Border League | |
Sport: | Minor League Baseball |
President: | Richard Jackson (1912) A. L. Ulbrich (1913) John G. Ward (1946–1951) |
Teams: | 8 |
Country: | United States of America |
Continent: | or |
Continents: | --> |
Most Champs: | 2 Ogdensburg Maples (1948, 1950) |
Classification: | Class D (1912–1913) Class C (1946–1951) |
The Border League was the name of two 20th century circuits in North America minor league baseball. The first Border league operated in the 1912 and 1913 seasons as a Class D level league with five teams based in Michigan and one in Ontario. The Border League resumed play from 1946 to 1951 as a Class C level minor league, with teams based in New York, Quebec and Ontario.
The first, also known as the Eastern Michigan League, was a Class D minor league in 1912 and 1913 at the Canada–US border. It was composed of five teams from Michigan and one from Windsor, Ontario. This six-team league never really got off the ground, playing a minimal 35 game schedule. The league lost one Michigan team that disbanded in 1913. This action helped cause the league's downfall. There was no known effort to organize the league in 1914.[1]
Mount Clemens Bathers 1912–1913
Port Huron Independents 1912–1913
Pontiac Indians 1912–1913
Windsor 1912–1913
Wyandotte Alkalis 1912–1913
Ypsilanti 1913
The name was revived for a post-World War II Class C circuit that operated from 1946 through 1951 before shutting down. It was represented by nine cities, five from across the Canada–US border (four from Ontario and one from Quebec) and four from the state of New York. The four New York, teams, along with the Kingston, Ontario, squad were able to make the full run. The Ottawa Senators entry won three of the league's six pennants.[1]
The league proved to be a good solid competitive group for the first five years. Attendance was good, the league drew over 1,600,000 fans the first five years before finally disbanding on July 16, 1951.[1]
Auburn Cayugas 1946–1950, Auburn Falcons 1951
Cornwall Canadians 1951
Geneva Red Birds 1947, Geneva Robins 1948–1951
Granby Red Sox 1946
Kingston Ponies 1946–1951
Ogdensburg Maples 1946–1951
Ottawa Nationals 1947, Ottawa Senators 1948–1949, Ottawa Nationals 1950
Sherbrooke Canadians 1946
Watertown Athletics 1946–1951
1912 Border Leagueschedule
Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wyandotte Alkalis | 19 | 5 | .792 | – | H. R. Brown | |
Pontiac Indians | 14 | 9 | .609 | 4.5 | Henry McIntoch | |
11 | 15 | .423 | 9.0 | W. Trombley | ||
Windsor | 9 | 14 | .391 | 9.5 | J. Wilkie | |
Port Huron Independents | 7 | 17 | .292 | 12.0 | Bill Brown |
Frank Loranger | Wyandotte | BA | .376 | Frank Loranger | Wyandotte | Hits | 37 | |
Orville Woodruff | Wyandotte | Runs | 21 |
Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ypsilanti | 24 | 10 | .706 | – | W. C. Pearce | |
Wyandotte Alkalis | 24 | 13 | .649 | 1.5 | H. R. Browne | |
15 | 19 | .441 | 9.0 | Bill Brown | ||
Pontiac Indians | 13 | 18 | .418 | 9.5 | Henry McIntoch | |
Windsor | 10 | 24 | .294 | 14.0 | James Wilkie / Arthur Goodman | |
7 | 9 | .437 | NA | W.Trombley |
Jack Shafer | Ypsilanti | BA | .395 | Ferdy Manning | Wyandotte | W | 10 | ||
Carl Stimpson | Ypsilanti | Runs | 30 | George Mueller | Port Huron | SO | 149 | ||
Orville Woodruff | Wyandotte | Hits | 49 | Ralph Bell | Ypsilanti | Pct | 1.000; 6–0 |
1946 Border League
Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Auburn Cayugas | 72 | 44 | .621 | – | 48,683 | Barney Hearn | |
Watertown Athletics | 69 | 51 | .575 | 5.0 | 53,605 | Jim Scott | |
58 | 55 | .513 | 12.5 | 60,957 | Ben Lady | ||
Granby Red Sox | 54 | 60 | .474 | 17.0 | 31,159 | Bill Sisler / Hal Cleves | |
Ogdensburg Maples | 50 | 68 | .424 | 23.0 | 28,395 | Bob Dill | |
46 | 71 | .393 | 26.5 | 25,576 | George T. Smith / Dutch Proecher |
Bob Dill | Ogdenburg | BA | .397 | Arnold Jarrell | Kingston | W | 21 | |
Bob Dill | Ogdenburg | RBI | 118 | Peter Karpuk | Kingston | SO | 175 | |
