Midwest League Reference Book

Midwest League History

This page is a gateway to MWLguide.com's Midwest League History project.

These questions have answers here:

• What cities have hosted teams in our league?
• Where did the Cougars play before they moved to suburban Chicago?
• What towns had teams in 1956?
• When was Dubuque in the MWL?
• What was the Danville club's nickname?
• What was the major league affiliate of the Waterloo team in 1973?
• When did the Midwest League expand to fourteen teams?

At the bottom of this page are links to MWL History pages on other websites.

MWL History: An Overview

The Midwest League has existed for six decades, and each decade had notable characteristics.

Each of these pages begins with a short essay describing the league's environment during the time period. Most of the information in these pages, though, is contained in tables.

• 1947-59
• 1960-69
• 1970-79
• 1980-89
• 1990-99
• 2000-09

MWL Predecessors

• The Predecessor Leagues Page briefly traces the MWL's most significant ancestors.
• The Cities Summary Page traces each MWL City's involvement in professional baseball.

Other MWL History Sections on this Site

Note: These sections are on-going projects. In general, I'm working backwards through the league's history, and have completed 1983. I add the most recent season each fall, and add two historical seasons most winters.

Reference Section

Lists: of award winners, league records, no-hitters, and similar materials.

Midwest League Cities

Detailed information about each MWL city's participation in the league. There's limited information in this section before 1983, though I'm working on providing more.

Midwest League Affiliates

A breakdown of MWL affiliations, and other details, for each big-league franchise. Another section whose pre-1983 information needs more work.

Season Summaries

Information about each summer's pennant race. Limited information prior to 1983 at this time.

Midwest League Profiles

Short portraits of MWL figures. Most are players, though the list includes several managers, a writer, and an umpire. These tend to emphasize their MWL seasons and usually only briefly touch on the rest of their baseball careers.

Midwest League Managers

Career summaries for the men who've managed MWL teams on the field. All managers who've worked in the MWL since 1983 are profiled; managers prior to that season are listed.

Midwest League Ballparks

Information about the league's playing facilities.

Spring Training

Yes: Our teams have Spring Training, too. This page lists the locations for each team, and each season.

Seasonal Coverage

For the past few years, we've been covering the then-current season on this website. Links to an archive of that activity:

• 1996 Midwest League Season
• 1997 Midwest League Season
• 1998 Midwest League Season
• 1999 Midwest League Season
• 2000 Midwest League Season
• 2001 Midwest League Season
• 2002 Midwest League Season
• 2003 Midwest League Season
• 2004 Midwest League Season
• 2005: I skipped this season.
• 2006 Midwest League Season
• 2007 Midwest League Season

Other Minor or Midwest League History Pages on the Web

The Minor Leagues

• Minor League Baseball offers this overview of the first 100 years of the National Association.
• Mike McCann's also exploring minor league history.
• Minor League Umpires, and the Umpire Development Program:
  • A page from Minor League Baseball's site.
  • And a similar page from Steve the Ump's site. This one includes recent rosters for all minor leagues.

MWL Teams, MWL Cities

• Midwest League
  • Ballpark Digest has this nice, short, essay about the league's development.
  • There's another on the Minor League Baseball website.

• Appleton, WI (Appleton Foxes, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers)
  • Minor League Baseball's site ranks the 1978 Foxes as one of the best teams in minor league history.
  • The Timber Rattlers's website has a nice history of Appleton baseball.
• Beloit, WI (Snappers)
  • The Snappers website tells about baseball in Beloit.
• Davenport, IA (Swing of the Quad Cities)
  • The Minor League Baseball website ranks the 1933 Davenport Blue Sox--a Three-I team, but a predecessor of the MWL franchise--number 58 on its list of all-time teams.
  • QC Times columnist Bill Wundram offers a terrific personal reminiscence about the Davenport Blue Sox, other baseball history.
• Grand Rapids, MI (West Michigan Whitecaps):
  • The Whitecaps website tells how the team came to town, and shows how things have worked out.
• Waterloo, IA (Royals, 1975)
  • Minor League Baseball's site ranks the 1975 Royals as Number 60 on its all-time list.

Sister Leagues

• Kevin McCann's Kitty League site traces the long history of our league's neighbor/predecessor to the south, the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League.