Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League Explained

Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League
Sport:Minor League Baseball
President:E. L. Dale (1946–1952)
Inaugural:1946
Teams:9
Country:United States of America
Continent:or
Continents:-->
Folded:1952
Most Champs:3 : Ponca City Dodgers (1948, 1950–1951)
Classification:Class D (1946–1952)
Related Comps:Western Association

The Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League (or KOM League) was a name of an American minor league baseball league which was established in 1946 and played through 1952. As the name indicates, the Class D level league had franchises based in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Baseball Hall of Fame members Mickey Mantle played in the league for the 1949 Independence Yankees and Burleigh Grimes managed the 1948 Independence Yankees.

History

The Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League was founded after World War II and ran from 1946 through 1952 as a Class D level league. Like many post-war minor leagues, it did not last a complete decade of play. During the seven year run of the league there were nine cities that represented the league. Four were from Kansas, four from Oklahoma and one from Missouri.[1]

E.L. Dale served as the League president for its entire seven years of operation. The Ponca City Dodgers won three of the seven league titles, winning championships in 1948, 1950 and 1951. No other team won more than one championship. The total attendance of the KOM league, in the seven year period, reached slightly over two million fans. In 1948 the league had its best year, drawing 387,980, before the league permanently folded after the 1952 season. The Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League League had 1,588 total players, 30 made it to the majors and one made it to the Hall of Fame.[1] In his first professional season, Mickey Mantle played for the 1949 Independence Yankees, hitting .313 with 7 HR, 63 RBI.[2] Just graduated from high school in Oklahoma, Mantle received a $1,100 signing bonus from the New York Yankees and a salary of $400 for the rest of the season.[3]

Cities represented

Bartlesville Oilers (1946–1947); Bartlesville Pirates (1948–1952)

Blackwell Broncos (1952)

Carthage Cardinals (1946–1948); Carthage Cubs (1949–1951)

Chanute Athletics (1946–1947, 1949–1950); Chanute Giants (1948)

Independence Yankees (1947–1950); Independence Browns 1952

Iola Cubs (1946-1947); Iola Indians (1948–1952)

Miami Blues (1946); Miami Owls (1947-1949); Miami Eagles (1950–1952)

Pittsburg Browns (1946–1951); Pittsburg Pirates (1952)

Ponca City Dodgers (1947–1952)

Standings & statistics

1946 to 1947

1946 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League - schedule
The League and all of its member teams were created. Teams were formed in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Carthage, Missouri, Chanute, Kansas, Iola, Kansas, Miami, Oklahoma, and Pittsburg, Kansas.

Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Chanute OwlsTopeka Owls6853.562-41,600Goldie Howard
Miami Blues6954.5610.049,266Ted Vernon / Guy Froman
Iola CubsChicago Cubs6357.5254.545,231Al Reitz
Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns6159.5086.542,932Jimmie Crandall
Carthage CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals5466.45013.547,400Buzz Arlitt
Bartlesville OilersPittsburgh Pirates4773.39220.546,822Keith Willoughby
Playoffs: Iola 3 games, Miami 2; Chanute 3 games, Pittsburg 2.
Finals: Iola 3 games, Chanute 3. Rest of playoffs called off due to rain and lack of available playing grounds.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Newt Keithley MiamiBA.346Ross GrimsleyChanuteW18
Richard Bulkley ChanuteRuns111Oscar Walterman CarthageW18
Newt Keithley MiamiHits167Ross GrimsleyChanuteSO295
Buzz Arlitt CarthageRBI82Ross GrimsleyChanuteERA1.93
Larry Singleton IolaHR10Ross GrimsleyChanutePCT.783 18-5

Chanute beat Pittsburg by 3 games to 2 in the first round of the playoffs. Iola beat Miami by the same number. The championship series between Chanute and Iola ended tied at three games apiece, although Chanute won 4 games. A dispute arose between the Chanute and Iola club officials regarding Chanute selecting Dave Dennis from the Miami club for the playoffs. Although Iola owner Earl Sifers originally agreed to the arrangement he later changed his mind. By the time the dispute was settled it was too late in the fall, young men had to go back to school, the rodeo took over the ball park playing area and then the rains came.

