Western League (1939–1941)

The Western League of 1939–1941 was a low-level American circuit in Minor League Baseball. The Class D level league was born when the Nebraska State League changed its identity after the season. It is not related to the Class A level Western League of 1900–1937 and 1947–1958, a higher-level league that suspended operations during the latter years of the Great Depression through World War II.
The 1939–1941 Western League included teams based in Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and Wyoming. After the United States entered the war, the league did not return for and was succeeded by its revived Class A namesake in. The Nebraska State League was revived as a Class D circuit from 1956 to 1959.

Member clubs

Cheyenne, Wyoming: Cheyenne Indians 1941
Denver, Colorado: Denver Bears 1941
Lincoln, Nebraska: Lincoln Links 1939
Mitchell, South Dakota: Mitchell Kernels 1939–1940
Norfolk, Nebraska: Norfolk Elks 1939; Norfolk Yankees 1940–1941
Pueblo, Colorado: Pueblo Rollers 1941
Sioux City, Iowa: Sioux City Soos 1939-1940; Sioux City Cowboys 1941
Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Sioux Falls Canaries 1939–1941
Worthington, Minnesota: Worthington Cardinals 1939–1940

Standings &; statistics

1939 Western League

Team Name	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Norfolk Elks	75	44	.630	-	Doc Bennett
Sioux Falls Canaries	66	52	.559	8½	Ralph Brandon
Sioux City Soos	63	52	.548	10	Pete Monahan
Lincoln Links	64	55	.538	11	Pug Griffin
Mitchell Kernels	49	69	.415	25½	Red Davis / Charles Moglia
Worthington Cardinals	36	81	.308	38	Joe McDermott

Playoffs: Sioux City 3 games, Norfolk 2; Lincoln 3 games, Sioux Falls 2
Finals: Sioux City 4 games, Lincoln 2.

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Howard Conners	Sioux Falls	BA	.365		Ox Miller	Lincoln	W	21
Wendell Finders	Norfolk	Hits	167		Ox Miller	Lincoln	SO	208
Bob Dillinger	Lincoln	Runs	139		Lawrence Kempe	Sioux Falls	ERA	3.02
Ted Kakaloris	Lincoln	RBI	114		Leonard Bobeck	Norfolk	PCT	.864 19-3
William Morgan	Norfolk	HR	17	-	-	-	-	-

1940 Western League -

Team Name	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Norfolk Yankees	73	39	.652	-	Doc Bennett
Sioux Falls Canaries	59	58	.504	16½	Robert Fenner
Worthington Cardinals	50	59	.459	21½	Ray Martin / George Payne
Sioux City Soos / Mitchell Kernels	44	70	.386	30	Jimmy Zinn / Ed Grayston

Sioux City moved to Mitchell July 24
League played four quarters: Norfolk won the first, second and fourth quarters, Sioux Falls won the third quarter.

Playoff: Sioux Falls 4 games, Norfolk 2.

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Johnny Lucas	Worthington	BA	.356		Frank Wagner	Sioux Falls	W	17
Leo Bohanan	Sioux Falls	Hits	158		Frank Wagner	Sioux Falls	SO	193
Robert Duby	Norfolk	Runs	112		Fred Whalen	Norfolk	ERA	1.36
Fred Schenk	Norfolk	RBI	97		Fred Whalen	Norfolk	PCT	.786 11-3
Russell Burns	Norfolk	HR	17	-	-	-	-	-

1941 Western League -

Team Name	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Norfolk Yankees	64	44	.593	-	Ray Powell
Cheyenne Indians	59	44	.573	2½	John Kerr
Sioux City Cowboys	54	56	.491	11	Richard Tichacek
Pueblo Rollers	52	54	.491	11	Pug Griffin
Sioux Falls Canaries	51	56	.477	12½	Robert Fenner / Tony Koenig
Denver Bears	42	68	.382	23	Cobe Jones

Playoffs: Norfolk 3 games, Sioux City 2; Pueblo 3 games, Cheyenne 1

Finals: Pueblo 3 games, Norfolk 2.

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Bernard Steele	Pueblo	BA	.383		George Milstead	Cheyenne	W	19
Bernard Steele	Pueblo	Hits	158		Robert Bergen	Pueblo	SO	183
Bernard Steele	Pueblo	Runs	88		Frank Wagner	Sioux Falls	ERA	2.15
Frank Bocek	Norfolk	RBI	92		George Milstead	Cheyenne	PCT	.792 19-5
Mel Bergman	Cheyenne	HR	10	-	-	-	-	-