Quincy Gems (affiliated baseball)

Last updated
Quincy Gems
  • 1883 – 1973
  • (1883–1894, 1889–1892, 1894–1898,
    1907–1917, 1925–1932, 1946–1956, 1960–1973)
  • Quincy, Illinois
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes
  • Class A (1963–1973)
  • Class A (1894)
  • Class B (1895–1898, 1911–1917, 1925–1932, 1946–1956)
  • Class D (1907–1910, 1960–1962)
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles 9 (1889, 1913, 1929, 1931, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1961, 1970) [1]
Team data
Name
  • Quincy Cubs (1965–1973)
  • Quincy Gems (1964)
  • Quincy Jets (1962–1963)
  • Quincy Giants (1960–1961)
  • Quincy Gems (1946–1956)
  • Quincy Indians (1928–1933)
  • Quincy Red Birds (1925–1927)
  • Quincy Gems (1913–1917)
  • Quincy Old Soldiers (1912)
  • Quincy Infants (1911)
  • Quincy Vets (1909–1910)
  • Quincy Gems (1907–1908)
  • Quincy Giants (1899)
  • Quincy (1898)
  • Quincy Little Giants (1897)
  • Quincy Blue Birds (1896)
  • Quincy Ravens (1890–1892, 1894)
  • Quincy Black Birds (1889)
  • Quincy Quincys (1883–1884)
Ballpark Q Stadium (1946–1973); Eagles Stadium [2]

The Quincy Gems was the primary name of the minor league baseball team in Quincy, Illinois, that played in various seasons from 1883 to 1973.

Contents

Quincy teams played as members of the Midwest League (1960–1973), Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (1946–1956), Mississippi Valley League (1933), Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (1911–1917, 1925–1932), Central Association (1908–1910), Iowa State League (1907), Western Association (1894–1898), Illinois-Iowa League (1891–1892), Central Interstate League (1889–1890) and Northwestern League (1883–1884). Quincy won league championships in 1889, 1913, 1929, 1931, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1961 and 1970.

Baseball Hall of Fame members Bruce Sutter, Tony Kubek and Whitey Herzog played for Quincy teams.

The Quincy Gems name returned in 2009 with the Gems playing in the collegiate summer Prospect League.

History

Beginning play in 1883, Quincy minor league teams played as members of the Midwest League (1960–1973), Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (1946–1956), Mississippi Valley League (1933), Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (1911–1917, 1925–1932). Central Association (1908–1910), Iowa State League (1907), Central Interstate League (1889–1890), Western Association (1894–1898), Illinois-Iowa League (1891–1892), Central Interstate League (1889–1890) and Northwestern League (1883–1884).

After beginning play in 1883 as the Quincy Quincys, the team was first called the "Gems" in 1907 and had various other nicknames. Besided the Gems moniker Quincy minor league teams played as the (Quincy Cubs (1965–1973), Quincy Jets (1962–1963), Quincy Giants (1960–1961), Quincy Indians (1928–1933), Quincy Red Birds (1925–1927), Quincy Old Soldiers (1912), Quincy Infants (1911), Quincy Vets (1909–1910), Quincy Giants (1899), Quincy (1898), Quincy Little Giants (1897), Quincy Blue Birds (1896), Quincy Ravens (1890–1892, 1894), Quincy Black Birds (1889) and Quincy Quincys (1883–1884)).

The team was known as the Quincy Ravens from 1890 to 1892, and then again in 1894. The team played in the Illinois Iowa League in 1891 and 1892, before moving to the Western Association in 1894. [3] They were managed by Sam LaRocque and William Wittrock in 1892. Several major leaguers played for the Ravens, one of the most prominent being Sam Gillen who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies. [4] During the 1981 season, Pete Daniels threw 321 innings compiling a 0.79 ERA for the Ravens. [5]

The franchise played in the Western Association (1894–1899), Iowa State League (1907), Central Association (1908–1910), Three-I League (1911–1932, 1946–1956), and the Midwest League (1960–73). [2] They were affiliated with the New York Yankees (1946–1956), the San Francisco Giants (1956–60), New York Mets (1962–63) and the Chicago Cubs (1965–1973). [6]

Overall, the franchise won a total of nine league championships. Quincy captured the Western Association championship in 1889, and Three-I League Championships in 1913, 1929, 1931, 1951, 1953 and 1954. Quincy won the 1961 and 1970 Midwest League Championships, defeating the Waterloo Hawks in 1961 and the Quad City Angels in 1970.

