# Kansas State League

The Kansas State League was a minor league baseball league in the United States that operated in the state of Kansas in the late 19th century and into the early 20th century.

## History

The Kansas State League was first established in 1887 as a Minor League Baseball "no classification" league and existed for that year only.
The league continued again and played in 1895 to 1896 as a "no classification" league.
Progressing into the 20th century, the circuit played in 1905–1906 as a class D league and this stint lasted two years.
The last segment of the league operated as a class D league from 1909–1911, and 1913–1914. The original Kansas State League ceased operation in 1911, merged with the Central Kansas League, and the 1912 season was played under the CKL name. In 1913, the CKL switched back to the Kansas State League name. After the 1914 season the league permanently disbanded.

## Cities represented

* Arkansas City, Kansas: Arkansas City (1887); Arkansas City Grays (1910)
* Arkansas City, Kansas & Winfield, Kansas: Arkansas City-Winfield Twins (1909)
* Atchison, Kansas: Atchison Huskers (1897–1898)
* Bartlesville, Oklahoma: Bartlesville Indians (1906)
* Chanute, Kansas: Chanute (1896); Chanute Browns (1906)
* Cherryvale, Kansas: Cherryvale Boosters (1906)
* Clay Center, Kansas: Clay Center Colts (1913)
* Coffeyville, Kansas: Coffeyville (1896); Coffeyville Bricks (1906)
* El Dorado, Kansas: El Dorado Crushers (1911)
* Ellsworth, Kansas: Ellsworth (1905); Emporia Bidwells (1914)
* Emporia, Kansas: Emporia Reds (1887); Emporia Maroons (1895, 1897)
* Fort Scott, Kansas: Fort Scott Giants (1906)
* Great Bend, Kansas: Great Bend Millers (1905, 1909–1911, 1913–1914)
* Hoisington, Kansas: Hoisington (1905)
* Hutchinson, Kansas: Hutchinson Salt Miners (1905); Hutchinson Salt Packers (1909–1911); Hutchinson Packers (1914)
* Independence, Kansas: Independence (1896); Independence Coyotes (1906)
* Iola, Kansas: Iola Grays (1906)
* Joplin, Missouri: Joplin (1887)
* Junction City, Kansas: Junction City Parrots (1897); Junction City Soldiers (1913)
* Kingman, Kansas: Kingman (1905)
* Larned, Kansas: Larned Cowboys (1909); Larned Wheat Kings (1910–1911)
* Leavenworth, Kansas: Leavenworth Soldiers (1895)
* Lincoln Center, Kansas: Lincoln Center (1905)
* Lyons, Kansas: Lyons Lions (1909–1911, 1913)
* Manhattan, Kansas: Manhattan Elks (1913)
* McPherson, Kansas: McPherson Merry Macks (1909–1911)
* Minneapolis, Kansas: Minneapolis Minnies (1905)
* Newton, Kansas: Newton Railroaders (1909-1911)
* Ottawa, Kansas: Ottawa (1898)
* Parsons, Kansas: Parsons Parsons (1896); Parsons Preachers (1906)
* Pittsburg, Kansas: Pittsburg Champs (1906)
* Salina, Kansas: Salina Blues (1898); Salina Insurgents (1913); Salina Coyotes (1914)
* Strong City, Kansas & Cottonwood Falls, Kansas: Strong City-Cottonwood Falls Twin Cities (1909)
* Topeka, Kansas: Topeka Giants (1895, 1898); Topeka Colts (1897)
* Troy, Kansas: Troy Browns (1895)
* Vinita, Oklahoma: Vinita (1906)
* Webb City, Missouri: Webb City (1887)
* Wellington, Kansas: Wellington Browns (1887); Wellington Dukes (1909-1911)
* Whiting, Kansas & Horton, Kansas: Whiting-Horton (1895)
* Wichita, Kansas: Wichita Braves (1887); Wichita Blues 1898
* Winfield, Kansas: Winfield (1887)

