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Nebraska State League

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The Nebraska State League (NSL) was an American professional baseball league with five incarnations. At least, the name was adopted five times: in 1892, from 1910 to 1915, from 1922 to 1923, from 1928 to 1938 and from 1956 to 1959.

Contents

The first NSL is fairly well known because it was racially integrated. The last Nebraska State League of 1956–1959 was stable largely because its clubs were farm teams for the major leagues. Its final season has become well-known thanks to the book A False Spring by Pat Jordan.

Once a classification system was put in place, the Nebraska State League was always ranked as a class D league.

1892

The first Nebraska State League was racially integrated with African-American players on at least three teams: Bud Fowler, Kearney; John W. Patterson, Plattsmouth; and George Taylor, Beatrice.

(The NSL president is unknown.)

These were the standings and statistics when the league disbanded in July.

Cities Represented

  • Beatrice, NE: Beatrice Milkskimmers 1913-1915
  • Columbus, NE: Columbus (NE) Discoverers 1910-1913; Columbus Pawnees 1914-1915
  • Fairbury, NE: Fairbury Shaners 1915
  • Fremont, NE: Fremont Pathfinders 1910-1913
  • Grand Island, NE: Grand Island Collegians 1910-1913; Grand Island Islanders 1914; Grand Island Champions 1915
  • Hastings, NE: Hastings Brickmakers 1910; Hastings Third Citys 1911-1913; Hastings Reds 1914-1915
  • Kearney, NE: Kearney Kapitalists 1910; Kearney Buffaloes 1911; Kearney Kapitalists 1912-1914; Kearney Buffaloes 1915
  • Norfolk, NE: Norfolk Dummers 1914-1915
  • Red Cloud, NE: Red Cloud 1910
  • Seward, NE: Seward Statesmen 1910-1913
  • Superior, NE: Superior Brickmakers 1910-1914
  • York, NE: York Prohibitionists 1911-1915

    • Teams and Statistics

    1910 Nebraska State League
    President: Henry A. Sievers

    Playoffs: None Scheduled Player Statistics

    1911 Nebraska State League
    President: Henry A. Sievers

    Playoffs: None Scheduled Player Statistics

    1912 Nebraska State League
    President: A.C. Felt

    #A Kearney win over Hastings was reversed at the 1913 spring meeting,
    giving Hastings the championship.
    Playoffs: None Scheduled Player Statistics

    1913 Nebraska State League
    President: A.C. Felt

    #Seward (27-37) moved to Beatrice July 21.
    Playoffs: None Scheduled Player Statistics

    1914 Nebraska State League
    President: Clarence J. Miles

    Playoffs: None Scheduled Player Statistics

    1915 Nebraska State League
    President: Clarence J. Miles

    #Columbus and Kearney disbanded June 4.
    ##Grand Island and Norfolk disbanded June 28.
    The league ceased operations July 18.

    Cities Represented

  • Beatrice, NE: Beatrice Blues 1922-1923
  • Fairbury, NE: Fairbury Jeffersons 1922-1923
  • Grand Island, NE: Grand Island Champions 1922-1923
  • Hastings, NE: Hastings Cubs 1922-1923
  • Lincoln, NE: Lincoln Links 1922-1923
  • Norfolk, NE: Norfolk Elk Horns 1922-1923