After the 1973 season, the franchise was moved to Dubuque, Iowa playing as the Dubuque Packers in the Midwest League for two seasons, before the franchise was folded and not replaced.

The Gems name returned in 2009 by the collegiate summer Prospect League team called the Gems, who also play at a renovated Q Stadium. [7] [8] [9]

Ballparks

Beginning in 1946, Quincy teams played at Q Stadium.

Previously, the team played at Eagles Stadium, which was located at the same site.

Q Stadium was constructed on the Eagles Stadium site as a Works Project Administration project in 1939. Q stadium is still an active baseball stadium, located at 1800 Sycamore Street, Quincy, IL 62301. The stadium is bounded by Sycamore Street (north, left field); football stadium and North 20th Street (east, right field); Spruce Street (south, first base); and North 18th Street (west, third base).

In 1984, the stadium was purchased by Quincy University from the City of Quincy for $1.00. Today, Q Stadium is home to Quincy University teams and the collegiate summer baseball team of the same name, the new Quincy Gems. [10] [11]

Year-by-year record

YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs
189756-696th Bill Traffley / Eugene McGreevy
188966-501st George Brackett none League Champs
189041-424th Billy Murray none
189165-351st Billy Murray
189212-23NA Bill Whitrock (6/15)/ John Godar? / Sam LaRoque
190761-666thHarry Hofernone
190873-553rdHarry Hofernone
190962-736th Louis Cook / Harry Hofer
191088-501st Bade Myers
191171-633rd Bade Myers none
191267-704th Bade Myers none
191379-601stThomas Hackett / Nick Kahl League Champs
191461-716th Nick Kahl none
191565-564th John Castle
191657-777th John Castle none
191727-385thTed WaringSeason shortened to July 8
192554-828th Newt Hunter (41-68) / Henry Wingfield (13-14)none
192662-757th Henry Wingfield (19-28) / Henry Wetzel (43-47)none
192763-756th Charles Schmidt (3-4) / Mack Allison (22-23) / Charles Knoll (38-48)none
192850-858th Joe Riggert / Hal Irelan
192982-561st Walter Holke none League Champs
193078-582nd Ray Schmidt
193167-492nd Walter Holke League Champs
193238-313rd Syl Simon Team withdrew July 15, causing league to fold
193353-594th Joe Klugmann
194637-828thEdward Marleau / Cedric Durst
194750-757th Gordie Hinkle
194881-451stJames AdlamLost in 1st round
194959-675thJames Adlam
195064-604thJames AdlamLost in 1st round
195165-653rd Dutch Zwilling League Champs
195254-727th Paul Chervinko
195370-582nd Vern Hoscheit League Champs
195471-644th Vern Hoscheit League Champs
195552-747th Vern Hoscheit
195656-645th Vern Hoscheit
196055-666th Sam Calderone none
196167-594th Buddy Kerr League Champs
196268-574th Ken Deal
196356-689th Sheriff Robinson / Wally Millies none
196442-7810th Jim Finigan / Les Peden
196569-502nd Walt Dixon none
196661-635th Walt Dixon
196758-636th Harry Bright
196859-595th Walt Dixon
196964-553rd Walt Dixon none
197068-451st Walt Dixon League Champs
197161-636th Dick LeMay
197261-677th Dick LeMay
197361-647th Walt Dixon

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame Alumni

Notable alumni

See also

Photos

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References

  1. ↑ "Midwest League 1970" . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Quincy, Illinois Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  3. ↑ "1892 Quincy Ravens Statistics -- Register | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  4. ↑ "Sam Gillen Stats | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
  5. ↑ "Pete Daniels Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  6. ↑ "Quincy, Illinois Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. ↑ "1976 Midwest League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Prospect League Standings" . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Quincy Gems sold to local group for $120,000". Herald-Whig. 2014-09-05. Retrieved 2018-06-21.
  10. ↑ "History of the Quincy Gems – Quincy Gems".
  11. ↑ "Prospect League Stadiums" . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
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