1947 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League
Teams from Independence, Kansas and Ponca City, Oklahoma joined.

Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Miami OwlsTopeka Owls7649.608-53,119William Davis
Iola Cubs6954.5616.039,862Al Reitz
Pittsburg Browns6954.5616.059,435Jimmie Crandall
Bartlesville Oilers6856.5487.564,074Edward Marleau
Carthage CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals6659.52810.042,838Woody Fair / Alvin Kluttz
Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers6162.49614.055,554
Chanute AthleticsNone4480.35531.534,758Dave Dennis / Charles Bates
Independence YankeesNew York Yankees4180.33933.022,460Goldie Howard
Playoffs: Miami 3 games, Bartlesville 1; Iola 3 games, Pittsburg 1.
Finals: Miami 4 games, Iola 1.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Loren Packard MiamiBA.364Carroll Dial BartlesvilleW22
Albert Solenberger BartlesvilleRuns131James Morris MiamiSO240
Loren Packard MiamiHits185Carroll Dial BartlesvilleERA3.32
Loren Packard MiamiRBI124Jim Post PittsburgPCT.813 13-3
Jim BaxesPonca CityHR20

1948 to 1949

1948 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League

Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers7947.627-78,305
Independence YankeesNew York Yankees7446.6172.046,270Goldie Howard /
Burleigh Grimes / Bones Sanders
Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates7152.5776.564,090Edward Marleau
Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns6060.50016.053,743Shan Deniston / Donald Smith
Miami OwlsTopeka Owls5866.46820.033,716Arthur Priebe / James Hansen
Carthage CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals5167.43224.036,525Alvin Kluttz
Iola IndiansCleveland Indians5172.41526.542,770Al Reitz
Chanute GiantsNew York Giants4478.36133.032,561
Playoffs: Pittsburg 3 games, Ponca City 2; Independence 3 games, Bartlesville 2.
Finals: Independence 4 games, Pittsburg 1.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
William Fox ChanuteBA.327Harland Coffman IndependenceW18
Louis Godla BartlesvilleRuns83Lou Michels IndependenceW18
Al Solenberger BartlesvilleHits134Joseph Tufteland Ponca CityW18
Charles Sturnborg PittsburgRBI78Bill PierroBartlesvilleSO300
Charles Sturnborg PittsburgHR13Harland Coffman IndependenceERA1.94
Joseph Beran Ponca CityHR13Joseph Tufteland Ponca CityPCT.900 18-2

1949 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League
schedule

Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Independence YankeesNew York Yankees7153.573-46,607
Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates7155.5631.051,000
Iola IndiansCleveland Indians7055.5601.549,491Windy Johnson
Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers6659.5285.562,082
Chanute AthleticsNone6560.5206.539,228James Hansen / Charles Bates
Carthage CubsChicago Cubs6264.49210.038,028Don Anderson
Miami OwlsTopeka Owls5669.44815.532,887Omar Lane
Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns3985.31532.039,755Al Barkus / Olan Smith
Playoffs: Independence 3 games, Ponca City 1; Iola 3 games, Bartlesville 1.
Finals: Independence 3 games, Iola 0.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Richard Drury BartlesvilleBA.317Jake ThiesChanuteW18
Charles Weber IndependenceRuns98Bob Weisler IndependenceSO240
James Bello IndependenceHits156Conrad Swensson Ponca CityERA1.69
Harry BrightMiamiRBI96Conrad Swensson Ponca CityPCT.800 12-3
Bob SpeakeCarthageHR14

