Kitty League

The Kitty League, formally known as the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League, was a Class D level minor league baseball circuit that went through six different periods of play between 1903 and 1955. The League hosted teams in 29 cities from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee.

History

The first Kitty League played from 1903 through 1906. The next one ran from 1910 through 1914. The third try played the 1916 season. The circuit was revived in 1922 and lasted three years. The fifth Kitty League lasted the longest, playing from 1935 through 1955 with a break from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II. The league was also known briefly as the Kentucky–Indiana–Tennessee League, for during this time the league contained teams such as the Evansville Yankees from Evansville, Indiana. Unlike most leagues that were dormant for years in between playing, the Kitty was much the same from 1903 to 1955, through its inactive years. Clifton C. Gosnell was league president in 1906, after which the league stopped playing, and was president in 1910–1911 when play resumed. Then Dr. Frank H. Bassett was league president 1912–1914, 1916, 1922–1924, and 1935–1937, through the active times and the inactive. Hopkinsville, Kentucky was represented for 28 of the 31 active seasons of the Kitty League, while Paducah, Kentucky made it for 23.

League name revived

In 2004, the league moniker was reincarnated, as a summer collegiate baseball league called the "KIT League" was formed. Members of the KIT League featured some of the former Kitty League cities, who formed teams and revived their previous monikers, such as the Fulton Railroaders, Owensboro Oilers and Union City Greyhounds. The KIT League is now defunct, with the teams having evolved to form the currently active ten–team Ohio Valley League in 2010.

Media

The league history was the subject of a book. <u>The Kitty League</u> was written by Joshua Maxwell and Kevin McCann and published in 2012.

Cities represented

• Bowling Green, Kentucky:
• Bowling Green Barons (1939–1942)
• Cairo, Illinois:
• Cairo Egyptians (1903, 1912–1914, 1922–1924, 1946–1948)
• Cairo Champions (1904)
• Cairo Giants (1905–1906)
• Cairo Dodgers (1949–1950)
• Central City, Kentucky:
• Central City Reds (1954)
• Clarksville, Tennessee:
• Clarksville Villagers (1903)
• Clarksville Grays (1904)
• Clarksville Volunteers (1910, 1913, 1916)
• Clarksville Billies (1911)
• Clarksville Rebels (1912)
• Clarksville Boosters (1914)
• Clarksville Owls (1946)
• Clarksville Colts (1947
• Clarksville Cats (1948–1949)
• Danville, Illinois:
• Danville Old Soldiers (1906)
• Dawson Springs, Kentucky:
• Dawson Springs Resorters (1916)
• Dyersburg, Tennessee:
• Dyersburg Forked Deers (1923–1924)
• Evansville, Indiana:
• Evansville Yankees (1912)
• Fulton, Kentucky:
• Fulton Colonels (1911);
• Fulton Railroaders (1922–1924, 1949–1951)
• Fulton Eagles (1936–1938)
• Fulton Tigers (1939–1942)
• Fulton Chicks (1946–1948)
• Fulton Lookouts (1952–1955)
• Harrisburg, Illinois:
• Harrisburg Merchants (1910)
• Harrisburg Miners (1911)
• Harrisburg Coal Miners (1913)
• Henderson, Kentucky:
• Henderson Hens (1903, 1905, 1911–1914, 1916)
• Henderson Blue Birds (1904)
• Hopkinsville, Kentucky:
• Hopkinsville Hoppers (1903, 1910–1914, 1916, 1922–1923, 1935–1942, 1946–1954)
• Hopkinsville Browns (1904)
• Jackson, Tennessee:
• Jackson Railroaders (1903)
• Jackson Climbers (1911)
• Jackson Blue Jays (1924)
• Jackson Generals (1935–1942, 1950–1954)
• Jacksonville, Illinois:
• Jacksonville Jacks (1906)
• Lexington, Tennessee:
• Lexington Giants (1935–1938)
• Madisonville, Kentucky:
• Madisonville Miners (1916, 1922, 1946–1955)
• Mattoon, Illinois & Charleston, Illinois:
• Mattoon-Charleston Canaries (1906)
• Mayfield, Kentucky:
• Mayfield Pantsmakers (1922–1924)
• Mayfield Clothiers (1936–1938, 1946–1955)
• Mayfield Browns (1939–1941)
• McLeansboro, Illinois:
• McLeansboro Miners (1910–1911)
• Milan, Tennessee & Trenton, Tennessee:
• Milan-Trenton Twins (1923)
• Owensboro, Kentucky:
• Owensboro Distillers (1903, 1914, 1916)
• Owensboro Pirates (1936)
• Owensboro Oilers (1937–1942, 1946–1955)
• Paducah, Kentucky:
• Paducah Chiefs (1903, 1912–1913, 1951–1955)
• Paducah Indians (1904–1906, 1910, 1914, 1922–1923, 1936–1941)
• Paducah Polecats (1911)
• Paducah Red Birds (1935)
• Paris, Tennessee:
• Paris Travelers (1922);
• Paris Parisians (1923–1924)
• Portageville, Missouri:
• Portageville Pirates (1935–1936)
• Princeton, Kentucky:
• Princeton Infants (1905)
• Springfield, Tennessee:
• Springfield Blanket Makers (1923)
• Trenton, Tennessee:
• Trenton Reds (1922)
• Union City, Tennessee:
• Union City Greyhounds (1935–1942, 1946–1952)
• Union City Dodgers (1953–1955)
• Vincennes, Indiana:
• Vincennes Alices (1903–1906, 1910, 1913)
• Vincennes Hoosiers (1911)

