Northwestern League
SportBaseball
Inaugural season1879
Ceased1891
No. of teams4 to 12 each season
CountryUnited States

The Northwestern League was a sports league that operated in the Central United States during the early years of professional baseball for six seasons: 1879, 1883–1884, 1886–1887, and 1891. After the 1887 season, the league was replaced by the Western Association,[1] although the Northwestern League returned for its final season in 1891 as an independent baseball league.

The Northwestern League of 1883–1884 is considered the first baseball "minor league", as it was party to the National Agreement of 1883, along with the National League and American Association, whereby the leagues agreed to honor each other's suspensions, expulsions, and player reserve clauses, and established territorial rights.[2]

An unrelated Northwestern League, located in the Pacific Northwest, later formed in 1905.

Results by season

The league operated for a total of six seasons, during a span of 13 years.

1879

Ted Sullivan

Four teams participated in the 1879 season, which ran from May 1 to July 7.

1879 Northwestern League final standings
TeamRecordGBManager
Dubuque Red Stockings19–5 (.792)—Ted Sullivan
Rockford White Stockings13–9 (.591)5James McKee
Omaha Green Stockings5–13 (.278)11
Davenport Brown Stockings5–15 (.250)12J. W. Green

Source:[3][4]: 134 

1883

Charlie Morton

The 1883 season featured eight teams and ran from May 1 to September 29.

1883 Northwestern League final standings
TeamRecordGBManager
Toledo Blue Stockings56–28 (.667)—William Voltz / Charlie Morton
Saginaw Greys54–30 (.643)2Arthur Whitney
Peoria Reds49–35 (.583)7Charles Flynn / Charles Levis / A. C. Harding
Grand Rapids (MI)48–36 (.571)8Charles Eden / Henry Jones
Springfield (IL)37–47 (.440)19C. J. Frichtel / John Peters / John Crawford
Bay City (MI)35–49 (.417)21John Crawford / William Montgomery / Chester Morgan
Fort Wayne Hoosiers34–50 (.405)22Jack Remsen / Milton Scott
Quincy Quincys23–61 (.274)33Charles Overrecker / Ed Hengel / Dickey Pearce

Source:[5][4]: 141 

1884

The 1884 season began on May 1 with 12 teams. The Bay City team disbanded in late July and was replaced by Evansville. In early August, multiple other teams disbanded.[6] Play continued through August 13, at which time Milwaukee had the best record of teams still active.[7] Milwaukee was later offered the league championship for the abbreviated season, but declined it.[8]

Horace Phillips
1884 Northwestern League final standings (1)
TeamRecordGBManager
Grand Rapids (MI)48–15 (.762)—Horace Phillips
Saginaw Greys47–21 (.691)3+1⁄2William Dyer
Quincy Quincys45–23 (.662)5+1⁄2George Brackett
Peoria Reds40–25 (.615)9James Whitfield / Charles Flynn
Milwaukee Brewers42–30 (.583)10+1⁄2Charles Cushman / James McKee / Tom Loftus
Minneapolis Millers30–42 (.417)22+1⁄2Benjamin Tuthill
Muskegon (MI)23–40 (.365)27A. R. Bradford / Charles Cushman / John Rainey
Fort Wayne Hoosiers22–43 (.338)29John McDonough / Harry Smith
St. Paul Apostles24–48 (.333)30+1⁄2Robert Hunter / Andrew Thompson
Stillwater (MN)21–46 (.313)31Joseph May / Joe Miller / Fred Gunkle / John Peters
Terre Haute (IN)15–50 (.231)36Al Buckenberger / George Hammerstein
Evansville (IN)4–1 (.800)n/aStephen Hagan
Bay City (MI)39–16 (.709)n/aBill Watkins

Source:[4]: 142 

Tom Loftus

The league reorganized on August 14, and started a second season with a limited schedule of 24 games planned for each of four teams.[8] This short season would also end early due to financial difficulties, with the final game played on September 7.[9]

1884 Northwestern League final standings (2)
TeamRecordGBManager
Milwaukee Brewers11–4 (.733)—Tom Loftus
Minneapolis Millers7–4 (.636)2Benjamin Tuthill
St. Paul Apostles7–7 (.500)3+1⁄2Andrew Thompson
Winona Clippers1–11 (.083)8+1⁄2John Rainey

Source:[4]: 143 

The St. Paul and Milwaukee teams were late-season additions to the major league Union Association.[10][11]

1886–1887

In 1886, the league was recreated when the Duluth Jayhawks; Eau Claire Lumbermen; St. Paul Freezers, Minneapolis Millers, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Oshkosh, Wisconsin team composed the league. Duluth won the championship.[12]

In 1887, the Northwestern League featured the Des Moines Hawkeyes, Duluth Freezers, Eau Claire, LaCrosse Freezers, Milwaukee Cream Citys, Minneapolis Millers, Oshkosh and the St. Paul Saints. Oshkosh won the championship.[13]

1891

Teams

Standings

League president: W. H. Ketcham

1891 Northwestern League
Team StandingsWLPCTGBManager(s)
Evansville Hoosiers4429.603–Andy Sommers
Ft. Wayne3933.5424.5Guy Hecker
Terre Haute Hottentots2841.40614Billy Clingman / George Brackett
Grand Rapids Shamrocks2844.38915.5John Murphy
Peoria Distillers4217.712NAGeorge Brackett
Dayton2730.474NAHarry Fisher
Bay City1217.414NAFred Craves / John Whalen
Detroit Wolverines1019.345NARasty Wright

Note: Peoria and Dayton disbanded July 16; Bay City disbanded June 7; Detroit disbanded June 6
Peoria won the first and second split-season. Evansville won the third split-season.

Schedule:[14]

References

  1. ↑ Thornly, Stew (2006). Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History. ISBN 978-0-87351-551-1.
  2. ↑ "How Minor League Baseball Teams Work: History of the Minors". howstuffworks.com. April 2000. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  3. ↑ "1879 Northwestern League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ↑ "1883 Northwestern League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. ↑ "Two More Gone". St. Paul Globe. August 7, 1884. p. 6. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Northwestern League". Chicago Tribune. August 14, 1884. p. 7. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 "The New Northwestern League". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. August 15, 1884. p. 8. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "The Northwestern League Winds Up Its Career at Milwaukee". St. Paul Globe. September 8, 1884. p. 7. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "The 1884 St. Paul Saints". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  11. ↑ "The 1884 Milwaukee Grays". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  12. ↑ "1886 Northwestern League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  13. ↑ "1887 Northwestern League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  14. ↑ "Schedule". Chicago Tribune. April 20, 1891. p. 3 – via newspapers.com.

Further reading

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