The Eastern Illinois League was a Class-D league in Minor League Baseball that existed during the 1907 and 1908 baseball seasons. The league president as of 1907 was L. A. G. Shoaff. According to the 1908 Spalding Guide, the league got its start in Pana, IL and the league's "godfather" was Joe Adams, also known as "Old Wagon Tongue." In 1907, teams had a salary limit of $600.
Cities Represented
- Centralia, IL: Centralia White Stockings 1907
- Charleston, IL: Charleston Broom Corn Cutters 1907; Charleston Evangelists 1908
- Danville, IL: Danville Speakers 1908
- Linton, IN: Linton 1908
- Mattoon, IL: Mattoon Giants 1907-1908
- Pana, IL: Pana Coal Miners 1907-1908
- Paris, IL: Paris Colts 1907; Paris Parisians 1908
- Shelbyville, IL: Shelbyville Queen Citys 1907-1908
- Staunton, IL: Staunton Speakers 1908
- Taylorville, IL: Taylorville Tailors 1907-1908
- Vincennes, IN: Vincennes Alices 1908
Standings & statistics
1907 Eastern Illinois League
President: Charles Welvert / L.A.G. Schoaff
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mattoon Giants | 74 | 24 | .627 | -- | Hank O'Day |
| Charleston Broom Corn Cutters | 71 | 49 | .592 | 4.0 | Nig Langdon |
| Taylorville Tailors | 60 | 58 | .508 | 14.0 | Phil Ketter / Mike Ryan |
| Centralia White Stockings / Paris Colts |
51 | 67 | .432 | 23.0 | Red Kelly / Bob Shaw |
| Pana Coal Miners | 51 | 70 | .421 | 24.5 | Joe Adams |
| Shelbyville Queen Citys | 50 | 69 | .420 | 24.5 | J.B. Young |
Centralia (6-27) moved to Paris June 20.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Ketter | Taylorville | BA | .284 |
| Bill Bartley | Charleston | Runs | 51 |
| Phil Ketter | Taylorville | Hits | 111 |
| Andy Lotshaw | Charleston | HR | 10 |
| Grover Lowdermilk | Mattoon | W | 33 |
| Grover Lowdermilk | Mattoon | SO | 458 |
| Grover Lowdermilk | Mattoon | ERA | 0.93 |
1908 Eastern Illinois League
President: L.A.G. Schoaff
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danville Speakers / Staunton |
65 | 27 | .707 | -- | W.C. Dithridge |
| Taylorville Tailors | 56 | 39 | .589 | 10.5 | Mike Ryan |
| Shelbyville Queen Citys | 52 | 43 | .547 | 14.5 | Joe Adams |
| Vincennes Alices | 47 | 48 | .495 | 19.5 | Pop Lloyd |
| Paris Parisians | 43 | 48 | .473 | 21.5 | Erickstone / Eckson / Dan Jenkins / Skipper Roberts |
| Pana Coal Miners / Linton |
25 | 70 | .263 | 41.5 | Sunday Hawker / Nig Langdon / Butts |
| Mattoon Giants | 32 | 45 | .416 | NA | Lefty Russell / George Kizer |
| Charleston Evangelists | 37 | 37 | .500 | NA | Kid Madden |
#Pana (18-44) moved to Linton July 17, for the second half.
Danville (42-18) moved to Staunton July 17, for the second half.
Charleston and Mattoon disbanded July 30.
Shelbyville disbanded August 20, causing the league to disband.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Ahring | Charleston | BA | .355 |
| Tom Fleming | Dan/Sta | Runs | 57 |
| Buck Stanley | Paris | Hits | 93 |
| Andy Biltz | Shelbyville | HR | 6 |
| Ralph Grimes | Dan/Sta | W | 19 |
| Joe Jenkins | Par/Pan/Sta | SO | 139 |
| Chet Carmichael | Vincennes | Pct | .800; 16-4 |
Sources
The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball:Second Edition.
References
- ^ Price, G.L. (1908). "Eastern Illinois League". 1908 Spalding Guide. A.G. Spalding & Bros. p. 227. Retrieved 2012-06-29.