History
1879 Northwestern League
In 1879, the Davenport "Brown Stockings" became the first minor league baseball team based in Davenport, Iowa, when the Brown Stockings became charter members of the four-team independent Northwestern League. [1] The Dubuque Red Stockings, Omaha Green Stockings and Rockford White Stockings teams joined Davenport in league play. [2] The league is acknowledged to be the first minor league with franchises west of the Mississippi River. [3]
The Brown Stockings ended short the Northwestern League season in fourth place. The league season began on May 1, 1879, and ended on July 7, 1879. Davenport ended the season with a record of 5–15, finishing 12.0 games behind the first place Dubuque Red Stockings, as J. W. Green served as manager. [4] The Northwestern League did not return to play in 1880 and reformed in 1883 without a Davenport based franchise. [4]
Baseball Hall of Fame member Bid McPhee played for the 1879 Davenport Brown Stockings at age 19, after having played for the semi-professional Davenport team in 1878. [5] McPhee hit .229 in action limited to 20 games in 1879. [1] In 1880, discouraged by his baseball career, the New York native McPhee remained in the city and secured a job as a bookkeeper in Davenport instead of playing minor league baseball. He then resumed playing baseball in 1881, playing in Akron, Ohio. [5]
Two leagues 1888 & 1889
Davenport resumed minor league baseball play in 1888, when the city hosted two teams during the season and won a championship. To begin the 1888 season, the Davenport "Hawkeyes" franchise became charter members of the eight-team independent level Central Interstate League. [6] The Bloomington Reds, Crawfordsville Hoosiers, Danville Browns, Decatur, Dubuque, Peoria Reds and Rockford Rox teams joined Davenport as charter members in league play, which began on May 1, 1888. [7] [8]
The Davenport "Hawkeyes" team nickname corresponds with the state of Iowa being nicknamed "The Hawkeye State," with the state nickname dating to 1838. [9] The University of Iowa also began using the Hawkeye nickname in the era. [10]
On July 27, 1888, the Davenport Hawkeyes were in first place with a 40–18 record, when the Central Interstate League folded. [8] Playing under manager William Lucas, Davenport finished 3.5 games ahead of the second place Peoria Reds in the final standings of the shortened season. [6] [8] Owen Williams of Davenport led the league with 65 runs scored, while teammate Willard Mains led the Central Interstate League with a 16–4 record. [4]
After the folding of the Central Interstate League on July 27, the vacancy in Davenport gained the city a second team during the 1888 season. On August 18, 1888, the Minneapolis Millers of the Class A level Western Association played their final game before the franchise was sold and relocated to Davenport. The Millers had after compiled a 28-52 record while based in Minneapolis. The newly formed Davenport "Onion Weeders" began play in the league on August 25, 1888. [11] Davenport joined the Chicago Maroons, Des Moines Prohibitionists, Kansas City Blues, Milwaukee Brewers, Omaha Omahogs, St. Louis Whites, St. Paul Apostles and Sioux City Cornhuskers teams in league play. [12] [13]
William Lucas returned to manage his second Davenport team of the season, as the Davenport Onion Weeders began play in the Western Association. [14] Playing the remainder of the league schedule based in Davenport, the Onion Weeders had a 4–21 record after the move. When the 1888 season ended, the Minneapolis/Davenport team had a combined 32–74 record and placed last in the eight-team Western Association. [12]
Despite folding during the season of the previous year, the Central Interstate League reformed in 1889, with the Davenport Hawkeyes returning to the league. [15] Managed by Bob Allen, Charles Holcaher and Charles Hall, the Hawkeyes folded from six-team league during the season. On September 10, 1889, the Hawkeyes had a 57–45 record when the team folded. Philip Routcliffe of Davenport led the league with 122 runs scored and the Quincy Ravens were the eventual league champions with a 66–50 record. [4] The 1890 Central Interstate League continued play without a Davenport franchise. [4]
The 1889 Hawkeyes team folded after the Davenport team quit the league rather than play road series at Quincy and Springfield. Davenport complained that umpiring was unfair in the Illinois cities. [3] The Central Interstate League played its final season in 1890 without a Davenport franchise. [4]
1891 Illinois-Iowa League
In 1891, the Davenport "Pilgrims" became members of the eight-team Illinois-Iowa League in the second season of the league, before disbanding during the season. [16] [17]
George Nicol compiled a 15–8 record with a 1.36 ERA in 23 games, with five shutouts. [18] On Sunday July 19, 1891, Nicol pitched his final game for Davenport in front of a home crowd of 2,000. After the game, Nicol joined the Chicago Colts, and manager Cap Anson, who offered him a $225 a month contract and bought his contract from Davenport for $300. [19]
On July 22, 1891, shortly after Nicol's departure, the Pilgrims folded. Davenport ended their season with a record of 23–38, playing their partial Illinois-Iowa League season under managers Kerken and John Crogan. [19] [20] [4] Davenport did not return as a member of the 1892 Illinois-Iowa League. [4]
Davenport next hosted minor league baseball in 1901, when the Davenport River Rats became charter members of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. [4] Today, Davenport continues hosting minor league play as home to the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Class A level Midwest League. [21]