Bob Dill | Ogdenburg | HR | 20 | Arnold Jarrell | Kingston | ERA | 2.30 | |
James Heximer | Kingston | Hits | 156 |
Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ottawa Nationals | 82 | 42 | .661 | – | 62,607 | ||
Watertown Athletics | 70 | 54 | .565 | 12.0 | 53,600 | ||
66 | 60 | .524 | 17.0 | 59,637 | Barney Hearn | ||
Ogdensburg Maples | 61 | 65 | .484 | 22.0 | 63,486 | ||
Kingston Ponies | 49 | 77 | .389 | 34.0 | 52,268 | Ben Lady | |
46 | 76 | .377 | 35.0 | 57,308 |
Barney Hearn | Auburn | BA | .361 | Watertown | W | 16 | |||
Anthony Gudaitis | Ogdensburg | Runs | 122 | Arnold Jarrell | Kingston | W | 16 | ||
Fred Gerken | Watertown | Hits | 172 | Charles Schupp | Ottawa | W | 16 | ||
Donald Phelps | Geneva | RBI | 103 | Nick Butcher | Ottawa | W | 16 | ||
Donald Phelps | Geneva | HR | 25 | Frank Fanovich | Watertown | SO | 182 | ||
Anthony Gudaitis | Geneva | HR | 25 | Frank Fanovich | Watertown | ERA | 2.41 |
Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ottawa Senators | 79 | 48 | .622 | – | 76,299 | Bill Metzig | |
Geneva Robins | 72 | 54 | .571 | 6.5 | 66,149 | ||
69 | 60 | .535 | 11.0 | 60,116 | Russ Wein | ||
Watertown Athletics | 63 | 65 | .492 | 16.5 | 65,590 | Fred Gerken | |
Kingston Ponies | 49 | 76 | .392 | 29.0 | 40,656 | Ben Lady | |
49 | 78 | .386 | 30.0 | 43,102 | Barney Hearn |
Garland Lawing | Ogdensburg | BA | .379 | Leonard Seamon | Ottawa | W | 21 | |
Garland Lawing | Ogdensburg | Runs | 112 | Arthur Cook | Kingston | W | 21 | |
Garland Lawing | Ogdensburg | Hits | 164 | Bill Gates | Watertown | SO | 232 | |
Garland Lawing | Ogdensburg | RBI | 122 | Leonard Seamon | Ottawa | ERA | 2.00 | |
Bill Reardon | Kingston | HR | 24 |
Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Geneva Robins | 81 | 49 | .623 | – | 67,259 | Charles Small | |
Ottawa Senators | 74 | 55 | .574 | 6.5 | 78,577 | Bill Metzig | |
70 | 60 | .538 | 11 | 58,749 | Russ Wein | ||
Auburn Cayugas | 67 | 62 | .519 | 13.5 | 55.634 | Barney Hearn | |
Watertown Athletics | 58 | 71 | .450 | 22.5 | 61,026 | ||
38 | 91 | .295 | 42.5 | 38,671 | Zeke Bonura / Harold Leach |
Doug Harvey | Ottawa | BA | .351 | Donald Bryant | Ogdensburg | W | 20 | ||
Doug Harvey | Ottawa | Runs | 121 | Bill Forst | Geneva | SO | 170 | ||
William Scally | Ogdensburg | Hits | 177 | Robert Sundstrom | Geneva | ERA | 2.29 | ||
Doug Harvey | Ottawa | RBI | 109 | Pete Kousagen | Geneva | HR | 22 |
Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ottawa Nationals | 75 | 53 | .586 | – | 97,091 | Bill Metzig | |
Ogdensburg Maples | 74 | 54 | .578 | 1.0 | 55,291 | Russ Wein | |
68 | 60 | .531 | 7.0 | 52,453 | Barney Hearn | ||
Watertown Athletics | 60 | 68 | .469 | 15.0 | 65,329 | ||
Geneva Robins | 56 | 71 | .441 | 18.5 | 42,353 | Charles Small / Clyde Theriault | |
50 | 77 | .394 | 24.5 | 41,755 | Bill Sisler / Tom Accardo / Bill Gates |
John Sosh | Ogdensburg | BA | .348 | Harry Pilarski | Kingston | W | 19 | |
Peter Karpuk | Ottawa | Runs | 111 | Norm Gosselin | Geneva | W | 19 | |
Irvin Schupp | Ogdensburg | Hits | 173 | Joseph Greco | Ogdensburg | SO | 204 | |
Peter Kousagan | Geneva | RBI | 125 | Edward Flanagan | Ottawa | ERA | 1.96 | |
Peter Kousagan | Geneva | HR | 31 |
Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kingston Ponies | 38 | 25 | .603 | – | 13,862 | Barney Hearn | |
Ogdensburg Maples | 29 | 35 | .453 | 9.5 | 13,978 | John Sosh / Irvin Schupp | |
29 | 18 | .617 | NA | 4,892 | Bill Metzig | ||
26 | 26 | .500 | NA | 13,826 | Bill Gates | ||
Watertown Athletics | 22 | 30 | .423 | NA | 18,055 | ||
20 | 30 | .400 | NA | 12,405 | Humberto Baez |
Bob Masterson | Auburn | BA | .394 | Gideon Applegate | Kingston | W | 10 | |
Pedro Arroyo | Kingston | Runs | 53 | Bill Gates | Auburn | SO | 94 | |
Pedro Arroyo | Kingston | Hits | 79 | Gideon Applegate | Kingston | ERA | 2.85 | |
Olav Kollevoll | Ogdensburg | RBI | 57 | John Sosh | Ogdensburg | HR | 12 | |
Olav Kollevoll | Ogdensburg | HR | 12 |