Mattoon Phillies
Mattoon Phillies | |
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Minor league titles | |
League titles (1) |
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Team data | |
Name | Mattoon (1899) Mattoon Canaries (1906) Mattoon Giants (1907–1908) Mattoon Indians (1947–1952) Mattoon Phillies (1953–1956) Mattoon Athletics (1957) |
Ballpark | Mattoon Baseball Park (1947–1956) |
The Mattoon Phillies was a primary nickname for the minor league baseball teams based in Mattoon, Illinois between 1899 and 1957. Mattoon teams played as members of the Indiana–Illinois League (1899), Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (1906), Eastern Illinois League (1907–1908), Illinois State League (1947–1948), Mississippi–Ohio Valley League (1949–1955) and Midwest League (1956–1957).
Mattoon teams played as a minor league affiliate of the
The franchise was the oldest in the Midwest League, evolving to become today's Fort Wayne TinCaps.
History
The Mattoon Phillies were a charter member of the Midwest League in 1953. Additionally, Mattoon teams played in the two leagues directly preceding the Midwest League: the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League and the Illinois State League .[1]
Earlier, Mattoon teams played in the
The Mattoon Illinois State League franchise was the direct result of the efforts of the Mattoon Athletic Association, which was formed in 1947 by William Zurheider, Clyde Kirk and Charles Heath. The corporation issued 600 shares of stock at $250 and built a new ballpark. Charles Heath was also a founder of the ISL.[4]
Mattoon had two no-hitters. On August 24, 1954 Tom Cronin defeated the
In 1958, the Mattoon franchise moved to Keokuk, Iowa and became the Keokuk Indians. The franchise is the oldest in the Midwest League, as it has evolved into today's Fort Wayne TinCaps.[1][3]
The ballpark
From 1947 to 1956 Mattoon teams were noted to have played minor league home games at the Mattoon Baseball Park. The ballpark hosted the 1948 Illinois State League All–Star Game and the 1950 Mississippi–Ohio Valley League All–Star Game.
Timeline
Year(s) | # Yrs. | Team | Level | League | Affiliate |
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1899 | 1 | Mattoon | Class E | Indiana–Illinois League | None |
1906 | 1 | Mattoon Canaries | Class D | Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League
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1907–1908 | 1 | Mattoon Giants | Eastern Illinois League | ||
1947 | 2 | Mattoon Indians | Illinois State League | Chicago White Sox | |
1948 | 1 | Cleveland Indians
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1949–1951 | 3 | Mississippi–Ohio Valley League | None | ||
1952 | 1 | Cincinnati Reds | |||
1953–1955 | 2 | Mattoon Phillies | Philadelphia Phillies | ||
1956 | 1 | Midwest League | |||
1957 | 1 | Mattoon Athletics | Kansas City Athletics
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Notable alumni[2]
- Lew Krausse, Sr.(1957, MGR)
- Art Mahaffey (1956) 3x MLB All-Star
- Jimmie Coker (1955)
- Jim Golden (1954–1955)
- Dallas Green (1955) Manager: 1980 World Series Champion – Philadelphia Phillies; Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame
- Don Landrum (1954)
- Grover Lowdermilk (1908)
- Larry Doyle (1906) 1915 NL Batting Champion; 1912 NL Most Valuable Player
- Pug Bennett (1899)
- Roy Brashear (1899)
- Dummy Taylor (1899)
- Bob Wicker (1899)
See also
Mattoon Giants players
Mattoon Indians players
Mattoon Phillies players
Mattoon-Charleston Canaries players
References
- ^ a b c "Baseball in Mattoon, Illinois". Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ a b "Mattoon, Illinois Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 978-1932391176.
- ^ a b "Summary of Professional Ball in Mattoon, Illinois". Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ "No Hit Games". Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ "Baseball in Mattoon". Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ "Mattoon Baseball Park - Mattoon Indiana - Former Home of the Mattoon Philies". digitalballparks.com.
- ^ "Illinois State League 1948". Retrieved July 4, 2018.