1950 to 1952

1950 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League

Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers8042.656-63,313
Bartlesville Pirates7348.6036.556,250
Carthage Cubs7550.6006.529,080Don Anderson
Pittsburg Browns7152.5779.543,953Olan Smith / Jimmie Crandall
Miami EaglesNone6260.50818.027,548
Independence YankeesNew York Yankees6066.47622.038,274Bunny Mick / Bones Sanders
Iola IndiansNone3584.29443.523,872Windy Johnson
Chanute AthleticsNone3589.28246.021,372
Playoffs: Ponca City 3 games, Pittsburg 2; Bartlesville 3 games, Carthage 1.
Finals: Ponca City 3 games, Bartlesville 1.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Stan Gwinn Ponca CityBA.320Tom Vines CarthageW17
Jim PisoniPittsburgRuns115Donald McKeonMiamiW17
Don Hunter Ponca CityHits152Tom Vines CarthageSO234
Loren Doll Ponca CityHits152David Elliot BartlesvilleERA2.04
Harold Neighbors BartlesvilleRBI107Joe Stanek Ponca CityPCT.846 11-2
Willard Davis Ponca CityHR21

1951 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League
The teams in Chanute and Independence folded.

Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers8539.686-44,960
Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates7745.6317.034,296
Miami EaglesNone6755.54917.023,500
Carthage CubsChicago Cubs6065.48025.520,022Don Anderson / Al Reitz
Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns4180.33942.522,534Bill Enos
Iola IndiansNone3884.31146.016,981
Playoffs: Carthage 3 games, Ponca City 2; Miami 3 games, Bartletsville 1.
Finals: Carthage 3 games, Miami 0.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Jack Denison Ponca CityBA.365Ron KlineBartlesvilleW18
Jack Denison Ponca CityRuns133Donald Cochran BartlesvilleW18
Jack Denison Ponca CityHits167Ron KlineBarletsvilleSO208
Robert Ottesen PittsburgRBI89John Mudd CarthageERA2.12
Brandy DavisBartlesvilleHR13Ron KlineBartlesvillePCT.818 18-4
Bill Phillips BartlesvilleHR13

1952 Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League
The Carthage Cubs moved to Blackwell, Oklahoma. The Pittsburg Brownies moved to Independence, Kansas. The Bartlesville Pirates moved to the now-vacant Pittsburg on July 7.

Team standingsAffiliateWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Iola IndiansNone7947.627-42,327
Miami EaglesPhiladelphia Phillies6757.54011.043,008John Davenport
Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers6858.54011.055,726
Bartlesville Pirates /
Pittsburg Pirates		5965.47619.034,267Hersh Martin / Ed Hayes
Blackwell BroncosChicago Cubs5769.45222.051,000Al Reitz
Independence BrownsSt. Louis Browns4680.36533.039,487Fred Collins
Bartlesville moved to Pittsburg July 7.
Playoffs: Ponca City 1 game, Iola 0; Miami 1 game, Pittsburg 0;
Finals: Miami 2 games, Ponca City 0.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
John Vossen MiamiBA.335Joe VilkIolaW26
Paul Weeks IolaRuns128[Jim Owens]||Miami||S0||300 |- | Gaspar del Toro ||Iola||Hits||155||||Jim Owens||Miami||ERA||1.76 |- | John Davenport ||Miami||RBI||116|||| Joe Vilk ||Iola||PCT||.813 26-6 |- | Don Ervin ||Miami||HR||24 |}

External links

  • Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. Minor League Baseball Standings:All North American Leagues, Through 1999. Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland.
  • Hall, John G. "Majoring in the Minors--a glimpse of baseball in a small town. 1996 Oklahoma Bylines. . Reprinted 2000 by Inter-State Printing. Sedalia, Missouri.
  • Hall, John G. "The KOM League Remembered." Arcadia Publishing. Charleston SC, Chicago IL, Portsmouth NH, San Francisco. .
  • Hall, John G. "Mickey Mantle Before the Glory." Leathers Publishing, Leawood, Kansas 2006. .

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball . Lloyd . Johnson . Miles . Wolff . Third . . 2007 . 978-1932391176.
  2. Web site: Mickey Mantle Minor Leagues Statistics. 2023-08-14.
  3. Web site: Mickey Mantle – Society for American Baseball Research.

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