Western League (defunct minor league)

The Western League is a name given to several circuits in American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Minor league baseball

Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...

. Its earliest progenitor

Western League (U.S. baseball)

The Western League of Professional Baseball Clubs, simply called the Western League, was a minor league baseball league originally founded on February 11, 1885, and focused in the Midwest....

, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

. During the 20th century, there were four incarnations of the Western League, including a Class D

Western League (baseball, 1939-41)

The Western League of 1939-41 was a low-level American circuit in Minor League Baseball. The Class D league was born when the Nebraska State League changed its identity after the season...

loop that played from 1939-41 and an independent

Western Baseball League

The Western Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in the Western United States and Western Canada. It's member teams were not associated with any Major League Baseball teams. It operated from 1995 to 2002....

loop (outside of "organized baseball") that began play in 1995

Western Baseball League

. This article, however, concentrates on the two Class A leagues that played from 1900-37 and from 1947-58.

The minor leagues went unclassified through 1901. From 1902 until 1911, Class A was the highest level in the minor leagues. In 1912, a new top tier, Class AA, was created; in 1936, a second tier, Class A1, came into being. In 1946, the Class AA leagues were renamed AAA, and the A1 loops were renamed AA. Thus the Western League - whose clubs were actually located in the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain States, the Upper Midwest and the Upper Southwest - was a top-level minor league until 1911, then two levels below Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

through 1935, and three steps removed in 1936-37 and when it was revived in 1947

1947 in sports

-American football:* Chicago Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 to win the NFL championship.-Association football:England* First Division – Liverpool win the 1946-47 title.* FA Cup – Charlton Athletic beat Burnley 1-0 after extra time...

during the post-war minor league baseball boom.

Its longest-serving franchise was located in Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...

, which joined the WL in 1900 and played continuously through 1937, when the league shut down during the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

. Des Moines then rejoined the reborn Western circuit when Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

Senator Edwin C. Johnson

Edwin C. Johnson

Edwin Carl Johnson was a Democratic Party politician who served as Governor of the state of Colorado.-Background:...

founded it in 1947; this team, a Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

affiliate called the Des Moines Bruins
Des Moines Bruins
Based in Des Moines, Iowa, the Des Moines Bruins were a minor league baseball team that played in the Western League from 1947 to 1958. Their home ballpark was Sec Taylor Stadium, and they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers .-Year-by-year record:...

, then played for the final 12 years of the league's existence.

1900 League

Teams in Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado

The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

, Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa

, Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

, Pueblo, Colorado

Pueblo, Colorado

Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....

, St. Joseph, Missouri, Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....

all formed and created the new Western League.

1900

Team Name	Record
Denver Grizzlies	61-44
Des Moines Hawkeyes	54-45
Sioux City Cornhuskers	49-48
Omaha Omahogs	51-53
St. Joseph Saints St. Joseph Saints The Saint Joseph Saints were a Western Association and Western League baseball team based in St. Joseph, Missouri, USA. They were affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1930, the Chicago Cubs in 1940 and the New York Yankees in 1954.They won three straight league championships, from 1933 to...	51-58
Pueblo Indians	41-64

1901

The teams in Pueblo and Sioux City folded. New teams in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...

, and St. Paul, Minnesota, formed and joined the League. Teams from Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

, and Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

moved from the American League

American League

Team Name	Record
Kansas City Blues	79-44
St. Paul Saints	69-54
St. Joseph Saints	69-58
Denver Grizzlies	60-59
Omaha Omahogs	61-62
Minneapolis Millers	56-62
Des Moines Hawkeyes	48-75
Colorado Springs Millionaires	45-73

1902

The Minneapolis and St. Paul teams joined the American Association

American Association (20th century)

The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...

. New teams in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

, and Peoria, Illinois

Peoria, Illinois

Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...

, formed and joined the League.

Team Name	Record
Kansas City Blue Stockings	82-54
Omaha Indians	84-56
Milwaukee Creams	80-54
Denver Grizzlies	81-57
St. Joseph Saints	71-68
Colorado Springs Millionaires	63-75
Des Moines Midgets	54-83
Peoria Distillers	35-103

1903

Team Name	Record
Milwaukee Creams	83-43
Colorado Springs Millionaires	76-52
Kansas City Blue Stockings	65-61
St. Joseph Saints	62-59
Denver Grizzlies	61-70
Peoria Distillers	57-69
Des Moines Undertakers	55-76
Omaha Indians	49-78

1904

The teams in Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Peoria folded. the Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City, Iowa

team from the Iowa-South Dakota League joined the League.

