Milwaukee Creams

Last updated
Milwaukee Creams
Minor league affiliations
Class Class A (1889, 1902–1903)
Class C (1913)
League Western Association (1889)
Western League (1902–1903)
Wisconsin-Illinois League (1913)
Major league affiliations
TeamNone
Minor league titles
League titles (1)1903
Team data
NameMilwaukee Creams (1889, 1902–1903, 1913)
Ballpark Borchert Field (1889, 1913)
Lloyd Street Grounds (1902–1903) (1902–1903)

The Milwaukee Creams were a minor league baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Between 1889 and 1913, the Creams played as members of the 1889 Western Association, Western League from 1902 to 1903 and 1913 Wisconsin-Illinois League. The Western League Creams franchise was forced to fold as the result of a territory dispute between the Western League and American Association. The Creams hosted minor league home games at Borchert Field and Lloyd Street Grounds.

Contents

Baseball Hall of Fame member Clark Griffith played for the 1889 Milwaukee Creams and Hall of Famer Hugh Duffy was player/manager of the 1902 and 1903 teams.

History

The Milwaukee Creams began play as members of the 1889 Western Association. The Milwaukee Brewers adopted the Creams moniker for the 1889 season. Some references list other Brewers teams as both the "Brewers" and "Creams" combined in various other seasons. The team finished with a record of 58–63 and placed 5th, playing under manager Ezra Sutton. [1] [2] [3]

Milwaukee 1889 Team Photo. Hall of Fame member Clark Griffith is front left MilwaukeeBrewers1889.jpg
Milwaukee 1889 Team Photo. Hall of Fame member Clark Griffith is front left

Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Clark Griffith pitched for the 1889 Milwaukee Creams at age 19. Griffith had a 23–18 record for Milwaukee, pitching 328 innings. [4]

The 1902 Milwaukee Creams became members of the Class A level Western League. The Creams began play as the second team in Milwaukee, as the Milwaukee Brewers played as members of the American Association. [5] Milwaukee having two Class A franchises at the same time proved to be a tenuous arrangement. [1] [6]

The Milwaukee Creams placed 3rd in the 1902 Western League. Milwaukee ended the season with record of 80–54, finishing 1.0 game behind the 1st place Kansas City Blue Stockings. Milwaukee played under Hall of Famer player/manager Hugh Duffy, who hit .291 in 505 at–bats at age 35. [7] In the 1902 Western League standings, the Milwaukee Creams finished a close 3rd place. The Kansas City Blue Stockings (82–54) finished mere percentage points ahead of the 2nd place Omaha Indians (84–56), followed closely by the Milwaukee Creams (80–54). They were followed by the Denver Grizzlies (81–57), St. Joseph Saints (71–68), Colorado Springs Millionaires (63–75), Des Moines Midgets (54–83) and Peoria Distillers (35–103) in the final standings. [1] [8] [9] [10] [6]

The 1903 Milwaukee Creams won the Western League Championship and were forced to fold following the season. Milwaukee finished with a record of 83–43 under returning player/manager Hugh Duffy, who hit .300 in 75 games. The Creams finished 8.0 games ahead of the 2nd place Colorado Springs Millionaires, with Kansas City Blue Stockings in 3rd place, 18.0 games behind the 1st place Milwaukee Creams. [1] [11] [12] [13] [14] [7]

After the 1903 season, the American Association and Western League negotiated territory rights, as both were Class A level minor leagues, the highest level of minor leagues. As a result, two Western League franchises were negatively affected. The Kansas City Blues remained in Kansas City and the Kansas City Blue Stockings were forced to permanently fold the franchise. Relatedly, Milwaukee also had the exact situation and the Milwaukee Creams of the Western League were also forced to fold their franchise, with the Milwaukee Brewers continuing in the Class A American Association and the Western League also continuing play remaining as a Class A league in 1904.> [15] [16]

In 1913, the Milwaukee Creams played briefly in the Class C level Wisconsin-Illinois League. The team was owned by Charles Moll, the previous president Wisconsin–Illinois League and Milwaukee was chosen as a replacement for the Aurora Blues in the league, which led to legal action by Aurora owners. Milwaukee, nicknamed the "Mollys" by local newspapers, opened their Wisconsin-Illinois League season on Wednesday, April 30, 1913, at Athletic Park, with Milwaukee Mayor Gerhard Bading throwing out the first pitch. Approximately 400 attended as Milwaukee defeated the Appleton Papermakers 12–5. On June 28, 1913, the Creams were suffering from low attendance, as fans also were drawn to semi–pro Kosciuszko Reds and Milwaukee Brewers games. The Creams had a 28–20 record when the franchise relocated to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and finished the season as the Fond du Lac Molls. At the end of the season the Milwaukee/Fond du Lac team finished in 5th place with a 63–60 overall record, 13.0 games behind the 1st place Oshkosh Indians, playing under managers Harry Clark, Ernest Landgraf and Marty Hogan. The "Molls" moniker was in reference to team owner Charles Moll, who was a Milwaukee resident and president of the American Grinder Company. [1] [17] [18] [19] [20]

