Western Association


The Western Association was the name of five different leagues formed in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887. It began operations in the 1888 season and lasted through the 1891 season.
A separate Western Association was formed in January 1894 with clubs in Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri – with a team in faraway Denver, Colorado, added in 1895. This league ceased operations in 1898, but was revived again for the following season. It was renamed the Central League in 1900. In 1901, two leagues were called the Western Association. One had eight teams in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Indiana; it folded after only one year. The other loop, confusingly located in the same geographic area, was the former Interstate League; it reverted to its original identity in 1902.
The most long-lived Western Association played between 1905 and 1954. Originally the Missouri Valley League, it existed for 42 years during that half century, suspending operations during both world wars and for one season during the Great Depression. It was largely a Class C circuit, meaning it was a lower minor league, above only the Class D level.

Cities represented

1888 Western Association –

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Kansas City Blues7642.644-Jim Manning
Des Moines Prohibitionists7340.646½Charlie Morton
St. Paul Apostles6138.6165½Andrew Thompson
Omaha Omahogs5548.53413½Frank Selee
Milwaukee Brewers5354.49517½Jim Hart
Chicago Maroons4171.36632Moxie Hengle
St. Louis Whites1018.357NATom Loftus
Sioux City Cornhuskers2138.356NAWilliam Bryan / Jim Powell
Minneapolis Millers2852.350NAAl Gooding / Dave Rowe
Davenport Onion Weeders421.160NAWilliam Lucas

St. Louis disbanded June 20; Sioux City began play July 4 and later disbanded; Minneapolis moved to Davenport August 25
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Spud JohnsonKansas CityBA.342Tom LovettOmahaW30
Jim ManningKansas CityRuns123Tom LovettOmahaSO273
Bug HollidayDes MoinesHits147Kid NicholsKansas CityERA1.14
Orator ShafferDes MoinesHits147Kid NicholsKansas CityPCT.889 16–2
Scrappy CarrollSt. PaulHR16-----
Jim ManningKansas CitySB101-----

1889 Western Association –

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Omaha Omahogs8338.686-Frank Selee
St. Paul Apostles7546.6208Andrew Thompson / John Barnes
Minneapolis Millers6655.54517Samuel Morton / Moxie Hengle
Sioux City Cornhuskers6460.51620½Jim Powell
Milwaukee Creams5863.47925Ezra Sutton
Denver Grizzlies5170.42132Dave Rowe
St. Joseph Clay Eaters4170.36937Charles Lord / A.H. Truckenmiller
Chippy McGarr
Des Moines Prohibitionists4177.34740½Jimmy Macullar

PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Monk ClineSioux CityBA.364Kid NicholsOmahaW39
Monk ClineSioux CityRuns172Kid NicholsOmahaSO368
Abner DalrympleDenverHits173Martin DukeMinneapolisERA1.66
Charlie ReillySt. PaulHR27Kid NicholsOmahaPCT.830 39–8

1890 Western Association –

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Kansas City Blues7839.667-Charles Hackett / Jim Manning
Milwaukee Brewers7647.655½Charlie Cushman
Minneapolis Millers8043.6501Samuel Morton / Tim Hurst
Denver Grizzlies5764.47123Dave Rowe
Sioux City Cornhuskers5564.46224Jim Powell
Omaha Omahogs5169.42528½Frank Leonard
Des Moines / Lincoln4873.39732Jimmy Macullar
St. Paul Apostles3784.30643Andrew Thompson / Bill Watkins

Des Moines moved to Lincoln August 1.
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Buster HooverKansas CityBA.336John ThorntonMilwaukeeW29
Elmer SmithDenverRuns128Martin DukeMinneapolisSO308
Dan MinnehanMinneapolisHits178Martin DukeMinneapolisERA0.81
Scrappy CarrollSt. PaulHR21Nat HudsonMinneapolisPCT765 13–4
Jim ManningKansas CitySB96Willard MainsSt. PaulHB40

1891 Western Association -
Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Sioux City Cornhuskers6657.537-Al Buckenberger
Kansas City Blues6659.5281Jim Manning
Omaha Lambs5159.4648½Dan Shannon / Bob Leadley
Denver Mountaineers5363.4579½George Tebeau / W.L. Van Horn
Sam Cantrell
Milwaukee Brewers5937.615NACharlie Cushman
Minneapolis Millers5247.525NAW.H. Harkington / Samuel Morton
Lincoln Rustlers4649.484NADave Rowe
St. Paul Apostles /
Duluth Whalebacks		3961.390NABill Watkins / Jay Anderson

St. Paul moved to Duluth June 8; Milwaukee joined American Association August 18; Duluth, Minneapolis and Lincoln disbanded August 20.
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Rasty WrightDuluth/OmahaBA.353Billy HartSioux CityW25
Jim ManningDenverRuns138Tom VickeryMilwaukeeSO153
Ecky StearnsKansas CityHits156George DaviesMilwaukeePct.767; 23-7
Dell DarlingMinneapolisHR18-----