Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
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The Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League was a Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 years, mostly in those three states. It was popularly known as the Three-I League and also sometimes jokingly as the Three-Eye League.
The league began play in 1901 and disbanded after the 1961 season. It had also been inactive during some years of World War I, the Great Depression and World War II, following the lead of many minor leagues that suspended operations or failed during those severe times.
As with many minor leagues, especially at the lower classifications, its membership floated a great deal over its six decades. At various times it had teams in such medium-sized cities as Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Bloomington, Decatur, Danville, Peoria, Springfield, Evansville and Terre Haute.
It was a Class B league in the old classification system that ran from Class D up to Class Triple-A. Since 1961 its territory has largely been supplanted by the Midwest League, which began as a Class D organization in 1947 and is now Class A under the restructuring of the minors that occurred in 1963.
The league's unique name made it a convenient reference point for any mention of the minor leagues. Casey Stengel made the following comment in later life, evidently still feeling stung from having been traded by the New York Giants to the Boston Braves in the 1923-1924 off-season, despite having hit 2 game-winning home runs in the World Series: "It's lucky I didn't hit 3 home runs in three games, or McGraw would have traded me to the 3-I League!"
1901
Bloomington, Indiana, Decatur, Illinois and Terre Haute, Indiana left the Central League and joined this league. New teams in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Davenport, Iowa, Evansville, Indiana, Rockford, Illinois, and Rock Island, Illinois formed and joined the league. Two of the teams, Davenport and Evansville, chose "River Rats" as their team name.
| Team Name | Record |
| Terre Haute Hottentots | 72-39 |
| Bloomington Blues | 68-44 |
| Cedar Rapids Rabbits | 67-45 |
| Rockford Red Sox | 57-55 |
| Davenport River Rats | 51-61 |
| Evansville River Rats | 47-65 |
| Rock Island Islanders | 45-66 |
| Decatur Commodores | 40-72 |
1902
| Rockford Red Sox | 74-52 |
| Terre Haute Hottentots | 70-53 |
| Cedar Rapids Rabbits | 64-55 |
| Rock Island Islanders | 58-61 |
| Davenport River Rats | 59-63 |
| Evansville River Rats | 57-67 |
| Decatur Commodores | 55-69 |
| Bloomington Blues | 54-71 |
1903
Evansville and Terre Haute joined the Central League. New teams in Dubuque, Iowa and Joliet, Illinois formed. Joliet, with a record of 14-19, moved to Springfield, Illinois on June 12, where they had a record of 28-61.
| Bloomington Bloomers | 72-47 |
| Decatur Commodores | 67-51 |
| Davenport River Rats | 65-53 |
| Rock Island Islanders | 64-54 |
| Cedar Rapids Rabbits | 60-60 |
| Rockford Red Sox | 58-60 |
| Dubuque Shamrocks | 49-72 |
| Joliet Standards/Springfield Foot Trackers | 42-80 |
1904
| Springfield Hustlers | 72-48 |
| Cedar Rapids Rabbits | 70-52 |
| Dubuque Shamrocks | 69-54 |
| Bloomington Bloomers | 60-61 |
| Decatur Commodores | 59-62 |
| Rock Island Islanders | 57-65 |
| Davenport River Rats | 52-69 |
| Rockford Red Sox | 48-76 |
1905
The Rockford team folded, and a new team in Peoria, Illinois formed.
| Dubuque Shamrocks | 70-53 |
| Rock Island Islanders | 68-55 |
| Springfield Senators | 64-58 |
| Decatur Commodores | 63-58 |
| Cedar Rapids Rabbits | 63-61 |
| Bloomington Bloomers | 60-65 |
| Davenport Riversides | 56-67 |
| Peoria Distillers | 48-75 |
After the season ended, Cedar Rapids lost to the Burlington, Iowa team from the Iowa State League 4 games to 3.
