| Southern Illinois League | |
| Sport: | Minor League Baseball |
| President: | C.C. Wright (1910) |
| Inaugural: | 1895 |
| Teams: | 5 |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Continent: | or |
| Continents: | --> |
| Folded: | July 11, 1910 |
| Most Champs: | 1 McLeansboro Merchants (1910) |
| Classification: | Independent (1895–1896) Class D (1910) |
The Southern Illinois League was a Class D level minor league baseball league that played in the 1910 season. The five–team Southern Illinois League consisted of franchises based exclusively in Illinois. The Southern Illinois League permanently folded during the 1910 season, with the McLeansboro Merchants in first place.
An Independent minor league named the "Southern Illinois League" played in the 1895 and 1896 seasons. The teams and statistics from the 1895 and 1896 seasons are unknown.[1] [2]
The Southern Illinois League was formed for the 1910 season as a five–team Class D level minor league under the direction of league president C.C. Wright. The Southern Illinois League began play on May 30, 1910, with the Eldorado, Illinois team, Harrisburg Merchants, Herrin, Illinois team, McLeansboro Merchants and Mount Vernon Merchants as charter members.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
After beginning play, the Southern Illinois League lost a team when the Mount Vernon Merchants disbanded on June 30, 1910. After continuing play, the Southern Illinois League permanently folded on July 11, 1910. The McLeansboro Merchants were in first place when the league shut down.[3] [4]
In the final 1910 standings, the McLeansboro Merchants had a record of 20–5 when the league folded to finish in first place. McLeansboro finished 6.5 games ahead of Eldorado (14–12), followed by Herrin (8–11), the Mount Vernon Merchants (8–11) and Harrisburg Merchants (6–17).[8] [3]
After the Southern Illinois League folded, two of its members, McLeansboro and Harrisburg, joined the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY League) in the middle of the 1910 season.[9]
| Team name | City represented | Ballpark | Year active |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eldorado | Eldorado, Illinois | Mahoney Park[10] | |
| Harrisburg Merchants | Harrisburg, Illinois | Unknown[11] | |
| Herrin | Herrin, Illinois | Unknown[12] | |
| McLeansboro Merchants | McLeansboro, Illinois | Fairgrounds Park[13] | |
| Mount Vernon Merchants | Mount Vernon, Illinois | Unknown[14] | |
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLeansboro Merchants | 20 | 5 | .800 | – | Ollie Gfroerer | |
| Eldorado | 14 | 12 | .538 | 6.5 | NA | |
| Herrin | 8 | 11 | .421 | 9.0 | Pa Bradshaw | |
| Mt. Vernon Merchants | 8 | 11 | .421 | 9.0 | Ira Hastings | |
| Harrisburg Merchants | 6 | 17 | .261 | 13.0 | NA |