Team Name	Record
Omaha Packers	90-60
Colorado Springs Millionaires	85-58
Denver Grizzlies	87-61
Des Moines Prohibitionists	76-69
St. Joseph Saints	53-93
Sioux City Soos	45-98

1905

The Colorado Springs team, with a record of 22-48, moved to Pueblo, Colorado

Pueblo, Colorado

on July 15, where they had a record of 30-44.

Team Name	Record
Des Moines Underwriters	95-54
Denver Grizzlies	92-58
Omaha Rourkes	87-62
Sioux City Packers Sioux City Packers Located in Sioux City, Iowa, the Sioux City Packers played in the Western League from 1905 to 1907, from 1910 to 1913, and from 1920 to 1923. They had previously been known as the Sioux City Soos. They moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1924 and became the Lincoln Links.-Year-by-year record:...	80-68
Colorado Springs Millionaires/Pueblo Indians	52-92
St. Joseph Saints	37-109

1906

The St. Joseph team moved to the Western Association

Western Association

The Western Association was the name of five different leagues in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887...

. A new team in Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln, Nebraska

The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....

, formed and joined the League.

Team Name	Record
Des Moines Champions	97-50
Lincoln Ducklings	75-74
Omaha Rourkes	73-74
Sioux City Packers	69-81
Denver Grizzlies	68-81
Pueblo Indians	63-85

1907

Team Name	Record
Omaha Rourkes	84-63
Lincoln Treeplanters	79-63
Des Moines Champs	76-63
Denver Grizzlies	67-75
Pueblo Indians	65-73
Sioux City Packers	56-90

1908

Team Name	Record
Sioux City Soos	88-57
Omaha Rourkes	86-59
Lincoln Greenbackers	74-73
Denver Grizzlies	71-75
Pueblo Indians	63-78
Des Moines Boosters Des Moines Boosters The Des Moines Boosters were a Western League minor league baseball team based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA that existed from 1908 to 1924. They won two league championships - their first in 1915 under manager Frank Isbell and their second in 1917 under Jack Coffey....	54-94

1909

Teams from Topeka, Kansas

Topeka, Kansas

Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...

, and Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...

, joined from the Western Association

Western Association

Team Name	Record
Des Moines Boosters	93-59
Sioux City Soos	94-60
Omaha Rourkes	84-68
Topeka Jayhawks	76-73
Wichita Jobbers	71082
Denver Grizzlies	69-82
Lincoln Greenbackers	61-89
Pueblo Indians	58-93

1910

The Pueblo team folded. A new team in St. Joseph, Missouri, formed and joined the League.

Team Name	Record
Sioux City Packers	108-60
Denver Grizzlies	102-65
Lincoln Railsplitters	95-71
Wichita Jobbers	89-78
Omaha Rourkes	84-82
St. Joseph Drummers	76-91
Des Moines Boosters	72-96
Topeka Jayhawks	42-125

1911

The Wichita team, with a record of 15-9, moved to Pueblo, Colorado

Pueblo, Colorado

on May 22, Their record there was 77-66.

Team Name	Record
Denver Grizzlies	111-54
St. Joseph Drummers	93-72
Wichita Jobbers/Pueblo Indians	92-75
Omaha Rourkes	85-80
Sioux City Packers	85-80
Lincoln Railsplitters	84-81
Topeka Kaws	60-104
Des Moines Boosters	49-113

1912

The Pueblo team moved back to Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas

Team Name	Record
Denver Grizzlies	99-63
St. Joseph Drummers	94-72
Omaha Rourkes	92-71
Des Moines Boosters	82-80
Lincoln Railsplitters	83-81
Sioux City Packers	74-85
Wichita Jobbers	75-89
Topeka Jayhawks	51-109

Denver defeated the Minneapolis team of the American Association

American Association (20th century)

4 games to 1.

