Baseball in Hannibal, Missouri

Overview

The record of the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League franchise in Hannibal, Missouri. The M-OV League is the direct predecessor of the Midwest League.

Our league ventured into Missouri in the early fifties. Clemens Field saw some excellent players, but the team wasn't a success. Several pitchers had star seasons in Hannibal. But the franchise went bankrupt during 1955, and didn't return in 1956.

The first season's team was excellent, but had the misfortune of competing against two of our league's best-ever teams; the Stags finished fourth, 17 games behind Danville and 15 behind Paris.

This page is incomplete, and will likely remain so for some time. I work on this project as my schedule permits.

Summary

• Midwest League seasons: 4
• Won/Lost overall: 225/271, .454
• Best season: 70/57, .551 (1952 -- finished fourth; qualified for playoff)
• Championship Playoffs Won: none
• Best MWL (M-OVL) Won/Lost Record: no seasons

Hannibal joined the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League, an MWL predecessor, in 1952. They were an expansion team. The franchise was transferred to Michigan City before the 1956 season.

Seasonal Results
Other Leagues

Team Name

• Hannibal Stags, 1952
• Hannibal Cardinals, 1953-54
• Hannibal Citizens, 1955 (called the "Pepsis" in news coverage of their bankruptcy)

Affiliations

• Independent, 1952
• St. Louis Cardinals, 1953-54
• Independent, 1955

Officers, Managers, & Coaches

Ballpark

• Clemens Field (new 1947?)

Attendance record

• 40,977 (1955)

Ballparks & Attendance

Best Seasons

• Hitter: J.C. Dunn (1954) .332, 26 HR, 103 RBI
• Pitcher: Armando Diaz (1952) 19-5, 3.04

Best Big League Career

• Gary Geiger (1954 -- as a pitcher)

Awards

• none

Hannibal Highlights

Team Records

Hitters

• Batting: J.C. Dunn (1954) .332
• Home Runs: J.C. Dunn (1954) 26
• Runs Batted In: J.C. Dunn (1954) 103

Seasonal Hitting Leaders

Pitchers

• Wins: Armando Diaz (1952) 19
• Won/Lost (10 decisions): Armando Diaz (1952) 19-5, .792
• Earned Run Average: Alfred Budds (1952) 2.79
• Strikeouts: Ron Hagler (1955) 187

Seasonal Pitching Leaders

Notes

This summary originated as the March 11, 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)
• Baseball America's Almanac (Durham: Baseball America, various years)
• News sources.