Vinita Cherokees

The Vinita Cherokees were a minor league baseball team based in Vinita, Oklahoma. In 1905 and 1906, Vinita teams played as members of the 1905 Missouri Valley League and 1906 Kansas State League. Vinita hosted minor league home games at Sportsman Park in both seasons of minor league play.

Vinita Cherokees
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass C (1905)
Class D (1906)
LeagueMissouri Valley League (1905)
Kansas State League (1906)
Major league affiliations
TeamNone
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Team data
NameVinita Cherokees (1905)
Vinita (1906)
BallparkSportsman Park (1905–1906)

History

Vinita, Oklahoma first hosted minor league baseball in 1905, when the Vinita "Cherokees" became members of the Class C level Missouri Valley League. The Cherokees joined the Fort Scott Giants, McAlester Miners/Fort Smith Giants, Muskogee Reds, Parsons Preachers, Pittsburg Miners, Tulsa Oilers and Webb City Gold Bugs teams as members in the eight–team league.[1][2]

The Vinita Cherokees began league play on May 14, 1905. The Cherokees finished the 1905 season with a 41–63 record to place seventh in the final standings.[3] The Muskogee Reds folded on August 31, 1905, causing the season schedule to be shortened to September 5. Vinita was managed by Ed Finney as the Cherokees finished 35.5 games behind the first place Pittsburgh Miners in the final standings.[4][5][6] The Missouri Valley League permanently folded following the 1905 season.[6]

Vinita gained a team during the 1906 season, in what proved to be their final season of minor league play.[7] On June 6, 1906, the Pittsburg Champs franchise of the Class D level Kansas State League moved from Pittsburg, Kansas to Vinita. Pittsburg had a 16–15 record at the time of the move. After resuming play in Vinita, the Pittsburg/Vinita team folded during the season and ended their 1906 season with an overall record of 30–25, playing under managers Henry Bartley and William Burns. The team folded on July 5, 1906.[8][9][6]

Vinita, Oklahoma has not hosted another minor league team.[10][6]

The ballpark

The Vinita teams hosted home minor league games at Sportsman Park. Henry E. Ridenhour was referenced as the "proprietor" of the ballpark.[11][12]

(2008) Route 66. Downtown Vinita, Oklahoma

Timeline
Year(s)# Yrs.TeamLevelLeagueBallpark
19051Vinita CherokeesClass CMissouri Valley LeagueSportsman Park
19061VinitaClass DKansas State League

Year–by–year records
YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs/Notes
190541–637thEd FinneyNo playoffs held
190630–25NAHenry Bartley / William BurnsPittsburg Champs (16–15) relocated to Vinita June 6
Team disbanded July 5

Notable alumni

See also

Vinita Cherokees players

References
  1. "1905 Missouri Valley League (MVL) minor league baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  2. "1905 Vinita Cherokees Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. "1905 Missouri Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  4. "1905 Vinita Cherokees minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  5. "1905 Missouri Valley League (MVL) minor league baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  6. Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  7. "1906 Pittsburg/Vinita Champs Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  8. "1906 Pittsburg Champs/Vinita minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  9. "1906 Kansas State League (KSL) minor league baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  10. "Vinita, Oklahoma Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
  11. "Sportsman Park in Vinita, OK minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  12. "History of Oklahoma Biographies Vol 2 Pg 20". genealogytrails.com.
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