Leadville Blues

The Leadville Blues were a minor league baseball team based in Leadville, Colorado. Between 1885 and 1898, Leadville teams played as members of the 1885 Colorado State League, 1886 Western League and Colorado State League in 1889, 1896 and 1898. The 1896 team was known as the Leadville "Angels." The Blues and Angels hosted minor league home games at the Leadville Base Ball Grounds.

Leadville Blues
Minor league affiliations
ClassIndependent (1885–1886, 1889, 1895–1896, 1898)
LeagueColorado State League (1885)
Western League (1886)
Colorado State League (1889, 1896, 1898)
Major league affiliations
TeamNone
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Team data
NameLeadville Blues (1885–1886, 1889, 1895)
Leadville Angels (1896)
Leadville Blues (1898)
BallparkLeadville Base Ball Grounds (1885–1886, 1889, 1895–1896, 1898)

History

The Leadville "Blues" were formed in 1882, playing as a semi–pro team and compiling a 34–8–1 record playing against other Colorado based town teams. A noted player on the 1882 team was pitcher Dave Foutz.[1][2][3]

Minor league baseball began in Leadville, Colorado, when the 1885 Leadville Blues became members of the Independent level Colorado State League.[4] The Leadville Blues ended the 1885 season with a record of 7–13, placing third in the final standings, 5.0 games behind the first place Denver team. John Morgan and N.T. Thorne served as Leadville managers.[5][6]

The Leadville Blues became members of the Western League in 1886.[7] The Blues ended the 1886 season with a record of 39–41, placing third in the league standings under manager D. W. Morgan, finishing 13.0 games behind the first place Denver Mountain Lions in the final standings.[8]

The 1889 Leadville Blues of the Colorado State League ended the season with a record of 19–31, placing fouth in the final standings.[9] Deacon White, Butch Blake and John Foutz served as managers, as Leadville finished behind first place Colorado Springs in the five–team league.[10]

Leadville played as members of the 1895 the Colorado State League. The league records and statistics for the 1895 season are unknown.[11][12][13]

The 1896 Leadville Angels continued Colorado State League play and finished in second place in the six–team league.[14] Leadville had one 1996 game delayed 30 minutes due to a snowstorm. The league began play on May 2, 1896, and concluded the season on July 15, 1896. Leadville finished with a record of 5–3 under manager Harry Grier. Leadville finished with the Aspen Miners (5–3), Colorado Springs (0–6), Cripple Creek/Gillette (4–4), Denver Gulfs (5–5), and first place Pueblo Rovers (7–3) in the league standings.[15][16]

In 1898, the Leadville Blues played their final season under returning manager Harry Grier. It is known the Aspen Miners had the Colorado State League's best record before folding during the season and seven teams played in the 1898 league, led by Aspen with a 35–21 record, with Leadville's record unknown. Aspen manager A. Magnam also served a dual role as commissioner of the Colorado State League in 1898. The Aspen Miners disbanded on July 31, 1898, and the Colorado State League permanently folded following the 1898 season.[17][18][19]

Leadville, Colorado has not hosted another minor league team.[20]

The ballpark

The Leadville Blues played home games at a "stadium" built for the team in 1882. The Leadville Base Ball Grounds were noted to have been located at North Harrison Avenue & East 13th Street in Leadville, Colorado. The ballpark location is near today's National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum.[1][21][22]

Bird's eye view of Leadville, Colo. 1882.

Timeline
Year(s)# Yrs.TeamLevelLeagueBallpark
18851Leadville BluesIndependentColorado State LeagueLeadville Base Ball Park
18861Western League
1889, 18952Colorado State League
18961Leadville Angels
18981Leadville Blues

Year–by–year records
YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs/Notes
18857–133rdJohn Morgan / N. T. ThornesNo playoffs held
188639–413rdD. W. MorganNo playoffs held
188919–314thDeacon White /
Butch Blake / John Foutz		No playoffs held
189500–00NANA1895 league records unknown
18965–32ndHarry GrierNo playoffs held
189800–00NAHarry Grier1898 team record unknown

Notable alumni

See also

Leadville Blues players

References
  1. "1882 Leadville Blues | Lake County Sports Hall of Fame".
  2. Emerita, Marcia Martinek. "Leadville Blues earn national reputation". The Herald Democrat.
  3. "A tradition of baseball in Colorado". October 15, 2007.
  4. "1885 Leadville Blues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  5. "1885 Leadville Blues minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  6. DiGiacomo, Alisa (2018). "Left on the Field". Colorado Heritage (ISSN 0272-9377). Denver, Colorado: History Colorado.
  7. "1886 Leadville Blues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  8. "1886 Leadville Blues minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  9. "1889 Leadville Blues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  10. "1889 Leadville Blues minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  11. "1895 Leadville minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  12. "1895 Leadville Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  13. "1895 Colorado State League (CSL) minor league baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  14. "1896 Leadville Angels Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  15. "1896 Colorado State League (CSL) minor league baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  16. "1896 Leadville Angels minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  17. "1898 Colorado State League (CSL) minor league baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  18. "1898 Aspen Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  19. "1898 Leadville Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  20. "Leadville, Colorado Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
  21. "Leadville Base Ball Grounds in Leadville, CO minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  22. "National Mining Museum". www.mininghalloffame.org.
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