Baseball in Centralia

Player Roster

Players who played for teams in Centralia, Illinois, during its tenure as a Illinois State League or Mississippi-Ohio Valley League city (both are Midwest League predecessors). This list includes all players and coaching staff members I can identify, and selected front office staff. There are almost certainly players missing from this list, as the available sources are known to be incomplete.

Players who played in Centralia for more than one season are listed for each season.

115 different players are listed on this page (1 of whom played in the majors), as are 9 non-playing personnel; some are listed more than once.

My intention is to include everyone who wore a Centralia uniform on an ISL or MOV diamond. While the information here is intended to be both complete and accurate, it's likely that there are omissions and the scale of the project guarantees errors; there's a lot of data here, from a variety of sources, all of which was originally in another format.

I will correct errors, or fill in missing birthdates and uniform numbers as I learn of them. Feel free to help; just drop me a line. Thanks.

There's more information about the MWL Roster project on my blog, A Dabbler's Journal.

New
12may08
Changed
1jul08
Major Change
12may08

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Harry Ackerman          0/0/1929        N/A             1949            
        Harry Ackerman          0/0/1929        N/A             1950            
        Art Aldendorf           0/0/0000        Cubs            1947            
        Vic Allianiello         0/0/1927        Cubs            1948            
        Charles Asbury          0/0/1929        Cubs            1948            
        Charles Austin          0/0/0000        N/A             1950

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Lew Bekeza              0/0/1917        N/A             1949    Manager 
        Lew Bekeza              0/0/1917        N/A             1950    Manager/GM      
        Lew Bekeza              0/0/1917        N/A             1951    Manager/GM      
        Gene Berger             0/0/1926        Cubs            1947            
        Lee Birkenkamp          0/0/0000        N/A             1951            
        Lee Birkenkamp          0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Howard Bjorklund        0/0/0000        Cubs            1947            
        Virgil Black            0/0/0000        N/A             1951            
        Virgil Black            0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Bill Bleyer             0/0/1926        Cubs            1948            
        Bill Bleyer             0/0/1926        N/A             1949            
        Bill Bleyer             0/0/1926        N/A             1951            
        Bill Blyer              0/0/0000        N/A             1950            
        Ed Bonczyk              0/0/1929        Cubs            1948            
        Emil Borgini            0/0/1929        Cubs            1948            
        Charles Brady           0/0/1926        Cubs            1948            
        Clarence Brand          0/0/1927        N/A             1951            
        Clarence Brand          0/0/1927        N/A             1952            
        Bill Broukal            0/0/1927        Cubs            1947

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Lou Calvetti            0/0/0000        N/A             1951            
        Ken Campbell            0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Clairborne Cartwright   0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Ray Cassidy             0/0/1927        Cubs            1948            
        Leon Castellari         0/0/0000        N/A             1951            
        Leon Castellari         0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Jack Chinchar           9/8/1933        N/A             1952            
        Dick Ciacchi            10/25/1928      Cubs            1947            
        Howard Cox              0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Bob Critzer             0/0/0000        Cubs            1947

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Orie Davison            0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Cyrus Deem              0/0/1930        N/A             1949            
        Cyrus Deem              0/0/1930        N/A             1950            
        Roger Della Betta       0/0/1929        N/A             1949            
        Roger Della Betta       0/0/1929        N/A             1950            
        Dick Dewitt             0/0/1928        Cubs            1948            
        Kirby Dickens           0/0/0000        N/A             1951            
        Charles Diminico        0/0/0000        N/A             1950            
        Bob Downs               0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Thompson Dunbar         0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Walt Dunkovich          5/31/1925       Cubs            1947            
        Gerald Durnin           0/0/0000        N/A             1951

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Bill Ecklund            0/0/1930        N/A             1949            
        Bill Ecklund            0/0/1930        N/A             1950            
        Jim Edgar               0/0/1925        Cubs            1947            
        Jim Edgar               0/0/1925        N/A             1949

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Bruno Fabris            0/0/1928        N/A             1949            
        Bruno Fabris            0/0/1928        N/A             1950            
        John Feldman            0/0/1928        Cubs            1948            
        John Finigan            0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        George Flynn            0/0/0000        Cubs            1948

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Frenchie Gallagher      0/0/0000        N/A             1949    GM      
        John Gallo              0/0/0000        Cubs            1948            
        Zeke Gansauer           8/12/1911       Cubs            1947            
        Lou Gary                0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        George Gatto            0/0/1927        N/A             1949            
        George Gatto            0/0/1927        N/A             1950            
        George Gatto            0/0/1927        N/A             1951            
        Tom Gatts               0/0/1928        N/A             1949            
        Lew Gisinger            0/0/1930        N/A             1949            
        Bill Goodwin            0/0/1927        N/A             1949    P       
        Jim Granneman           0/0/1923        N/A             1951            
        Bill Green              0/0/1928        N/A             1949            
        Bill Green              0/0/1928        N/A             1950            
        Mel Griffin             0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Ed Gunner               0/0/0000        N/A             1952

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Dave Harrison           0/0/0000        Cubs            1948            
        Chuck Hawley            4/3/1915        Cubs            1947    Manager 
        Chuck Hawley            4/3/1915        N/A             1951            
        Chuck Hawley            4/3/1915        N/A             1952            
        Ennis Heathcock         0/0/0000        N/A             1951            
        Walt Herald             0/0/0000        Cubs            1948            
        Bill Herman             0/0/1929        Cubs            1947            
        Bill Herman             0/0/1929        Cubs            1948            
        Bob Hewson              0/0/0000        Cubs            1947            
        Bill Hornsby            0/0/1926        N/A             1949