1913

Team Name	Record
Denver Bears	104-62
Des Moines Boosters	93-72
St. Joseph Drummers	89-78
Lincoln Greenbackers	87-80
Omaha Rourkes	79-86
Sioux City Packers	73-92
Topeka Jayhawks	73-92
Wichita Jobbers	65-101

Milwaukee of the American Association

American Association (20th century)

defeated Denver 4 games to 2.

1914

Wichita Jobbers renamed Wichita Wolves.

Team Name	Record
Sioux City Indians	105-60
Denver Bears	96-72
St. Joseph Drummers	89-75
Des Moines Boosters	82-81
Lincoln Tigers	81-87
Omaha Rourkes	77-87
Topeka Jayhawks	68-97
Wichita Wolves	63-102

Indianapolis of the American Association

American Association (20th century)

defeated Denver 4 games to 2.

1915

Team Name	Record
Des Moines Boosters	87-53
Denver Bears	82-55
Topeka Jayhawks	75-63
Omaha Rourkes	71-69
Lincoln Tigers	70-69
Sioux City Packers	66-68
Wichita Wolves	57-80
St. Joseph Drummers	43-94

1916

The Wichita team, with a record of 58-84, moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado

on September 10. Their record there was 2-10.

Team Name	Record
Omaha Rourkes	92-57
Lincoln Tigers	87-63
Sioux City Indians	79-71
Denver Bears	78-75
Des Moines Boosters	75-75
Topeka Savages	67-86
Wichita Wolves/Colorado Springs Millionaires	57-94

Louisville of the American Association

American Association (20th century)

defeated Omaha 4 games to 1.

1917

The Topeka team folded. A new team in Joplin, Missouri

Joplin, Missouri

Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...

formed and joined the League. Colorado Springs moved back to Wichita. St. Joseph, with a record of 34-56, moved to Hutchinson, where their record was 32-24, on July 24. Sioux City moved to St. Joseph on August 5.

Team Name	Record
Des Moines Boosters	84-62 (1st half winner)
Lincoln Links Lincoln Links The Lincoln Links were a Western League and Nebraska State League baseball team based in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. They were affiliated with the St. Louis Browns from 1938 to 1939....	83-64
Sioux City Indians/St. Joseph Drummers	80-66
Joplin Miners Joplin Miners The Joplin Miners were a baseball team that lasted on and off from 1902 to 1953. They played in Joplin, Missouri. Initially, the team was known as the Colts before changing to Miners during the first season of play....	79-68
Omaha Rourkes	73-75
St. Joseph Drummers/Hutchinson Wheatshockers	66-80
Denver Bears	62-86
Wichita Wolves	61-87

Hutchinson defeated Joplin 3 games to none for the second half title.
Des Moines defeated Hutchinson 4 games to 2 for the championship.

1918

The Denver and Lincoln teams folded. New teams in Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City, Iowa

, and Topeka, Kansas

Topeka, Kansas

, formed and joined the League. Hutchinson, with a record of 14-19, moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...

on June 2, where they compiled a record of 19-18. Topeka, with a record of 19-13, moved to Hutchinson, Kansas, where they compiled a record of 18-18, on June 2. The League suspended operations on July 7 due to World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

Team Name	Record
Wichita Jobbers	41-24
Topeka Kaw-nees/Hutchinson Salt Packers	37-31
Des Moines Boosters	36-31
Joplin Miners	34-31
Omaha Rourkes	33-32
Hutchinson Salt Packers/Oklahoma City Oklahomans
St. Joseph Saints	30-38
Sioux City Indians	22-42

1919

The Hutchinson team folded. A new team was formed in Topeka, Kansas

Topeka, Kansas

, and joined the League.

Team Name	Record
St. Joseph Saints	78-57
Tulsa Oilers Tulsa Oilers (baseball) The Tulsa Oilers, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were a minor league baseball team that existed on-and-off in multiple leagues from 1905 to 1976. For most of their history, they played at Oiler Park, which opened on July 11, 1934, and was located on the Tulsa County Fairgrounds at 15th Street and...	77-63
Wichita Jobbers	75-65
Des Moines Boosters	71-67
Oklahoma City Indians	69-69
Sioux City Indians	68-72
Joplin Miners	57-78
Omaha Rourkes	56-80

Tulsa lead St. Joseph 3 games to 1 in the championship series when the series was cancelled due to bad weather.

Wichita's Joe Wilhoit had a 69-game hitting streak, which remains the professional baseball record.