## League overview

| Year | Champion | Teams | Classification | League President | Notes |
| 1887 | Wellington Browns | 6 | Independent | Walden | |
| 1895 | Troy Browns | 4 | Independent | Harry T. Mote | |
| 1896 | Independence | 4 | Independent | W.H. Thompson | |
| 1905 | Ellsworth | 6 | D | George T. Tremble | |
| 1906 | Independence Coyotes | 8 | D | Edward Bero, Jr. | League restarted July 6 |
| 1909 | Lyons Lions | 8 | D | P. H. Hostutler | |
| 1910 | Hutchinson Salt Packers | 8 | D | P. H. Hostutler | |
| 1911 | Great Bend Millers | 8 | D | C. A. Case / Roy C. Gafford | League disbanded on July 11 |
| 1913 | Great Bend Millers | 6 | D | Roy C. Gafford | |
| 1914 | Emporia Bidwells | 4 | D | Roy C. Gafford | |

## Standings & statistics

1887 Kansas State League
League standings :
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Wellington Browns | 20 | 15 | .571 | – | Jack Pettiford |
| Arkansas City | 19 | 20 | .487 | 3.0 | W.F. Wingate/ Billy Hunter / Luke Short |
| Emporia Reds | 17 | 25 | .405 | 6.5 | Downing |
| Wichita Braves | 19 | 12 | .613 | NA | George Mold |
| Joplin | 1 | 4 | .200 | NA | Davis Bailor |
| Webb City | 0 | 2 | .000 | NA | James Ellis |
Wichita moved to Western League July 21; Joplin entered July 26 and disbanded August 4; Webb City entered July 28, disbanded August 4; Winfield entered July 6, disbanded July 15. The league folded August 8
Player Statistics :
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
| Ducky Hemp | Wichita | BA | .389 | George Haddock | Emporia | W | 8 |
| Gibbs | Emporia | Runs | 31 | Jack Pettiford | Wellington | W | 8 |
| Bright | Emporia | Hits | 53 | Walter Baldwin | Wichita | PCT | .800 4–1 |
| Gibbs | Emporia | HR | 6 |
1895 Kansas State League
League standings :
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Troy Browns | 19 | 14 | .576 | – | W.F. Johnson / Bill Devereux |
| Emporia Maroons | 16 | 15 | .516 | 2.0 | J.R. Soden |
| Topeka Giants | 16 | 16 | .500 | 2.5 | Harry Mote |
| Leavenworth Soldiers / Whiting-Horton | 12 | 18 | .400 | 5.5 | F.W. Gassman / Logan |
Leavenworth (7-10) suspended July 22 moved to Whiting-Horton
1896 Kansas State League
League standings :
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Independence | 16 | 8 | .667 | – | J.W. Farleigh |
| Coffeyville | 12 | 11 | .522 | 3.5 | Foster |
| Parsons Parsons | 9 | 11 | .450 | 5.0 | NA |
| Chanute | 10 | 17 | .370 | 7.5 | George Reese |
Parsons disbanded August 10; League folded August 20
1905 Kansas State League
League standings :
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Ellsworth | 34 | 15 | .694 | – | N/A |
| Great Bend Millers | 19 | 9 | .679 | 4.5 | Carl Moore |
| Minneapolis Minnies | 24 | 22 | .522 | 8.5 | Roy Gafford |
| Hutchinson Salt Miners | 22 | 24 | .478 | 10.5 | Cook / Fred Abbott |
| Lincoln Center | 11 | 19 | .375 | 13.5 | Simpson |
| Kingman/Hoisington | 13 | 34 | .276 | 20.0 | N/A |
Lincoln Center and Great Bend joined July 6; Kingman disbanded July 22; Hoisington took Kingman's place July 24.
Player statistics :
| Statistic | Player | Team | Number |
| Wins | Jones | Ellsworth | 10 |
| Wins | Cy Mason | Hutchinson Salt Miners | 10 |
| Wins | Arthur Relihan | Ellsworth | 10 |
| Winning percentage | Jones | Ellsworth | .909 (10–1) |
| Complete games | Cy Mason | Hutchinson Salt Miners | 15 |