Championship titles

• 1903 – Cairo Egyptians
• 1904 – Paducah Indians
• 1905 – Paducah Indians
• 1906 – Vincennes Alices
• 1910 – McLeansboro Miners / Vincennes Alices
• 1911 – Fulton Colonels / Hopkinsville Hoppers
• 1912 – Clarksville Rebels
• 1913 – Paducah Chiefs
• 1914 – Cairo Egyptians
• 1916 – Clarksville Volunteers
• 1922 – Mayfield Pantsmakers
• 1923 – Mayfield Pantsmakers
• 1924 – Dyersburg Forked Deers
• 1935 – None declared
• 1936 – Union City Greyhounds
• 1937 – Mayfield Clothiers
• 1938 – Jackson Generals
• 1939 – Bowling Green Barons
• 1940 – Jacksonville Generals
• 1941 – Mayfield Browns
• 1942 – Fulton Tigers
• 1946 – Owensboro Oilers
• 1947 – Hopkinsville Hoppers
• 1948 – Union City Greyhounds
• 1949 – Madisonville Miners
• 1950 – Mayfield Clothiers
• 1951 – Fulton Railroaders
• 1952 – Madisonville Miners
• 1953 – Paducah Chiefs
• 1954 – Union City Dodgers
• 1955 – Paducah Chiefs

Standings and statistics

1903 to 1906

1903 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League <br />

Owensboro folded June 1; Vincennes folded June 22

1904 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League <br />

1905 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule <br />

Henderson and Hopkinsville disbanded July 18 <br /> Season was shortened with National Association permission to August 17, due to yellow fever epidemic. <br /> Playoff: Vincennes 7 games, Paducah 6

1906 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule <br />

1910 to 1916

1910 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - 1st half schedule - 2nd half schedule<br />

McLeansboro and Harrisburg were added for the second half July 24<br /> Playoff: Cancelled; Vincennes and McLeansboro were declared co-champions

1911 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

McLeansboro (19–15) moved to Henderson June 20; Harrisburg (8–15) moved to Jackson<br /> Playoff: Cancelled due to inclement weather; Fulton and Hopkinsville declared co-champions

1912 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

1913 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League<br />

1914 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League<br />

Clarksville and Hopkinsville disbanded July 10

1915 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League<br /> The Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League did not play in 1915 during World War I

1916 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Madisonville folded August 2; League folded August 4

1922 to 1924

1922 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League<br />

First place Madisonville stripped of second half title for rules violations & Second place Cairo disqualified for rules violations. Paris awarded second half title.<br /> Finals: Mayfield 4 games, Paris 2

1923 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Springfield (14–36) disbanded July 9; Springfield replaced in the second half by Milan-Trenton

1924 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League<br />

Mayfield disbanded August 26<br /> Playoffs: Dyersburg 4 games, Paris 0

1935 to 1939

1935 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Jackson disqualified on September 1: Union City disqualified on September 3; Lexington awarded second half title. With widespread rules violations, league declared no formal champion.

1936 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Portageville (26–35) moved to Owensboro July 17<br /> Playoff: Union City 1 game, Paducah 0. Paducah folded

1937 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Mayfield won 1 game playoff for fourth place. Mayfield 3 games, Union City 0; Fulton 3 games, Hopkinsville 1<br /> Finals: Mayfield 4 games, Fulton 1

1938 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Hopkinsville 3 games, Mayfield 1; Jackson 3 games, Lexington 0<br /> Finals: Jackson 2 games, Hopkinsville 1. Finals ended September 22 due to poor weather

1939 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Mayfield 3 games, Jackson 2; Bowling Green 3 games, Owensboro 0<br /> Finals: Bowling Green 4 games, Mayfield 2

1946 to 1955

1946 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Owensboro 3 games, Mayfield 1; Fulton 3 games, Hopkinsville 1<br /> Finals: Owensboro 4 games Fulton 3

1947 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Hopkinsville 3 games, Owensboro 2; Madisonville 3 games, Mayfield 1<br /> Finals: Hopkinsville 4 games, Madisonville 1

1948 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Madisonville 3 games, Hopkinsville 2; Union City 3 games, Owensboro 2<br> Finals: Union City 4 games, Madisonville 0

1949 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Madisonville 3 games, Owensboro 0; Cairo 3 games, Hopkinsville 2<br /> Finals: Madisonville 2 games, Cairo 1, series cut short by bad weather

1950 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Mayfield 3 games, Owensboro 2; Fulton 3 games, Jackson 2<br /> Finals: Mayfield 1 game, Fulton 0, finals ended - poor weather

1951 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Fulton 3 games, Paducah 2; Owensboro 3 games, Mayfield 1<br /> Finals: Fulton 4 games, Owensboro 0

1952 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Union City 3 games, Fulton 2; Madisonville 3 games, Paducah 1<br /> Finals: Madisonville 3 games, Union City 0

1953 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Playoffs: Fulton 2 games, Hopkinsville 1; Paducah 2 games, Madisonville 0<br /> Finals: Paducah 3 games, Fulton 0

1954 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Jackson folded June 1, after 36 consecutive losses; Central City began July 5<br /> Playoff: Union City 4 games, Madisonville 2

1955 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League - schedule<br />

Madisonville folded July 7<br /> Playoff: Paducah declared champion

References

External links

• KITTY League – History of the original professional league
• KIT League – Collegiate summer league