1906
| Cedar Rapids Rabbits | 79-43 |
| Peoria Distillers | 74-48 |
| Dubuque Dubs | 64-55 |
| Springfield Senators | 64-56 |
| Rock Island Islanders | 58-66 |
| Decatur Commodores | 48-67 |
| Bloomington Bloomers | 51-74 |
| Davenport Knickerbockers | 45-74 |
1907
The Davenport team folded. The team from Clinton, Iowa joined after leaving the Iowa State League.
| Rock Island Islanders | 86-46 |
| Decatur Commodores | 80-47 |
| Springfield Senators | 81-50 |
| Peoria Distillers | 77-52 |
| Cedar Rapids Rabbits | 72-61 |
| Clinton Infants | 53-78 |
| Bloomington Bloomers | 51-79 |
| Dubuque Dubs | 22-109 |
1908
| Springfield Senators | 82-54 |
| Decatur Commodores | 77-59 |
| Cedar Rapids Rabbits | 69-63 |
| Peoria Distillers | 77-52 |
| Dubuque Dubs | 67-69 |
| Bloomington Bloomers | 64-73 |
| Rock Island Islanders | 59-76 |
| Clinton Infants | 55-78 |
1909
The Clinton team folded. A new team in Davenport, Iowa formed.
| Rock Island Islanders | 90-48 |
| Springfield Senators | 81-53 |
| Davenport Prodigals | 77-59 |
| Burlington Bloomers | 70-67 |
| Peoria Distillers | 69-67 |
| Dubuque Dubs | 64-71 |
| Decatur Commodores | 63-73 |
| Cedar Rapids Rabbits | 31-107 |
1910
After the previous disappointing season, Cedar Rapids folded. The Decatur team moved to the the Northern Association. The team from Waterloo, Iowa left the Central Association to join here. A new team from Danville, Illinois formed and joined the league as well.
| Springfield Senators | 88-48 |
| Rock Island Islanders | 81-56 |
| Peoria Distillers | 75-64 |
| Waterloo Boosters | 72-67 |
| Bloomington Bloomers | 60-76 |
| Dubuque Dubs | 60-79 |
| Davenport Prodigals | 59-80 |
| Danville Speakers | 57-82 |
1911
The team from Bloomington folded. The Quincy, Illinois team from the Central Association joined the league. The Springfield team, with a 12-4 record, moved to Decatur, Illinois on May 31, where their record was 57-56.
1912
The teams from Rock Island and Waterloo folded. New teams from Springfield, Illinois and Bloomington, Indiana joined the league.
1913
1914
The Danville team, with a record of 26-53, moved to Moline, Illinois on July 14, where their record was 20-33.
1915
The Springfield team folded. A new team in Rockport, Illinois formed. Dubuque moved to Freeport, Illinois during the season. The Decatur team folded on August 10. The league adopted a playoff system in which the team with the best record in the first half of the season would play the team with the best record in the second half of the season.
Moline beat Davenport 4 games to 2 for the title.
1916
The Freeport team folded. New teams in Hannibal, Missouri and Rock Island, Illinois formed and joined the league. The playoff system was apparently dropped.
1917
The Davenport team folded. A new team in Alton, Illinois formed and joined the league.
1918
The league suspended operations because of [[World War I].1919
The teams in Alton, Hannibal, Quincy, and Rock Island folded. New teams in Evansville, Indiana and Terre Haute, Indiana formed and joined the league.
1920
New teams in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois formed and joined the league.
1921
1922
The teams in Cedar Rapids and Rock Island moved to the Mississippi Valley League. New teams in Danville and Decatur formed and joines the league.
1923
1924
The Rockford team folded. The Moline team moved to the Mississippi Valley League.
1925
New teams in Quincy and Springfield formed and joined the league.
1926
Springfield played Bay City of the Michigan State League and won 4 games to none. They were leading against Des Moines of the [
1928
The league returned to the playoff format in which the team with the best record in the first half of the season played the team with the best records in the second half of the season for the title.Decatur beat Terre Haute for the title 4 games to 1, with 1 tie.
1929
Two teams with the nickname "Tractors" played in the league this season.Quincy played Canton of the Central League after the season ended and lost 4 games to 2.
1930
The league returned to the best record in the 1st half vs. best record in the 2nd half playoff system.
Danville defeated Evansville 4 games to 2 for the title. Danville went on to play Springfield of the Central League and lead 3 games to 2 when the series was cancelled because of poor attendance.
1931
Quincy beat Springfield 4 games to 2 for the championship.
1932
The teams in Bloomington and Evansville folded before the season, and the Springfield and Decatur teams folded on July 12.
The Terre Haute, Peoria, Quincy, and Danville teams all folded on July 15, as did the league itself.
References
- Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. Minor League Baseball Standings:All North American Leagues, Through 1999. Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland. ISBN 0786407816
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