| Shutouts | Jones | Ellsworth | 5 |
Two No–Hitters were thrown in 1905. One by Lefty Holmes of Great Bend, and the other by Salter of Minneapolis.
1906 Kansas State League
League standings :
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Independence Coyotes | 69 | 48 | .590 | – | Charles McLin / Crutcher / John Hendley |
| Iola Grays/Cherryvale Boosters | 62 | 50 | .554 | 4.5 | William Burns |
| Parsons Preachers | 60 | 50 | .545 | 5.5 | C. Pinkerton / P.P. Duffy / B.L. Taft |
| Coffeyville Bricks | 58 | 50 | .537 | 6.5 | Ed Mahley / Harry Barndollar/ Haisman / Finney |
| Bartlesville Indians | 51 | 64 | .443 | 17.0 | Gus Albert |
| Chanute Browns | 31 | 82 | .274 | 36.0 | A. Allen |
| Fort Scott Giants | 35 | 18 | .660 | NA | M. McDonald |
| Pittsburg Champs/ Vinita | 30 | 25 | .545 | NA | H. Bartley / William Burns |
Pittsburg moved to Vinita June 6; Iola moved to Cherryvale June 15; Fort Scott and Vinita disbanded July 5. League discarded all games played before July 10 and season restarted.
Player statistics :
| Statistic | Player | Team | Number |
| Batting average | Ben Haas | Independence Coyotes | .341 |
| Hits | Ed Foster | Coffeyville Bricks | 97 |
| Runs | Wilder Gray | Coffeyville Bricks | 44 |
| Wins | Chick Brandom | Independence Coyotes | 16 |
| Strikeouts | Chick Brandom | Independence Coyotes | 121 |
| Winning percentage | Harry Womack | Coffeyville Bricks | 1.000 (10–0) |
1909 Kansas State League
League standings :
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Lyons Lions | 61 | 37 | .622 | – | Cecil Bankhead |
| Hutchinson Salt Packers | 60 | 37 | .619 | 0.5 | Bill Zink |
| McPherson Merry Macks | 59 | 37 | .615 | 1.0 | O. P. Depew / Earl Green |
| Great Bend Millers | 49 | 48 | .505 | 11.5 | Rudy Kling / Stillings |
| Wellington Dukes | 44 | 54 | .449 | 17.0 | Cy Mason / John Meade |
| Newton Railroaders | 42 | 54 | .438 | 18.0 | Con Harlow / A. Stillwell |
| Arkansas City-Winfield Twins | 41 | 56 | .423 | 19.5 | M. E. Parks / Frank Layne / Bennie Owens |
| Strong City-Cottonwood Falls Twin Cities / Larned Cowboys | 32 | 65 | .330 | 28.5 | Butch Freese / Buck Weaver |
The city of Winfield, Kansas bought partial interest in Arkansas City franchise on July 22; Strong City–Cottonwood Falls moved to Larned July 12.
Player statistics :
| Statistic | Player | Team | Number |
| Batting average | Jim Miller | Newton Railroaders | .342 |
| Home Runs | Pete LaFlambois | Arkansas City-Winfield Twins | 6 |
| Hits | Jim Miller | Newton Railroaders | 119 |
| Runs | Jasper Hainsey | McPherson Merry Macks | 66 |
| Wins | Robert Hassler | Lyons Lions | 25 |
| Strikeouts | Robert Hassler | Lyons Lions | 193 |
| Winning percentage | Pearl Stanley | Hutchinson Salt Packers | .793 (23–6) |
1910 Kansas State League
League standings :
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Hutchinson Salt Packers | 70 | 39 | .642 | – | Bill Zink |
| McPherson Merry Macks | 58 | 49 | .542 | 11.0 | D. Conklin / F. J. Synek |
| Lyons Lions | 57 | 53 | .518 | 13.5 | Cecil Bankhead / Joe Riggert / Buck Ebright / John Jones |
| Newton Railroaders | 56 | 54 | .509 | 14.5 | Mel Backus |
| Great Bend Millers | 54 | 55 | .495 | 16.0 | Charles Lyons |
| Wellington Dukes | 48 | 56 | .461 | 19.5 | C. Pinkerton / Ody Abbott / Harry Vitter / Lewis Armstrong |
