Midwest League Affiliates

New York Yankees

The Yanks were affiliated with Belleville in 1949, and neither the Yanks nor the Stags returned to the League. It was a bad experience. Fifty-four years later, for the 2003 season, the Yankees have finally signed another Player Development Contract with a Midwest League team.

Despite a couple fine hitter seasons, and the presence on the roster of two future big league pitchers, the 1949 Belleville team was terrible. Four managers' efforts netted a rather futile .361 won/lost percentage. Almost no one watched, either; the team's 1949 attendance was recorded as 13,500.

The franchise folded after the season. And the Yanks decided to till some other soil.

Overview

• Midwest League seasons: 1
• Won/Lost overall: 43/76, .361
• Best season: 43/76, .361 (1949; 6th of 6 teams)
• Championship playoffs won: none
• Best MWL won/lost record: no seasons

Seasonal Results

Affiliation History

• Battle Creek Yankees, 2003-2004
• Belleville Stags, 1949

Officers, Managers, & Coaches

Best Seasons

• Hitter: Harry Taylor (1949) .290, 5 HR, 83 RBI
• Pitcher: Herb Davis (1949) 3.73, 8 wins

Best Big League Career

• Jack Urban (1949)

Awards

• none

Yankees Highlights

Best Records

• Batting: Malcolm "Bunny" Mick (1949) .354
• Home Runs: Ken Dickhens (1949) 7
• Runs Batted In: Harry Taylor (1949) 83

Seasonal Hitting Leaders

• Wins: Herb Davis (1949) 8
• Won/Lost: Ted Birkeland (1949) 7-7, .500
• ERA: Herb Davis (1949) 3.73 [no pitcher met qualifying standards]
• Strikeouts: Herb Davis (1949) 105

Seasonal Pitching Leaders

Notes

1949 was actually a Mississippi-Ohio Valley League season. The MWL claims the records of this predecessor league as its own.

This summary originated as the February 26, 2000, Midwest League Tidbit on the Midwest League Mailing List.

Sources

These pages draw heavily on several sources:

• Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, eds, The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Durham: Baseball America, 1997)
• Midwest League Media Guide and Record Book (Beloit: Midwest League, various years; title varies)
• Kevin Saldana, Today in Minor League Baseball History (???: SalFam Books, 1999)