The ballparks

BorchertField 1911 BorchertField 1911.jpg
BorchertField 1911
Lloyd Street Grounds Lloyd Street Grounds.jpg
Lloyd Street Grounds

The Milwaukee Creams played 1889 and 1913 minor league home games at Borchert Field. Then known as Athletic field, the ballpark was named after owner Otto Borchert and later sold by the Borchert family in 1952 to make way for an interstate. The site is now part of I-43 between 7th Street and 8th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [21] [22] [19]

In 1902 and 1903, the Milwaukee Creams hosted home games at the Lloyd Street Grounds. After the Milwaukee Creams were folded, the ballpark was demolished in 1904. The Lloyd Street Grounds were located on West Lloyd Street between North 16th Street & North 18th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [23] [24] [25]

Timeline

Year(s)# Yrs.TeamLevelLeagueBallpark
18891Milwaukee Creams Class A Western Association Borchert Field
1902–19032 Western League Lloyd Street Grounds
19131 Class C Wisconsin-Illinois League Borchert Field

Year–by–year records

YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs/Notes
188958–635thEzra SuttonNone held
190280–543rd Hugh Duffy None held
190383–431st Hugh Duffy League champions
191328–20NAHarry Clark /
Ernest Landgraf / Marty Hogan		Team moved to Fond du Lac (35–40) on June 28

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

Notable alumni

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lloyd Street Grounds</span>

Lloyd Street Grounds was a baseball park located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was used by two different professional baseball clubs during 1895–1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borchert Field</span> Baseball park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Borchert Field was a baseball park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The home field for several professional baseball clubs from 1888 through 1952, it became obsolete after the construction of County Stadium in 1953 and was demolished later that year. The site is now covered by Interstate 43.

The Rockford Rox was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Rockford, Illinois between 1871 and 1949. In an era of early baseball, Rockford hosted teams in numerous leagues beginning in 1871. From 1916 to 1923, the Rox played in the Class B level Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League, and from 1947 to 1949, they played in the Class C level Central Association. The Rockford Rox were preceded by the Rockford Red Sox (1901–1904) and Rockford Wakes (1914–1916) in the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League. Several other Rockford teams played in various leagues leading up to the Rox. The Rockford Rox were an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds from 1947 to 1949.

The Rock Island Islanders was the primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Rock Island, Illinois, one of the Quad Cities, between 1892 and 1937. Rock Island teams played as members of the Illinois–Iowa League (1892), Western Association (1894), Eastern Iowa League (1895), Western Association (1898–1899), Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (1901–1911), Central Association (1914), Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League, Mississippi Valley League (1922–1933) and Western League (1934–1937).

The Evansville Evas was a primary nickname of an early minor league baseball teams in Evansville, Indiana between 1877 and 1931. Early Evansville teams played as members of the League Alliance (1887), Central Interstate League (1889-1890), Interstate League (1891), Northwestern League (1891), Illinois-Indiana League (1892), Southern Association (1895), Central League (1897), Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (1901–1902), Central League (1903–1911), Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League (1912), Central League (1913–1917) and Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (1919–1931). Evansville was a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers from 1928 to 1931.

The Omaha Packers were a minor league baseball team based in Omaha, Nebraska. Between 1879 and 1935, Omaha minor league teams had a long tenure as members of the Western League and Western Association, winning five league championships. Omaha teams played under numerous other nicknames prior to the becoming the "Packers" in 1930.

The Sedalia Goldbugs were a minor league baseball team based in Sedalia, Missouri. Between 1904 and 1911, Sedalia teams played as a member of the Missouri Valley League (1902–1904), Western Association (1905) and Missouri State League (1911), winning league championships in 1903 and 1911. Sedalia played as the Sedalia Cubs in 1911. Sedalia hosted minor league home games at Liberty Park Stadium.

The Helena Senators were a minor league baseball team based in Helena, Montana. Between 1892 and 1914, Helena minor league teams played as members of the Montana State League, 1902 Pacific Northwest League, 1903 Pacific National League, 1904 Montana State League, 1909 Inter-Mountain League and Union Association (1911–1914). Helena won league championships in 1892 and 1909.

The Kansas City Blue Stockings were a minor league baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1902 and 1903, the Kansas City Blue Stockings played exclusively as members of the Class A level Western League, capturing the 1902 league championship. After the 1903 season, the franchise was forced to fold as the result of a territory dispute between the Western League and American Association. The Kansas City Blue Stockings were founded to replace the Kansas City Blues franchise in the Western League and played home games at Sportsman's Park, which was built for the team.

The Kosciusko Reds were a minor league baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Representing the Polish south side of Milwaukee, the Kosciusko Reds played as a semi–pro team for many years before playing as members of the Independent Wisconsin State League from 1928 to 1930. The Milwaukee Red Sox continued as members of the Wisconsin State League in 1931 and 1936 and the 1932 Wisconsin-Illinois League. The Reds and Red Sox teams hosted home minor league games at Borchert Field.