1920

Team Name	Record
Tulsa Oilers	92-61
Wichita Jobbers	92-62
Oklahoma City Indians	82-68
Omaha Rourkes	76-77
St. Joseph Saints	74-80
Joplin Miners	73-81
Sioux City Packers	63-88
Des Moines Boosters	58-93

1921

Team Name	Record
Wichita Witches	106-61
Omaha Buffaloes	95-73
Oklahoma City Indians	93-75
Sioux City Packers	81-83
St. Joseph Saints	79-88
Joplin Miners	76-91
Des Moines Boosters	71-92
Tulsa Oilers	65-103

1922

Joplin moved to the Western Association

Western Association

. A new team formed in Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado

, and joined the League.

Team Name	Record
Tulsa Oilers	103-64
St. Joseph Saints	98-70
Wichita Wolves	94-73
Omaha Buffaloes	91-77
Sioux City Packers	86-79
Oklahoma City Indians	73-94
Denver Bears	63-105
Des Moines Boosters	61-107

Tulsa beat Mobile of the Southern Association

Southern Association

The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...

4 games to 1, with 1 tie

1923

Team Name	Record
Oklahoma City Indians	102-64
Tulsa Oilers	101-67
Wichita Izzies	100-68
Omaha Buffaloes	92-74
Des Moines Boosters	87-79
St. Joseph Saints	65-101
Sioux City Packers	59-105
Denver Bears	59-107

1924

Sioux City moved to the Tri-State League

Tri-State League

The Tri-State League was the name of five different circuits in American minor league baseball.-History:The first league of that name played for four years and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia....

. Lincoln joined from the Nebraska State League

Nebraska State League

The Nebraska State League was an American professional baseball league with five incarnations. At least, the name was adopted five times: in 1892, from 1910 to 1915, from 1922 to 1923, from 1928 to 1938 and from 1956 to 1959....

Team Name	Record
Omaha Buffaloes	103-61
Denver Bears	100-67
Tulsa Oilers	98-69
St. Joseph Saints	86-79
Oklahoma City Indians	82-86
Wichita Izzies	79-88
Des Moines Boosters	59-106
Lincoln Links	57-108

1925

Team Name	Record
Des Moines Demons Des Moines Demons -1925:In 1925 the Des Moines Boosters of the Western League became the Des Moines Demons. The club from Des Moines, IA broke in in fine form, winning the pennant with a 98-70 record, one game ahead of the Denver Bears...	98-70
Denver Bears	97-71
Oklahoma City Indians	88-76
Wichita Izzies	80-84
St. Joseph Saints	77-87
Omaha Buffaloes	74-89
Tulsa Oilers	75-91
Lincoln Links	70-91

1926

Team Name	Record
Des Moines Demons	99-64
Oklahoma City Indians	100-66
St. Joseph Saints	89-75
Tulsa Oilers	86-78
Denver Bears	88-80
Omaha Buffaloes	77-89
Lincoln Links	64-101
Wichita Izzies	58-108

Springfield of the Three-I League led Des Moines 3 games to 1 when the series was cancelled due to bad weather.

1927

St. Joseph moved to the Western Association

Western Association

. A new team in Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...

formed and joined.

Team Name	Record
Tulsa Oilers	101-53
Wichita Larks	91-63
Des Moines Demons	82-72
Denver Bears	77-75
Oklahoma City Indians	68-86
Amarillo Texans	66-87
Omaha Buffaloes	66-88
Lincoln Links	63-90

Waco of the Texas League

Texas League

The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...

beat Tulsa 3 games to 2, with 1 tie.

1928

Lincoln moved to the Nebraska State League

Nebraska State League

. A new team in Pueblo, Colorado

Pueblo, Colorado

, formed and joined the League.

Team Name	Record
Oklahoma City Indians	95-67 (1st half winner)
Tulsa Oilers	96-69 (2nd half winner)
Wichita Larks	94-70
Pueblo Steel Workers	85-78
Denver Bears	81-84
Omaha Crickets	71086
Amarillo Texans	60-93
Des Moines Demons	63-98

Tulsa beat Oklahoma City 4 games to 1, with 1 tie, for the championship.

1929

Amarillo folded. The Topeka, Kansas

Topeka, Kansas

team from the Western Association

Western Association

joined.

