Alton Blues
| Alton Blues | |
|---|---|
| |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team | None |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (0) | None |
| Team data | |
| Name | Alton Blues (1917) |
| Ballpark | Sportsman's Park (1917) |
The Alton Blues were a
History
Minor league baseball began in Alton, Illinois in 1917, when the Alton "Blues" became members of the eight–team,
The Blues were so named, matching the blue trim on their uniforms.[1]
On July 8, 1917, in the midst of World War I, the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League received approval to cease play. The Alton Blues were in last place with a record of 18–44, playing under managers Harry Bay and Jim Duggan when the league folded. Eighth place Alton finished 23.0 games behind the first place Peoria Distillers.[4]
Overall, the Alton Blues finished behind Peoria (43–23), Rockford Rox (39–21), Hannibal Mules (39–27), Rock Island Islanders (36–26), Moline Plowboys (27–38), Quincy Gems (27–38) and Bloomington Bloomers (25–37) in the 1917 league standings.[5][3][2]
After the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League shortened the 1917 season, the league did not play in 1918 due to World War I, with many minor leagues folding during for the 1918 season.
In 2021, organized baseball returned to Alton, Illinois when the
The ballpark
The 1917 Alton Blues hosted minor league home games at Sportsman's Park.[9] While the Alton Blues played there, the park was nicknamed "Three-I League Park." The ballpark was built in 1911. Today, the Alton Police Department occupies the site. The location of the police department facility is 1700 East Broadway in Alton, Illinois.[10][11]
Year–by–year record
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | 18–44 | 8th | Harry Bay / Jim Duggan | League folded July 8 |
Notable alumni
- Harry Bay (1917, MGR) 2× AL stolen base leader
- Jim Duggan (1917, MGR)
- Frank Fletcher (1917)
- Bill Cristall (1917)
- Mickey O'Neil (1917)
References
- ^ a b c Emery, Tom; Telegraph, For the (May 20, 2017). "A league of their own: Alton had minor league baseball a century ago". Alton Telegraph.
- ^ ISBN 978-1932391176.
- ^ a b c "1917 Illinois-Iowa-Indiana League (IIIL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "1917 Alton Blues Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "1917 Alton Blues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1919 Illinois-Iowa-Indiana League (IIIL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Home Page | Prospect New Team - Pointstreak Sites". www.pointstreaksites.com.
- ^ "Alton River Dragons | Prospect Collegiate Baseball LLC". www.prospectleague.com.
- ^ "Sportsman's Park in Alton, IL history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Madison County ILGenWeb". www.facebook.com.
- ^ "Home | Alton Police | City of Alton". www.cityofaltonil.com.