilo
Flint Arrows	77	62	.554	4.0	Jack Tighe
Grand Rapids Jets	70	66	.515	9.5	Jack Knight
Charleston Senators	67	68	.496	12.0	Joe Beggs
Muskegon Reds	60	79	.432	21.0	Red Ruffing
Saginaw Bears	58	80	.420	22.5	Robert Finley

Playoffs: Charleston 3 games, Dayton 1; Grand Rapids 3 games, Flint 2
Finals: Grand Rapids 4 games, Charleston 2

**Player statistics**
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Bill Higdon	Muskegon	BA	.330	Charles Sipple	Dayton	W	19
Everett Robinson	Grand Rapids	Runs	91	Jose Santiago	Dayton	SO	233
Stuart Locklin	Dayton	Hits	169	Ernie Funk	Flint	ERA	2.13
Ron Bowen	Saginaw	RBI	123	Sanford Lambert	Grand Rapids	PCT	.800 12-3
Ron Bowen	Saginaw	HR	25

1950 Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Flint Arrows	80	53	.602	-	Gene Desautels
Muskegon Clippers	75	64	.540	8.0	Robert Finley
Dayton Indians	69	63	.523	10.5	Dolph Camilli
Grand Rapids Jets	64	68	.485	15.5	Jack Knight
Charleston Senators	58	73	.443	21.0	Joe Beggs
Saginaw Bears	56	81	.409	26.0	Hank Camelli

Playoffs: Flint 3 games, Grand Rapids 1; Muskegon 3 games, Dayton 2
Finals: Flint 4 games, Muskegon 1

**Player statistics**
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Joe Rowell	Dayton	BA	.344	Ernie Funk	Flint	W	22
Louis Urcho	Muskegon	Runs	112	William Abernathie	Dayton	SO	171
Ron Bowen	Muskegon	Hits	169	Jimmy Wallace	Saginaw	ERA	2.05
Ron Bowen	Muskegon	RBI	128	James Vitter	Dayton	PCT	.800 12-3
Ron Bowen	Muskegon	HR	28

1951 Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Dayton Indians	87	50	.635	-	Jimmy Crandall
Muskegon Clippers	86	54	.614	2.5	Jimmy Gleeson
Saginaw Jacks	79	58	.577	8.0	Bert Niehoff
Charleston Senators	69	70	.496	19.0	Ernie White
Grand Rapids Jets	53	82	.393	33.0	Jack Knight / Everett Robinson
Flint Arrows	38	98	.279	48.5	Steve Bysco

**Player statistics**
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Jim Greengrass	Muskegon	BA	.379	Emil Patrick	Muskegon	W	20
Ed Krage	Muskegon	Runs	128	Ryne Duren	Dayton	SO	238
Oscar Khederian	Saginaw	Hits	185	Calvin Howe	Grand Rapids	ERA	2.33
Ed Krage Ron Bowen	Muskegon	RBI	114	Bob Freels	Dayton	PCT	.773 17-5
Ed Krage	Muskegon	HR	31

[2]

References

Ball Park Digest Archived October 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

External links

https://web.archive.org/web/20071022210728/http://www.ballparkdigest.com/leagues/central_league.htm

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[1] Ball Park Digest Archived October 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

[encyc-2] The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)