Team Name	Record
Tulsa Oilers	95-66
Oklahoma City Indians	85-68
Omaha Crickets	81-75
Wichita Aviators Wichita Aviators (baseball) The Wichita Aviators were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1929 to 1932. Based in Wichita, Kansas, they played in the Western League. In 1930 and 1931, they were affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and in 1932 they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs...	77-79
Denver Bears	73-81
Topeka Jayhawks	75-85
Des Moines Demons	72-86
Pueblo Steelworkers	69-90

1930

The Tulsa team folded. A new team formed in St. Joseph, Missouri and joined the League.

Team Name	Record
Wichita Aviators	89-56
Omaha Packers	76-66
Oklahoma City Indians	79-71
Des Moines Demons	77-71
Pueblo Braves	75-75
Denver Bears	74-74
Topeka Senators	66-84
St. Joseph Saints	53-92

1931

Team Name	Record
Des Moines Demons	94-51 (2nd half winner)
Wichita Aviators	92-58 (1st half winner)
St. Joseph Saints	79-64
Pueblo Braves	76-69
Oklahoma City Indians	70-80
Denver Bears	64-77
Topeka Senators	58-86
Omaha Packers	49-97

Des Moines beat Wichita 4 games to 2 for the championship.

1932

Topeka moved to the Western Association

Western Association

. The Tulsa team folded.

Team Name	Affiliation	\|Record
Tulsa Oilers	Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...	\|98-48 (1st half winner)
Denver Bears	St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...	\|83-64
Oklahoma City Indians		\|83-67 (2nd half winner)
Des Moines Demons		\|71-72
St. Joseph Saints		\|72-75
Wichita Aviators	Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...	\|63-86
Pueblo Braves		\|62-90
Omaha Packers		\|58-88

Oklahoma City beat Tulsa 2 games to 1 for the second half title.
Tulsa beat Oklahoma City 4 games to none for the championship.

1933

Denver & Pueblo folded. Oklahoma City and Tulsa moved to the Texas League

Texas League

The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...

. The teams from Hutchinson, Kansas

Hutchinson, Kansas

Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...

and Springfield, Missouri

Springfield, Missouri

Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...

joined from the American Association

American Association (20th century)

. New teams in Joplin, Missouri

Joplin, Missouri

, and Topeka, Kansas

Topeka, Kansas

, formed and joined the League. Wichita, with a record of 6-13, moved to Muskogee on June 6, keeping the Oilers name, where they had a record of 20-82. Hutchinson, with a record of 25-32, moved on July 7 to Bartlesville, where they had a record of 26-38.

Team Name	Affiliation	\|Record
Des Moines Demons		\|81-47
St. Joseph Saints		\|77-47 (1st half winner)
Springfield Cardinals	St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...	\|73-50
Topeka Senators	Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....	\|68-55 (2nd half winner)
Omaha Packers		\|63-61
Joplin Miners	St. Louis Browns Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...	\|55-69
Hutchinson Wheatshockers/Bartlesville Broncos	Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...	\|51-70
Wichita Oilers/Muskogee Oilers		\|26-95

St. Joseph beat Topeka 4 games to 1.
St. Joseph lost to the Davenport team from the Mississippi Valley League

Mississippi Valley League

The Mississippi Valley League was a Class-D minor baseball league from 1922 to 1932, and a Class-B league in 1933.The league began play in 1922 with six teams: the Cedar Rapids Bunnies, the Marshalltown Ansons, the Rock Island Islanders, the Waterloo Hawks, the Ottumwa Cardinals and the Dubuque...

4 games to 2.

1934

Bartlesville, Joplin, Muskogee, and Springfield moved to the Western Association

Western Association

. The teams from Davenport, Iowa

Davenport, Iowa

Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...

, and Rock Island, Illinois

Rock Island, Illinois

Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...

joined from the Mississippi Valley League

Mississippi Valley League

. New teams in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...

, and Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City, Iowa

formed and joined the League.

