The Eastern Illinois League was a Class-D league in Minor League Baseball that existed during the 1907 and 1908 baseball seasons. The league president as of 1907 was L. A. G. Shoaff.[1] According to the 1908 Spalding Guide, the league got its start in Pana, IL and the league's "godfather" was Joe Adams, also known as "Old Wagon Tongue."[1] In 1907, teams had a salary limit of $600.[1]
Cities represented
edit- Centralia, Illinois: Centralia White Stockings (1907)
- Charleston, Illinois: Charleston Broom Corn Cutters (1907); Charleston Evangelists (1908)
- Danville, Illinois: Danville Speakers (1908)
- Linton, Indiana: Linton (1908)
- Mattoon, Illinois: Mattoon Giants (1907-1908)
- Pana, Illinois: Pana Coal Miners (1907-1908)
- Paris, Illinois: Paris Colts (1907); Paris Parisians (1908)
- Shelbyville, Illinois: Shelbyville Queen Citys (1907-1908)
- Staunton, Illinois: Staunton Speakers (1908)
- Taylorville, Illinois: Taylorville Tailors (1907-1908)
- Vincennes, Indiana: Vincennes Alices (1908)
Standings & statistics
edit1907 Eastern Illinois League
editPresident: Charles Welvert / L.A.G. Schoaff
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mattoon Giants | 74 | 24 | .627 | -- | Hank O'Day |
| Charleston Broom Corn Cutters | 71 | 49 | .592 | 4.0 | Nig Langdon |
| Taylorville Tailors | 60 | 58 | .508 | 14.0 | Phil Ketter / Mike Ryan |
| Centralia White Stockings / Paris Colts |
51 | 67 | .432 | 23.0 | Red Kelly / Bob Shaw |
| Pana Coal Miners | 51 | 70 | .421 | 24½ | Joe Adams |
| Shelbyville Queen Citys | 50 | 69 | .420 | 24½ | J.B. Young |
Centralia (6-27) moved to Paris June 20.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Ketter | Taylorville | BA | .284 |
| Bill Bartley | Charleston | Runs | 51 |
| Phil Ketter | Taylorville | Hits | 111 |
| Andy Lotshaw | Charleston | HR | 10 |
| Grover Lowdermilk | Mattoon | W | 33 |
| Grover Lowdermilk | Mattoon | SO | 458 |
| Grover Lowdermilk | Mattoon | ERA | 0.93 |
1908 Eastern Illinois League
editPresident: L.A.G. Schoaff
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danville Speakers / Staunton |
65 | 27 | .707 | -- | W.C. Dithridge |
| Taylorville Tailors | 56 | 39 | .589 | 10½ | Mike Ryan |
| Shelbyville Queen Citys | 52 | 43 | .547 | 14½ | Joe Adams |
| Vincennes Alices | 47 | 48 | .495 | 19½ | Pop Lloyd |
| Paris Parisians | 43 | 48 | .473 | 21½ | Erickstone / Eckson / Dan Jenkins / Skipper Roberts |
| Pana Coal Miners / Linton |
25 | 70 | .263 | 41½ | Sunday Hawker / Nig Langdon / Butts |
| Mattoon Giants | 32 | 45 | .416 | NA | Lefty Russell / George Kizer |
| Charleston Evangelists | 37 | 37 | .500 | NA | Kid Madden |
#Pana (18-44) moved to Linton July 17, for the second half.
Danville (42-18) moved to Staunton July 17, for the second half.
Charleston and Mattoon disbanded July 30.
Shelbyville disbanded August 20, causing the league to disband.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Ahring | Charleston | BA | .355 |
| Tom Fleming | Dan/Sta | Runs | 57 |
| Buck Stanley | Paris | Hits | 93 |
| Andy Biltz | Shelbyville | HR | 6 |
| Ralph Grimes | Dan/Sta | W | 19 |
| Joe Jenkins | Par/Pan/Sta | SO | 139 |
| Chet Carmichael | Vincennes | Pct | .800; 16-4 |
Sources
editThe Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball:Second Edition.
References
edit- ^ a b c Price, G.L. (1908). "Eastern Illinois League". 1908 Spalding Guide. A.G. Spalding & Bros. p. 227. Retrieved 2012-06-29.