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Norm Karg               0/0/0000        N/A             1950            
        Norm Karg               0/0/0000        N/A             1951            
        Billy Klaus             12/9/1928       Cubs            1947            MLB
        Don Kommer              0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Jim Konofsky            0/0/0000        Cubs            1947            
        Lou Kovalcik            0/0/1923        N/A             1949            
        Lou Kovalcik            0/0/1923        N/A             1950            
        Ed Kowalski             12/5/1922       Cubs            1948            
        Dan Kristie (Kriszcziokiokaitis) 0/0/1926 Cubs          1948            
        Gerald Krowlek          0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Joe Kuncl               6/6/1927        Cubs            1947            
        Bob Kupina              0/0/0000        Cubs            1948

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Paul Leslie             0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Tony Levanti            0/0/1925        Cubs            1948            
        Earl Lewis              0/0/0000        Cubs            1947

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        John Mahoney            0/0/1930        Cubs            1948            
        Dean Manns              0/0/1929        Cubs            1947            
        Dean Manns              0/0/1929        Cubs            1948            
        Harry Markellos         0/0/1924        Cubs            1947            
        Charles Marshall        0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Al Martin               0/0/0000        N/A             1950            
        Art McIntire            0/0/0000        Cubs            1947            
        Bill McKee              0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Joe Mondino             0/0/0000        N/A             1947    President/GM    
        Joe Mondino             0/0/0000        N/A             1948    President       
        Joe Mondino             0/0/0000        N/A             1949    President       
        Joe Mondino             0/0/0000        N/A             1950    President/GM    
        Joe Mondino             0/0/0000        N/A             1951    President       
        Joe Mondino             0/0/0000        N/A             1952    President       
        Dick Monkman            0/0/0000        N/A             1951            
        Wayne Morin             0/0/0000        N/A             1952

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Joe Naples              0/0/1928        N/A             1949            
        Gene Nelson             0/0/1929        Cubs            1948            
        Walt Nocks              0/0/1929        Cubs            1948            
        Bob Norrenbern          0/0/0000        N/A             1950            
        Walt Novak              0/0/0000        N/A             1951

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Claude Passeau          4/9/1909        Cubs            1948    Manager MLB
        Fred Pearson            0/0/1926        N/A             1949            
        Fred Pearson            0/0/1926        N/A             1950            
        Fred Pearson            0/0/1926        N/A             1951            
        Fred Pearson            0/0/1926        N/A             1952            
        Gene Pisarski           0/0/0000        Cubs            1947            
        Gene Pisarski           0/0/0000        N/A             1950            
        Joe Prucha              0/0/1925        Cubs            1948            
        Joe Prucha              0/0/1925        N/A             1949

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Bob Randant             0/0/0000        N/A             1950            
        Lou Reilly              0/0/0000        N/A             1951            
        Phil Riley              0/0/1926        Cubs            1947            
        Mike Rolla              0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Darrell Rothrock        0/0/1928        Cubs            1948            
        John Ruscin             0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Frank Rutkowski         0/0/0000        Cubs            1947

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        John Saric              0/0/0000        N/A             1949            
        Paul Scanlon            0/0/1929        Cubs            1948            
        John Schmidt            0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Walter F.P. Schoenfeld  0/0/0000        N/A             1948    GM      
        Willard Sellergren      0/0/0000        Cubs            1948    Manager 
        Bob Sisk                0/0/1931        N/A             1951            
        Max Smith               0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Paul Smith              0/0/1933        N/A             1951            
        Paul Smith              0/0/1933        N/A             1952            
        Quincy Smith            0/0/1921        N/A             1951            
        Charles Starasta        0/0/0000        N/A             1952    Manager 
        Nick Starasta           0/0/1923        Cubs            1947            
        Nick Starasta           0/0/1923        N/A             1952            
        John Streza             0/0/0000        N/A             1952    Manager

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Lee Tunnison            0/0/0000        N/A             1950            
        Lee Tunnison            0/0/0000        N/A             1951            
        Bill Turnbaugh          0/0/0000        N/A             1952

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Doug Unger              0/0/0000        Cubs            1948

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Bill Walker             0/0/1928        Cubs            1948            
        Bill Watts              0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Wayne Wery              0/0/0000        Cubs            1947            
        Al Whitsel              0/0/0000        N/A             1952            
        Bill Wilson             0/0/1933        N/A             1951            
        Joe Wishba              0/0/1924        N/A             1949            
        Don Witt                0/0/1928        Cubs            1948

 #      Name                    DOB             Organization    Year    Pos
        Bob Zubeck              7/25/1926       Cubs            1947            
        Bob Zubeck              7/25/1926       Cubs            1948

If you can help fill the gaps in this information, please drop me a line. Thanks.

Sources

Assorted Sporting News Baseball Guides and Registers.
Assorted Baseball Blue Books and related publications.
Yearbooks and scorecard inserts in my collection.

Centralia, Illinois

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Centralia, Illinois
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The Midwest League plays Single-A, professional baseball in America's agricultural and industrial heartland. 14 teams play a 140 game schedule which begins in early April and ends Labor Day weekend.

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