The ballpark
The Red Cloud teams were noted to have played minor league home games at City Park. Founded in 1871, Red Cloud City Park is still in use as a public park, located at Cedar Street & 2nd Avenue in Red Cloud, Nebraska. [17] [18] [19]
| Red Cloud "Indians" 1903 – 1910 (1903, 1910) Red Cloud, Nebraska | |
| Minor league affiliations | |
|---|---|
| Class | Independent (1903) Class D (1910) |
| League | Central Nebraska League (1903) Nebraska State League (1910) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team | None |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (0) | None |
| Team data | |
| Name | Red Cloud (1903, 1910) |
| Ballpark | City Park (1903, 1910) |
The Red Cloud minor league baseball teams were based in Red Cloud, Nebraska in 1903 and 1910. Red Cloud played as members of the Central Nebraska League (1903) and Nebraska State League (1910). The team moniker was possibly the "Indians".
Red Cloud first fielded a minor league team as members of the short–lived 1903 Central Nebraska League, an Independent level league. The 1903 league standings through July 24, as reported in local newspapers, had the Red Cloud Indians in with 4th place with an 8–16 record, 10.0 games behind the Holdrege Silver Ashes. [1] [2] [3]
The five members of the 1903 Central Nebraska League were the teams based in Giltner, [4] Holdrege, [5] McCook, [6] Minden [7] joining Red Cloud, Nebraska. [2] The other league teams were without known monikers, common in the era. [1]
While the 1903 league records and statistics are unknown, player rosters are known. The Central Nebraska League permanently folded after the 1903 season. [8]
In 1910, minor league baseball returned to Red Cloud. The Red Cloud "Indians" team became charter members of the reformed Class D level Nebraska State League. Joining Red Cloud in the eight–team league were the Columbus Discoverers, Grand Island Collegians, Fremont Pathfinders, Hastings Brickmakers, Kearney Kapitalists, Seward Statesmen and Superior Brickmakers. The 1910 Nebraska State League set a salary limit of $900.00 and a roster limit of 12 players. [9] [8]
The Red Cloud franchise was referred to as the "Indians" in both the Fremont and Kearney newspapers. [10]
On the opening day in Red Cloud, mayor Dahlman of Omaha, Nebraska threw out the first pitch. An automobile parade and the Red Cloud High School band provided the pregame festivities. Clarence Mitchell pitched Red Cloud to a 5–0 victory in the opener. [11]
In the 1910 season, their final season of play, Red Cloud finished the season in 7th place. With an overall record of 47–62, Red Cloud played under manager Ben F. Grant. The Fremont Pathfinders finished 1st in the standings with a 63–42 record, finishing 4.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Columbus Discoverers and 17.5 games ahead of Red Cloud. Red Cloud drew 10,126 total fans for the season. Fred Jarrott of Red Cloud led the Nebraska State League in batting average and hits, hitting .326 with 126 total hits. [12] [13] [14]
Sunday laws affected the league teams. In July, 1910, Justice Gladwish had the Red Cloud and Seward teams arrested for playing a game on Sunday. The two teams had played the game in Staplehurst, Nebraska a town which did not enforce the Sunday baseball laws. However, the Judge decided to prosecute the case on his own. [10]
The taverns of Red Cloud pledged close to $500.00 to support the 1910 team as part of a campaign to keep the city of Red Cloud "wet". The City of Red Cloud scheduled a vote on the alcohol issue on the ballot in the spring of 1910. Red Cloud voters passed the issue and the town became dry in the spring of 1910. The taverns closed as a result of the election and the Red Cloud franchise struggled financially during the season. [4]
In the 1911 Nebraska State League, the Red Cloud franchise was replaced by the York Prohibitionists in the league play. Red Cloud has not hosted another minor league team. [15] [16]
The Red Cloud teams were noted to have played minor league home games at City Park. Founded in 1871, Red Cloud City Park is still in use as a public park, located at Cedar Street & 2nd Avenue in Red Cloud, Nebraska. [17] [18] [19]
| Year(s) | # Yrs. | Team | Level | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 1 | Red Cloud | Independent | Central Nebraska League |
| 1910 | 1 | Class D | Nebraska State League | |
(from BR Bullpen)
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 8–16 | 4th | NA | Standings on July 24 [20] |
| 1910 | 47–62 | 7th | Ben F. Grant | None held |
The Nebraska State League (NSL) was an American professional minor league baseball league with five incarnations between 1892 and 1959. The Nebraska State League formed five times: in 1892, from 1910 to 1915, from 1922 to 1923, from 1928 to 1938 and from 1956 to 1959. League teams were based in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. The 1892 league was a Class B level league, and the league was a Class D level league in all subsequent seasons.
The Superior Senators were a Minor League Baseball team, based in Superior, Nebraska, that played from 1956 through 1958 in the short-season Class D Nebraska State League as an affiliate of the Washington Senators. Previously, the Superior Brickmakers had played in the Nebraska State League from 1910-1914. Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Dazzy Vance played for Superior in 1913.
The McCook Braves were a minor league baseball team based in McCook, Nebraska from 1956 to 1959. The McCook Braves played as members of the short-season Class D level Nebraska State League as an affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves for their duration. The Braves were preceded in McCook by the McCook Generals who played in the Nebraska State League from 1928 to 1932.
The Holdrege White Sox were a minor league baseball team based in Holdrege, Nebraska that played in the short–season Class D level Nebraska State League from 1956 to 1959 as an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Holdrege first fielded a team in the 1903 Central Nebraska League.
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The Fremont Pathfinders were a minor league baseball team, based in Fremont, Nebraska from 1910 to 1913. Fremont teams were members of the Nebraska State League in 1892 and 1910 to 1913, winning championships in 1910 and 1912. Fremont played home games at Association Lot.
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The Fostoria Red Birds was the final moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Fostoria, Ohio from 1936 to 1941. Fostoria teams played as exclusively as members of the Class D level Ohio State League
The Central Nebraska League was an Independent level minor league baseball league that played in the 1903 season. The five–team Central Nebraska League consisted of franchises based exclusively in Nebraska. The Central Nebraska League played just one season and permanently folded after the 1903 season.
The Giltner team was a minor league baseball team based in Giltner, Nebraska in 1903. Giltner played as members of the Independent level Central Nebraska League in 1903.
The Columbus Pawnees was the final moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Columbus, Nebraska from 1910 to 1915. Columbus teams played exclusively as members of the Nebraska State League.
The Seward Statesmen were a minor league baseball team based in Seward, Nebraska from 1910 to 1913. The Seward Statesmen teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level Nebraska State League. The franchise relocated to Beatrice, Nebraska after a tornado struck Seward in 1913.
Minor league baseball teams were based in Grand Island, Nebraska in various seasons between 1892 and 1959. Grand Island teams played as members of the Nebraska State League, Tri-State League (1924) and Nebraska State League.
Minor league baseball teams were based in Hastings, Nebraska in various seasons between 1887 and 1959. The Hastings Giants played in the short-season Class D level Nebraska State League from 1956 to 1959. Earlier Hastings teams had played as members the Nebraska State League in 1892, Western League in 1887, the Nebraska State League from 1910 to 1915 and 1922 to 1923 and the Tri-State League in 1924.