    • Teams and Statistics

    1922 Nebraska State League
    President: Clarence J. Miles

    Playoff: Fairbury 4 games, Norfolk 3. Player Statistics

    1923 Nebraska State League
    President: Clarence J. Miles /Richard R. Grotte

    Playoff: No Playoffs Scheduled Player Statistics

    Cities Represented

  • Beatrice, NE: Beatrice Blues 1928; Beatrice Blues 1932-1938
  • Fairbury, NE: Fairbury Jeffersons 1928-1930 ; Fairbury Jeffs 1936, 1937
  • Grand Island, NE: Grand Island Champs 1928; Grand Island Islanders 1929-1932; Grand Island Red Birds 1937; Grand Island Cardinals 1938
  • Lincoln, NE: Lincoln Links 1928-1935; Lincoln Red Links 1936; Lincoln Links 1938
  • McCook, NE: McCook Generals 1928-1932
  • Mitchell, SD: Mitchell Kernels 1936-1937
  • Norfolk, NE: Norfolk Elkhorns 1928-1932; Norfolk Elks 1933; Norfolk Elkhorns 1934-1935; Norfolk Elks 1936-1937; Norfolk Elkhorns 1938
  • North Platte, NE: North Platte Buffaloes 1928-1932
  • Norton, KS: Norton Jayhawks 1929-1930
  • Sioux City, IA: Sioux City Cowboys 1938
  • Sioux Falls, SD: Sioux Falls Canaries 1933-1938
  • York, NE: York Dukes 1928-1931

    • Teams and Statistics

    1928 Nebraska State League
    President: James E. Beltzer

    Playoff: No Playoffs Scheduled Player Statistics

    1929 Nebraska State League
    President: James E. Beltzer

    Playoff: No Playoffs Scheduled Player Statistics

    1930 Nebraska State League
    President: James E. Beltzer

    #Norton suspended operations August 25; final seven games
    were forfeited to scheduled opponents.
    Playoffs: None Scheduled. Player Statistics

    1931 Nebraska State League
    President: Robert C. Russell

    Playoffs: Grand Island 4 games, North Platte 1. Player Statistics

    1932 Nebraska State League
    President: Robert C. Russell

    Playoffs: Beatrice 2 games, Lincoln 1. Finals: Beartice 4 games, Norfolk 3. Player Statistics

    1933 Nebraska State League
    President: James E. Beltzer

    Playoffs: Beatrice 5 games, Norfolk 4. Player Statistics

    1934 Nebraska State League
    President: J. Roy Carter

    Playoffs: None Scheduled Player Statistics

    1935 Nebraska State League
    President: J. Roy Carter

    Attendance: Sioux Falls, 39,300
    Playoffs: Norfolk 4 games, Sioux Falls 3. Player Statistics

    1936 Nebraska State League
    President: J. Roy Carter

    #Lincoln and Fairbury disbanded July 16.
    Attendance: Sioux Falls, 74,306
    Playoffs: Sioux Falls 3 games, Beatrice 2: Mitchell 3 games, Norfolk 1.
    Finals: Mitchell 4 games, Sioux Falls 2. Player Statistics

    1937 Nebraska State League
    President: J. Roy Carter

    Attendance: Sioux Falls, 50,000
    Playoffs: None Scheduled. Player Statistics

    1938 Nebraska State League
    President: J. Roy Carter

    Playoffs: Norfolk 4 games, Sioux City 2. Player Statistics

    Cities Represented

  • Grand Island, NE: Grand Island Athletics 1956-1959
  • Hastings, NE: Hastings Giants 1956-1959
  • Holdrege, NE: Holdrege White Sox 1956-1959
  • Kearney, NE: Kearney Yankees 1956-1959
  • Lexington, NE: Lexington Red Sox 1956-1958
  • McCook, NE: McCook Braves 1956-1959
  • North Platte, NE: North Platte Indians 1956-1959
  • Superior, NE: Superior Senators 1956-1958

    • Teams and Statistics 1956-1959

    1956 Nebraska State League
    President: Mike Hollinger

    Playoffs: None Scheduled. Player Statistics

    1957 Nebraska State League
    President: Mike Hollinger

    Playoffs: None Scheduled. Player Statistics

    1958 Nebraska State League
    President: Mike Hollinger

    Playoffs: None Scheduled. Player Statistics

    1959 Nebraska State League
    President: Mike Hollinger

    Playoffs: None Scheduled. Player Statistics

    Nebraska Minor League Baseball History

    References

    Nebraska State League Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA