Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League

From BR Bullpen

The Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League (or KITTY League) was a Class D minor league circuit that went through six different lives. The first KITTY League played from 1903 through 1906. The next one ran from 1910 through 1914. The third try played a single season (1916). 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 1943-1945 due to World War II. The league was also known briefly as the Kentucky-Indiana-Tennessee League. Unlike most leagues that were dormant for years in between playing, the KITTY was pretty much the same league from 1903-1955, 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, KY was represented for 28 of the 31 active seasons of the KITTY League, while Paducah, KY made it for 23.

1 Cities Represented
2 Kitty League 1903 through 1955
3 League Records 1903-1955
4 Hall of Fame Alumni
5 Related Sites
6 Source

[edit] Cities Represented

Bowling Green, KY: Bowling Green Barons 1939-1942
Cairo, IL: Cairo Egyptians 1903; Cairo Champions 1904; Cairo Giants 1905-1906; Cairo Egyptians 1911-1914; Cairo Egyptians 1922-1924; Cairo Egyptians 1946-1948; Cairo Dodgers 1949-1950
Central City, KY: Central City Reds 1954
Clarksville, TN: Clarksville Villagers 1903; Clarksville Grays 1904; Clarksville Volunteers 1910; Clarksville Billies 1911; Clarksville Rebels 1912; Clarksville Boosters 1913-1914; Clarksville Volunteers 1916; Clarksville Owls 1946; Clarksville Colts 1947-1949
Danville, IL: Danville Old Soldiers 1906
Dawson Springs, KY: Dawson Springs 1916
Dyersburg, TN: Dyersburg Forked Deers 1923; Dyersburg Deers 1924, moved to Tri-State League 1925
Evansville, IN: Evansville Yankees 1912
Fulton, KY: Fulton Colonels 1911; Fulton Railroaders 1922-1924; Fulton Eagles 1936-1938; Fulton Tigers 1939-1942; Fulton Bulldogs 1946; Fulton Chicks 1947-1948; Fulton Railroaders 1949-1951; Fulton Lookouts 1952-1955
Harrisburg, IL: Harrisburg Merchants 1910-1911, moved from Southern Illinois League mid-1910; Harrisburg Coal Miners 1913
Henderson, KY: Henderson Blue Birds 1903-1904; Henderson Hens 1905; Henderson Hens 1911-1914; Henderson Hens 1916
Hopkinsville, KY: Hopkinsville Browns 1903-1904; Hopkinsville Hoppers 1905; Hopkinsville Hoppers 1910-1914; Hopkinsville Hoppers 1916; Hopkinsville Hoppers 1922-1923; Hopkinsville Hoppers 1935-1942, 1946-1954
Jackson, TN: Jackson Railroaders 1903; Jackson 1911; Jackson Blue Jays 1924; Jackson Generals 1935-1942; Jackson Generals 1950-1954
Jacksonville, IL: Jacksonville Jacks 1906
Lexington, TN: Lexington Giants 1935-1938
Madisonville, KY: Madisonville Miners 1916; Madisonville Miners 1922; Madisonville Miners 1946-1955
Mattoon, IL & Charleston, IL: Mattoon-Charleston Canaries 1906
Mayfield, KY: Mayfield Pantsmakers 1922-1924; Mayfield Clothiers 1936-1938; Mayfield Browns 1939-1941; Mayfield Clothiers 1946-1955
McLeansboro, IL: McLeansboro Billikens 1910; McLeansboro Miners 1911
Milan, TN: Milan-Trenton Twins 1923
Owensboro, KY: Owensboro Distillers 1903; Owensboro Distillers 1913-1914; Owensboro Distillers 1916; Owensboro Pirates 1936; Owensboro Oilers 1937-1942, 1946-1955
Paducah, KY: Paducah Chiefs 1903; Paducah Indians 1904-1906, 1910; Paducah Polecats 1911; Paducah Chiefs 1912-1913; Paducah Indians 1914, 1922-1923; Paducah Red Birds 1935; Paducah Indians 1936-1941; Paducah Chiefs 1951-1955, moved from Mississippi-Ohio Valley League 1949-1950
Paris, TN: Paris Travelers 1922; Paris Parisians 1923-1924
Portageville, MO: Portageville Pirates 1935-1936
Princeton, KY: Princeton Infants 1905
Springfield, TN: Springfield Blanketmakers 1923
Trenton, TN: Trenton Reds 1922; Milan-Trenton Twins 1923
Union City, TN: Union City Greyhounds 1935-1942, 1946-1952; Union City Dodgers 1953-1955
Vincennes, IN: Vincennes Alices 1903; Vincennes Reds 1904; Vincennes Alices 1905-1906; Vincennes Alices 1910; Vincennes Hoosiers 1911; Vincennes Alices 1913

[edit] Kitty League 1903 through 1955

[edit] 1903 - 1906

Year	Champion	W	L	PCT	Runner-up	W	L	PCT	GB
1903	Cairo Egyptians	67	41	.620	Clarksville Villagers	60	43	.583	4.5
1904	Paducah Indians	73	48	.603	Cairo Champions	72	49	.595	1
1905	Paducah Indians	68	35	.660	Vincennes Alices	65	41	.613	4.5
1906	Vincennes Alices	76	49	.608	Jacksonville Jacks	67	58	.536	9

[edit] 1910 - 1914

Year	Champion	W	L	PCT	Runner-up	W	L	PCT	GB
1910	Vincennes Alices	64	54	.542	Clarksville Villagers	55	60	.478	7.5
1911	Hopkinsville Hoppers	78	46	.629	Fulton Colonels	67	58	.536	11.5
1912	Clarksville Rebels	68	29	.701	Henderson Hens	52	48	.520	17.5
1913	Paducah Chiefs	80	47	.630	Clarksville Boosters	78	47	.624	1
1914	Cairo Egyptians	77	46	.626	Owensboro Distillers	66	55	.545	10

[edit] 1916

Year	Champion	W	L	PCT		Runner-up	W	L	PCT	GB
1916	Clarksville Volunteers	50	24	.676		Henderson Hens	44	30	.595	6

The league disbanded August 4th.

[edit] 1922-1924

Year	Champion	W	L	PCT	Runner-up	W	L	PCT	GB
1922	Madisonville Miners	73	39	.652	Hopkinsville Hoppers	62	51	.549	11.5
1923	Mayfield Pantsmakers	59	43	.578	Fulton Railroaders	61	45	.575	-
1924	Dyersburg Deers	60	48	.556	Paris Parisians	59	50	.541	1.5

[edit] 1935 - 1955

Year	Champion	W	L	PCT	Runner-up	W	L	PCT	GB
1935	Jackson Generals	50	42	.543	Union City Greyhounds	49	43	.533	1
1936	Paducah Indians#	73	45	.619	Union City Greyhounds	73	45	.619	0
1937	Union City Greyhounds	73	46	.613	Hopkinsville Hoppers	71	50	.587	3
1938	Hopkinsville Hoppers	76	53	.589	Jackson Generals	74	54	.578	1.5
1939	Mayfield Browns	76	49	.608	Bowling Green Barons	75	51	.595	1.5
1940	Bowling Green Barons	75	50	.600	Paducah Indians	75	71	.595	.5
1941	Jackson Generals	84	43	.661	Hopkinsville Hoppers	69	57	.548	14.5
1942	Fulton Tigers	30	14	.682	Bowling Green Barons	31	15	.674	0##
1943	44,45 No league WW II
1946	Owensboro Oilers	83	39	.680	Hopkinsville Hoppers	73	53	.579	12
1947	Owensboro Oilers	77	48	.616	Mayfield Clothiers	72	52	.581	4.5
1948	Hopkinsville Hoppers	85	41	.675	Union City Greyhounds	79	46	.632	5.5
1949	Owensboro Oilers	82	40	.672	Cairo Dodgers	74	51	.592	9.5
1950	Mayfield Clothiers	73	45	.609	Fulton Railroaders	69	50	.580	4.5
1951	Fulton Railroaders	73	46	.613	Owensboro Oilers	71	48	.597	2
1952	Fulton Lookouts	82	37	.689	Paducah Chiefs	67	53	.558	15.5
1953	Fulton Lookouts	70	50	.583	Madisonville Miners	67	53	.558	3
1954	Union City Dodgers	76	40	.665	Fulton Lookouts	69	47	.595	7
1955	Paducah Chiefs	64	39	.621	Mayfield Clothiers	65	43	.602	1.5

Footnotes:
1936:# Union City wins 1 game, Paducah 0, to break tie for league title.
1942:## League disbanded June 19.
As of this date the league has not operated since 1955.

[edit] League Records 1903-1955

Batting
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr	Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr
Earl Browne	Owensboro	BA	.429	46	Carol Peterson	Fulton	AB	566	41
Vincent Mullen	Fulton	Runs	141	40	Frank McElyea	Owensboro	H	208	40
Ned Waldrop	Fulton	RBI	159	54	Mike Powers	Bowling Green	2B	60	40
Andy Lotshaw	Jacksonville	3B	24	06	Edward Urban	Owensboro	HR	34	40
Vern Stephens	Mayfield	TB	323	39	Bill Roland	Cairo	Sac	51	06
Don Hazleton	Owensboro	SB	84	49	Wayne Blackburn	Owensboro	BB	154	51
Francis Babrys	Madisonville	SO	147	49

Pitching
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr	Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr
Elmer Weening	Fulton	GA	56	37	Ellis Kinder	Jackson	CG	29	40
Carl Gaiser	Jackson	W	26	41	Paul Gehringer	Fulton	L	19	49
Carl Dunagan	Dyersburg	Pct	.905,19-2	24	Bill Howard	Paducah	ERA	1.29	51
Cecil Hutson	Lexington	IP	294	38	Alvin Brown	Fulton	ShO	6	52
Bob Schultz	Fulton	SO	361	46	Mike Conovan	Jackson	BB	224	52