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Arkansas State League

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Arkansas State League
ClassificationIndependent (1894, 1897)
Class D (1908–1909, 1934–1935)
SportMinor League Baseball
First season1894
Ceased1935
Replaced byArkansas-Missouri League
PresidentHarry S. Edwards (1897)
T. J. Craighead (1908)
W. W. Hurst (1909)
R. M. Rider (1909)
Frank E. Matthews (1934)
Charles Morgan (1934–1935)
No. of teams22
CountryUnited States of America
Most titles2
Little Rock 1894, 1897
Rogers (1934–1935)
Related
competitions
Northeast Arkansas League
Arkansas-Texas League

The Arkansas State League was an American minor league baseball league that played in various seasons between 1894 and 1935, forming three different times. The first version was in operation in 1894, followed by an 1897 league. The Class D level league operated from 1908 to 1909 in Arkansas and Louisiana and also in 1934 to 1935 in Arkansas and Missouri. In 1936, the league evolved to become the Arkansas-Missouri League. Little Rock and Rogers each won two league championships.

Cities represented

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[1]

Standings & statistics

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1894 & 1897

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1894 Arkansas State League

Team standings W L PCT GB Manager
Little Rock Rose Buds 11 5 .688 - NA
Morrilton Cotton Pickers 10 5 .667 0.5 Massey
Camden Rainmakers 7 10 .412 4.5 NA
Hot Springs Bathers 3 11 .214 7.0 NA
Fort Smith Indians NA NA NA NA Rogers
Texarkana NA NA NA NA NA

Season ended June 23[2]
1897 Arkansas State League

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Little Rock Senators 21 7 .750 - Harry Edwards
Hot Springs Bathers 17 15 .531 6.0 Dudley Payne
Fort Smith Indians 15 23 .395 10.0 Hardin
Texarkana Nobles 9 23 .281 14.0 Thomas Browner

After the league disbanded August 18, Little Rock and Hot Springs played a 21-game series for the championship of Arkansas.

[1][3]

1908 & 1909

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1908 Arkansas State League

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Hot Springs Giants 78 38 .672 - Arthur Riggs / W. Forbes
Newport Pearl Diggers 65 44 .596 9.5 Robert Shelton
Helena Ponies 67 48 .583 10.5 Rudolph Kling
Pine Bluff Pine Knotts 51 61 .455 24.0 Walter Deaver / Al Sullivan
Argenta Shamrocks 49 68 .419 28.5 James Kerwin / Roy Geyer /
Charles Reece / Arthur Riggs
Poplar Bluff Tigers /
Brinkley Infants
28 79 .262 45.5 Al Sullivan / Lee Dawkins

Poplar Bluff was replaced by Brinkley June 8. No Playoffs were scheduled.[4]

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Elmer Coyle Hot Springs BA .376 Lucky Wright Hot Springs W 27
Elmer Coyle Hot Springs Runs 134 Hippo Vaughn Hot Springs Pct .900; 9-1
Elmer Coyle Hot Springs Hits 178 Herbert Benham Helena SB 65

1909 Arkansas State League

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Jonesboro Zebras 42 27 .609 - Senter Rainey / Harry Welch
Helena Hellions 39 25 .609 0.5 C. A. Vandergriff
Texarkana 34 35 .493 8.0 Robert Shelton
Hot Springs Vaporites 33 37 .471 9.5 Arthur Riggs / Elmer Coyle
Monroe Municipals /
Newport-Batesville Pearl Diggers
25 38 .397 14.0 W. Dobard
Ft. Smith Soldiers 27 42 .391 15.0 Hugo Bezdek / Dad Ritter
Argenta Shamrocks 26 19 .578 NA Dad Ritter
Alexandria Hoo Hoos 20 23 .465 NA John Auslet

Argenta & Alexandria disbanded June 7; Monroe moved to Newport-Batesville July 1.
League disbanded July 7.[1][5]

1934 & 1935

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1934 Arkansas State League
The Arkansas State League reformed with four teams. Franchises based in Bentonville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Rogers, Arkansas, and Siloam Springs, Arkansas joined. The winners of the first and second halves of the season played for the league championship at the end of the year.

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Bentonville Officeholders 40 35 .533 - Red Wilson /
Tom McGill / Ed Hawk
Siloam Springs Buffaloes 37 34 .521 1.0 Clyde Glass
Rogers Rustlers 36 35 .507 2.0 Ed Hawk / Pete Casey
Fayetteville Educators 33 42 .440 7.0 Fred Hawn / Frank Matthews

Playoff: Rogers defeated Siloam Springs 5–2 in a one-game playoff for the first half title. Bentonville was declared second half winner when Fayetteville and Siloam Springs folded August 19.
Finals: Rogers defeated Bentonville 4 games to 3 for the championship.[1][6]

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
John Graves Siloam Springs BA .387 Maurice Wollard Bentonville W 12
Bill Beams Bentonville Runs 61 Everette Hill Siloam Springs Pct .889; 8-1
Parker Rushing Fayetteville Hits 96 Bill Beams Bentonville HR 12
Clyde Glass Siloam Springs RBI 67

1935 Arkansas State League
The league expanded, adding the franchises in Cassville, Missouri and Huntsville, Arkansas to expand from four teams to six teams.

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Siloam Springs Travelers 66 43 .606 - Ray Powell
Rogers Cardinals 59 50 .541 7.0 Fred Cato / Frank Stapleton
Cassville Tigers 54 48 .529 8.5 Ed Hawk
Bentonville Officeholders 51 56 .477 14.0 Bud Davis
Fayetteville Bears 45 56 .446 17.0 Pete Casey / Fred Cato
Huntsville Red Birds 41 63 .394 22.5 Jim Nicely /
Charles Wilson / Bill Werner

Playoff: Rogers (1st half winner) defeated Siloam Springs (2nd half winner) 4 games to 3 for the championship.[1][7]

All teams continued play in the renamed 1936 Arkansas–Missouri League. The Arkansas State League folded.[8]

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Duane Kratzer Cassville BA .397 Jumbo Brown Bentonville W 20
Howard Roberts Cassville Runs 89 George Gibson Bentonville W 20
Wilbur Davis Bentonville Hits 146 Johnny John Cassville SO 147
Wilbur Davis Bentonville RBI 93 Jumbo Brown Bentonville ERA 2.97
Howard Roberts Cassville HR 21

[1]

References

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  • Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. Minor League Baseball Standings:All North American Leagues, Through 1999. Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0781-6

Hall, John G. "Majoring in The Minors." Oklahoma Bylines-Transcript Press, Norman, Oklahoma 1996 and republished 2000 by Inter-State Printing, Sedalia, Mo. ISBN 1-882336-09-7.