Team Name	Affiliation	\|Record
Sioux City Cowboys		\|74-50 (1st half title tie)
Davenport Blue Sox		\|70-53 (2nd half winner)
Des Moines Demons		\|68-56 (1st half title tie)
St. Joseph Saints		\|65-56 (1st half title tie)
Topeka Senators	Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....	\|59-64
Rock Island Islanders		\|58-65
Omaha Packers		\|49-73
Cedar Rapids Raiders		\|47-73

St. Joseph beat Sioux City 3 games to 1 in the first round of playoffs. Davenport beat Des Moines by the same number. In the championship, St. Joseph beat Davnport 4 games to 3.

1935

Topeka folded. A new team in Keokuk, Iowa

Keokuk, Iowa

Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...

formed and joined the League. Omaha, with a record of 22-15, moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...

on June 25, where they had a record of 33-31. Rock Island folded July 17. Council Bluffs folded August 27.

Team Name	Affiliation	\|Record
Davenport Blue Sox		\|70-46
St. Joseph Saints		\|58-48
Des Moines Demons		\|58-55
Sioux City Cowboys		\|54-52
Cedar Rapids Raiders		\|53-57
Keokuk Indians		\|49-66
Omaha Packers/Council Bluffs Rails		\|55-46
Rock Island Islanders		\|19-46

Sioux City beat Davenport 3 games to none, and St. Joseph beat Des Moines 3 games to none, in the first round of the playoffs. St. Joseph beat Sioux City 4 games to 3 for the championship.

1936

Keokuk and St. Joseph folded. New teams formed in Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska

, and Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...

, and joined the League. Omaha moved to Rock Island on August 18.

Team Name	Affiliation	\|Record
Davenport Blue Sox	Brooklyn Dodgers	\|74-52 (1st & 2nd half winner)
Cedar Rapids Raiders	St. Louis Cardinals	\|70-58
Des Moines Raiders		\|64-64
Omaha Robin Hoods/Rock Island Rocks		\|62-64
Sioux City Cowboys		\|61-64
Waterloo Hawks Waterloo Hawks (baseball) The Waterloo Hawks were a minor league team that existed on-and-off from 1922 to 1969. From 1922 to 1932, they played in the Mississippi Valley League and in 1932 they were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. They played in the Western League in 1936 and from 1940 to 1942 they played in the...		\|50-79

1937

Rock Island folded July 7.

Team Name	Affiliation	\|Record
Cedar Rapids Raiders	St. Louis Cardinals	\|78-38 (1st & 2nd half winner)
Waterloo Reds		\|61-55
Davenport Blue Sox	Brooklyn Dodgers	\|57-59
Des Moines Demons	St. Louis Browns	\|57-62
Sioux City Cowboys	Detroit Tigers	\|50-63
Rock Island Islanders		\|20-46

Cedar Rapids and Waterloo moved to the Three-I League. Sioux City moved to the Nebraska State League

Nebraska State League

. Davenport, Des Moines, and the League itself folded.

The Post-World War II League

In addition to Des Moines, the 1947 Western League consisted of teams in Sioux City

Sioux City, Iowa

, Pueblo

Pueblo, Colorado

, Omaha

Omaha, Nebraska

, Denver

Denver, Colorado

, and Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska

. All six clubs were affiliated with major league farm systems. The WL expanded to eight teams in 1950

1950 in sports

-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 30–28 over the Los Angeles Rams* Oklahoma Sooners – college football champions.* Coaches Poll established to rank top 20 American college football teams-Association football:...

, but the encroachment of televised baseball and major league franchise shifts into former AAA cities hit the league hard. In 1955

1955 in sports

-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns won 38-14 over the Los Angeles Rams* Oklahoma Sooners - college football champions.-England:* First Division - Chelsea win the 1954-55 title.* FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Manchester City 3-1....

, the Western League's two strongest franchises, the Denver Bears and the Omaha Cardinals

Omaha Cardinals

The Omaha Cardinals was the name of the minor league baseball club based in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, from 1947 through 1959. It played in the Class A Western League through 1954 and in the AAA American Association from 1955-59 as an affiliate of its major league namesake, the St...

, were admitted to the AAA American Association

American Association (20th century)

.

The WL continued for four more seasons before folding in the autumn of 1958. Its last champion, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox

Colorado Springs Sky Sox

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies...

, attracted only 61,000 fans for the season. In addition to the founding clubs and the Sky Sox, the postwar WL had teams in Albuquerque

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...

, Amarillo

Amarillo, Texas

, Topeka, and Wichita

Wichita, Kansas

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