The Sheldon–Primghar Hyphens were a minor league baseball team based in Sheldon, Iowa, also representing neighboring Primghar, Iowa. In 1902, the Sheldon team played as members of the Class D level Iowa-South Dakota League, with the Hyphens following in 1903. The teams hosted home minor league games at Sheldon City Park.

The Butte Miners was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball franchise based in Butte, Montana. Butte minor league teams played as members of the Montana State League, Pacific Northwest League (1902), Pacific National League (1903–1904), Montana State League (1905), Northwestern League (1906–1908), Inter-Mountain League (1909), Montana State League (1909), Union Association (1911–1914), Northwestern League (1916–1917) and Montana State League (1925). Butte hosted home minor league games at the Mt. Columbia Grounds.

The Chicago Maroons were a minor league baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois in 1888. The Chicago Maroons played as members of the Class A level Western Association. Financial issues caused the team to fold after a 6th place season in 1888. The Maroons played minor league home games at West Side Park.

The Kansas City Blues was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Kansas City, Missouri between 1885 and 1901. The Kansas City minor league teams played as members of the Class A level Western League in 1885 and 1887, the Western Association in 1888, 1890 and 1891, Western League in 1892, Western Association in 1893 and Western League from 1894 to 1899. The Blues transitioned to the American League in 1900, a year before the league became a major league, before returning to the Western League in 1901. The American League Blues evolved into today's Minnesota Twins. The minor league team played under the "Cowboys" moniker in 1885, 1887 and 1894. The Kansas City Blues/Cowboys played home games at Exposition Park.

The Concord Marines was the only moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Concord, New Hampshire. Between 1886 and 1907, Concord teams played as members of the New Hampshire State League in 1886, New England League from 1902 to 1905 and New Hampshire League in 1907, winning the 1905 league championship. During a 1904 game, the Marines ran short on players due to illness and inserted their mascot, a 9 year old boy, into the game.

Minor league baseball teams were based in Fall River, Massachusetts between 1877 and 1949. Fall River teams played as members of the New England Association (1877), League Alliance (1877), New England League, Colonial League (1914–1915) and New England League (1946–1949), winning five league championships. Fall River hosted home minor league games at the Athletic Grounds beginning in 1893 through 1915 and at Fall River Stadium from 1946 to 1949.

Minor league baseball teams were based in Meriden, Connecticut in various seasons between 1884 and 1913. Meriden teams played as members of the Connecticut State League (1884–1885), Southern New England League (1885), Eastern League (1886), Connecticut State League, Connecticut League (1903), Connecticut State League, Connecticut Association (1910) and Eastern Association (1913).

Minor league baseball teams were based in Aurora, Illinois, in various seasons from 1888 to 1915. Playing under numerous monikers, Aurora teams played as members of the Interstate League in 1888, Illinois-Iowa League from 1890 to 1892, Western Interstate League in 1895, Wisconsin-Illinois League from 1910 to 1912 and Bi-State League in 1915, winning the 1907 league championship. Aurora hosted home minor league games at the Driving Park, Hurds Island Park and Fox River Park.

Minor league baseball teams were based in Marinette, Wisconsin in various seasons between 1891 and 1914. Marinette partnered with neighboring Menominee, Michigan, playing as the Marinette–Menominee Twins in 1914. Marinette played in the 1891 Wisconsin State League. Marinette and Menominee, Michigan based teams played as members of the Wisconsin-Michigan League in 1892 and Wisconsin-Illinois League in 1914.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN   978-1932391176.
  2. ↑ "1889 Milwaukee Creams minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  3. ↑ "1889 Milwaukee Brewers/Creams Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  4. ↑ "Clark Griffith Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  5. ↑ "1902 Milwaukee Brewers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. 1 2 "1902 Western League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. 1 2 "Hugh Duffy Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  8. ↑ "1902 Milwaukee Creams Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  9. ↑ "1902 Western League (WL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  10. ↑ "1902 Milwaukee Creams minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  11. ↑ "1903 Western League (WL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  12. ↑ "1903 Milwaukee Creams minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  13. ↑ "1903 Milwaukee Creams Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  14. ↑ "1903 Western League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  15. ↑ Maddon, W.C. & Stewart, Patrick. (2002) The Western League: A baseball history 1885 through 1995. McFarland & Company ISBN   0-7864-1003-5
  16. ↑ "Top 100 Teams | MiLB.com History | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com.
  17. ↑ "1913 Milwaukee Creams/Fond du Lac Molls minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  18. ↑ "Professional Baseball".
  19. 1 2 Michaels, Chance. "The Milwaukee Mollys".
  20. ↑ "1913 Milwaukee Creams/Fond du Lac Molls Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  21. ↑ "Borchert Field in Milwaukee, WI minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  22. ↑ "Borchert Field (Milwaukee, WI) – Society for American Baseball Research".
  23. ↑ "Lloyd Street Park in Milwaukee, WI minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  24. ↑ "Lloyd Street Grounds". ballparks.com.
  25. ↑ "Lloyd Street Grounds (Milwaukee) – Society for American Baseball Research".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.