Kansas City Blues (American Association)

Last updated
Kansas City Blues
KansasCityBlues caplogo.svg
Minor league affiliations
Class
League
Major league affiliations
Team
Minor league titles
Class titles (3)
  • 1923
  • 1929
  • 1938
League titles (10)
  • 1888
  • 1890
  • 1898
  • 1901
  • 1918
  • 1923
  • 1929
  • 1938
  • 1952
  • 1953
Team data
Name
  • Kansas City Blues (1902; 1904–1954)
  • Kansas City Cowboys (1903)
Ballpark Blues Stadium (1923–1954)

The Kansas City Blues were a minor league baseball team located in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Midwestern United States. The team was one of the eight founding members of the American Association. [1]

Contents

The Blues did not field particularly competitive teams until 1918, when they won the AA pennant. The team won again in 1923, and again in 1929. They won the Junior World Series championship both years, defeating the Baltimore Orioles and the Rochester Red Wings of the International League, respectively, in best-of-nine series. [1]

In 1935, the Blues became a farm club of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1936 they became an affiliate of the New York Yankees. They won the AA championships five times in the 1930s and 1940s. They defeated the Newark Bears, another Yankees farm club, in the 1938 Junior World Series.

When the American League Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City in 1955, the Blues moved to Denver, Colorado, and became the Denver Bears.

The 1923, 1929, and 1939 Blues were recognized as being among the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time. [2]

History

Preceded in Kansas City by the Kansas City Blues of the Western League and Western Association, the 1902 Kansas City Blues were admitted to the American Association. They changed their name to the Kansas City Cowboys for the 1903 season before reverting back to the Blues nickname in 1904. [3] They won their first league championship in 1918. They would win two more, one in 1923 and the second in 1928. However, the onset of The Great Depression took a toll on the team as attendance began to fall. At one point, the Blues lead the league in attendance, but that number would soon be cut in half. Frustrated with how things were going in Kansas City, owner George Muehlebach sold the franchise to a group headed by Hollywood actor Joe E. Brown, and included former MLB star Tris Speaker. Speaker would also serve as the team's manager. The change in ownership did little to spark interest in the team and Speaker was replaced as manager with Nick Allen. who had won a championship with St. Paul. The franchise was sold again, this time to Kansas City resident and former Cubs player Johnny Kling who in turn hired Roger Peckinpaugh, who had just been released as manager by the Cleveland Indians to take over as manager for Kansas City. [4]

The Blues still struggled with attendance, though it did improve, even if Kansas City finished in last place. Another change was made as Peckinbaugh was released and Dutch Zwilling, who piloted the Blues to their 1929 championship, was brought back as manager. The Blues began to rise in the league standings and the attendance rose as well. Another ownership change was afoot as Kling sold the franchise to the New York Yankees who quickly made the Blues one of their farm teams. The home opener in 1939 was a near sell out and the fans went home happy, as outfielder Vince Dimaggio hit a home run in his first at bat. The Blues routed Louisville 8-2 en route to a season that saw Kansas City win 107 games. However, the Blues lost to Indianapolis in the playoffs. One of the stars of the Blues that season was a 21 year old shortstop named Phil Rizzuto. [4]

The Blues would never have a team as great as the 1939 squad again, but the team was a launching pad for future major league players like Johnny Lindell and in later years, Mickey Mantle. And by the 1950s it was over for the Blues altogether, as the franchise ceased once the A's moved from Philadelphia to Kansas City.

Notable alumni

Mickey Mantle Mickey Mantle.jpg
Mickey Mantle
Al Rosen Al Rosen 1953.jpg
Al Rosen

Hall of Fame alumni

Players and managers Well-known members of the 1929 Junior World Series-winning Kansas City Blues included: [1]

Other well-known players and managers include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Lynx</span> Minor league baseball team

The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal Expos (1993–2002), Baltimore Orioles (2003–2006), and Philadelphia Phillies (2007). At the time, it was the only IL franchise in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casey Stengel</span> American baseball player and manager (1890–1975)

Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, the expansion New York Mets. Nicknamed "the Ol' Perfessor", he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Rizzuto</span> American baseball player (1917–2007)

Philip Francis Rizzuto, nicknamed "the Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career with the New York Yankees (1941–1956), and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas City Monarchs</span> Negro League baseball team in Kansas City, Missouri

The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. J. L. Wilkinson was the first white owner at the time of the establishment of the team. In 1930, the Monarchs became the first professional baseball team to use a portable lighting system which was transported from game to game in trucks to play games at night, five years before any MLB team did. The Monarchs won ten league championships before integration, and triumphed in the first Negro League World Series in 1924. The Monarchs had only one season in which they did not have a winning record. The team produced more major league players than any other Negro league franchise. It was disbanded in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)</span> Former baseball and football stadium in Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Municipal Stadium was an American baseball and football stadium in the central United States, located in Kansas City, Missouri. It was located at the corner of Brooklyn Avenue and E. 22nd Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Orioles (minor league)</span> Minor league baseball team

The city of Baltimore, Maryland, has been home to two Minor League Baseball teams called the Baltimore Orioles, in addition to the three Major League Baseball teams that have used the name

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Meyer</span> American baseball player and manager

William Adam Meyer was an American baseball player and manager. He holds the dubious distinction of having played with, then managed, two of the worst teams in the history of Major League Baseball.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1985 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1978 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1967 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1966 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 in baseball</span> Overview of the events of 1960 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1960 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Héctor López</span> Panamanian baseball player (1929–2022)

Héctor Headley López Swainson was a Panamanian professional baseball left fielder and third baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees from 1955 to 1966. He won two World Series with Yankees in 1961 and 1962. He later became the first black manager at the Triple-A baseball level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Defenders</span> Minor league baseball team

The Connecticut Defenders were a Minor League Baseball team based in Norwich, Connecticut. The team, which played in the Eastern League, was the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major-league club from 2003 until following the 2009 season, when the Defenders relocated to Richmond, Virginia and are now known as the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1959 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1950 throughout the world.

The Binghamton Triplets were a minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York between 1923 and 1963. The franchise played as members of the New York–Penn League (1923–1937), Eastern League (1938–1963), New York–Penn League (1964–1966) and Eastern League (1967–1968). Binghamton was a minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Braves and Kansas City Athletics, winning ten league championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Priddy</span> American baseball player

Gerald Edward Priddy was an American professional baseball player and a second baseman in Major League Baseball for 11 years. He played for the New York Yankees (1941–1942), Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns (1948–1949), and Detroit Tigers (1950–1953).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Sturm</span> American baseball player

John Peter Joseph Sturm was a Major League Baseball player. He played with the New York Yankees during the 1941 season as their starting first baseman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottsdale Scorpions</span> Professional baseball team

The Scottsdale Scorpions are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Scottsdale, Arizona, at Scottsdale Stadium, which is also the spring training facility of the San Francisco Giants. The team was established in 1992 and has retained the Scorpions nickname through several location changes. The Scorpions have won three league championships, most recently in 2015.

References

  1. 1 2 3 1929 Kansas City Blues from the Minor League Baseball website
  2. "Top 100 Teams". MiLB.com. 2001. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  3. "1903 Kansas City Cowboys". Baseball Reference . Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Minor League History".
  5. 1951 Kansas City Blues Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com
Preceded by
none
Boston Red Sox
Double-A affiliate

1934
Succeeded by