| Larned Wheat Kings | 46 | 56 | .451 | 20.5 | Buck Weaver / Harry McLean |
| Arkansas City Grays | 40 | 67 | .374 | 29.0 | L. Evans / Dennis McGuire / Doc Baker |
Player statistics :
| Statistic | Player | Team | Number |
| Batting average | Joe Riggert | Lyons Lions | .362 |
| Home Runs | Joe Riggert | Lyons Lions | 13 |
| Hits | Bill Zink | Hutchinson Salt Packers | 141 |
| Runs | Charles Weisner | Lyons Lions | 132 |
| Wins | E. J. Smith | Hutchinson Salt Packers | 18 |
| Wins | Walt Sizemore | Lyons Lions | 18 |
| Strikeouts | Rolla Maple | Great Bend Millers | 205 |
| Winning percentage | E. J. Smith | Hutchinson Salt Packers | .750 (18–6) |
1911 Kansas State League
'League standings :
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Great Bend Millers | 39 | 20 | .661 | – | Affie Wilson / William Luhrsen |
| Newton Railroaders | 39 | 21 | .650 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Lyons Lions | 37 | 27 | .578 | 4.5 | Spencer Abbott |
| McPherson Merry Macks | 31 | 28 | .525 | 8.0 | Joseph Harris |
| Hutchinson Salt Packers | 29 | 29 | .500 | 9.5 | Bill Zink |
| Larned Wheat Kings | 23 | 32 | .418 | 14.0 | Harry Berte |
| El Dorado Crushers | 15 | 33 | .313 | 18.5 | Bill Annis / Walter Sizemore |
| Wellington Dukes | 15 | 38 | .283 | 21.0 | Peter Ketter / C. E. Powell / Ned Price |
Wellington played 10 home games in Wichita, Kansas from June 11 to June 23. League disbanded July 11 due to crop failures and drought. No individual statistics available.
1913 Kansas State League
League standings :
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Great Bend Millers | 53 | 36 | .596 | – | Affie Wilson / William Luhrsen |
| Clay Center Cubs | 51 | 37 | .580 | 1.5 | Max Addington |
| Lyons Lions | 50 | 39 | .562 | 3.0 | William Nelson |
| Salina Insurgents | 26 | 63 | .292 | 27.0 | Lon Ury / Mike Welday |
| Manhattan Elks | 27 | 24 | .529 | N/A | Fred Moore |
| Junction City Soldiers | 21 | 29 | .420 | N/A | Norm Price / Cecil Bankhead |
After Junction City disbanded July 9; League folded Manhattan July 10.
Player statistics :
| Statistic | Player | Team | Number |
| Batting average | John Singleton | Clay Center Cubs | .335 |
| Hits | John Singleton | Clay Center Cubs | 133 |
| Runs | John Singleton | Clay Center Cubs | 78 |
| Wins | J. L. O'Byrne | Lyons Lions | 17 |
| Winning percentage | C. H. Riley | Great Bend Millers | 1.000 (9–0) |
1914 Kansas State League
League standings :
| Team | W | L | GB | Managers |
| Emporia Bidwells | 54 | 32 | – | Ira Bidwell |
| Salina Coyotes | 47 | 41 | 8.0 | Dick Robin |
| Hutchinson Packers | 40 | 49 | 15.5 | Jesse Clifton |
| Great Bend Millers | 35 | 54 | 20.5 | Affie Wilson |
Player statistics :
| Stat | Player | Team | Number |
| Batting average | Pete LaFlambois | Emporia Bidwells | .342 |
| Hits | Rick Freeman | Hutchinson Packers | 98 |
| Wins | Otis Lambeth Ralph Shimeal | Emporia Bidwells Emporia Bidwells | 14 |
| Runs | Paul Turgeon | Emporia Bidwells | 61 |
| Strikeouts | Powell Burnett | Salina Coyotes | 166 |
| Winning percentage | Otis Lambeth | Emporia Bidwells | .737 (14–5) |

## Sources

* Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (1997, second edition), edited by W. Lloyd Johnson]and Miles Wolff
* ↑ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.