Wikipedia

Border League (baseball)

(Redirected from Eastern Michigan League)

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.

Border League
ClassificationClass D (1912–1913)
Class C (1946–1951)
SportMinor League Baseball
First season1912
Ceased1951
PresidentRichard Jackson (1912)
A. L. Ulbrich (1913)
John G. Ward (1946–1951)
No. of teams8
CountryUnited States of America
Most titles2
Ogdensburg Maples (1948, 1950)

1912–1913 league in Michigan and Ontario

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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]

1912–1913 cities and teams

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1946–1951 league in New York, Ontario and Quebec

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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]

1946–1951 cities and teams

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Standings & statistics

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1912 & 1913

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1912 Border League schedule

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Wyandotte Alkalis 19 5 .792 – H. R. Brown
Pontiac Indians 14 9 .609 4.5 Henry McIntoch
Mount Clemens Bathers 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

No Playoffs Scheduled.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Frank Loranger Wyandotte BA .376 Frank Loranger Wyandotte Hits 37
Orville Woodruff Wyandotte Runs 21

1913 Border League schedule

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Ypsilanti 24 10 .706 – W. C. Pearce
Wyandotte Alkalis 24 13 .649 1.5 H. R. Browne
Port Huron Independents 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
Mount Clemens Bathers 7 9 .437 NA W.Trombley

Mount Clemens disbanded July 12.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
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

Home Runs: 4 players tied with 2 each.

1946 to 1951

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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
Kingston Ponies 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
Sherbrooke Canadiens 46 71 .393 26.5 25,576 George T. Smith / Dutch Proecher

Playoffs: Kingston 3 games, Auburn 1. Watertown 3 games, Granby 1.
Finals: Watertown 4 games, Kingston 2.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
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

1947 Border League schedule

Team standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Ottawa Nationals 82 42 .661 – 62,607 Paul Dean
Watertown Athletics 70 54 .565 12.0 53,600 Bob Shawkey
Auburn Cayugas 66 60 .524 17.0 59,637 Barney Hearn
Ogdensburg Maples 61 65 .484 22.0 63,486 Steve Yerkes
Kingston Ponies 49 77 .389 34.0 52,268 Ben Lady
Geneva Red Birds 46 76 .377 35.0 57,308 Charles Small

Playoffs: Ottawa 4 games, Auburn 0. Ogdensburg 4 games, Watertown 3.
Finals: Ottawa 4 games, Ogdensburg 2.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Barney Hearn Auburn BA .361 Frank Fanovich 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

1948 Border League schedule

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 Charles Small
Ogdensburg Maples 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
Auburn Cayugas 49 78 .386 30.0 43,102 Barney Hearn

Playoffs: Ogdensburg 4 games, Ottawa 1. Watertown 4 games, Geneva 3.
Finals: Ogdensburg 4 games, Watertown 0.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
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

1949 Border League schedule

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
Ogdensburg Maples 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 Frank Heller
Kingston Ponies 38 91 .295 42.5 38,671 Zeke Bonura / Harold Leach

Playoffs: Geneva 4 games, Ogdensburg 3. Auburn 4 games, Ottawa 3.
Finals: Geneva 4 games, Auburn 2.

Player Statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
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

1950 Border League schedule

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
Kingston Ponies 68 60 .531 7.0 52,453 Barney Hearn
Watertown Athletics 60 68 .469 15.0 65,329 Frank Heller
Geneva Robins 56 71 .441 18.5 42,353 Charles Small / Clyde Theriault
Auburn Cayugas 50 77 .394 24.5 41,755 Bill Sisler /
Tom Accardo / Bill Gates

Playoffs: Ottawa 4 games, Kingston 1. Ogdensburg 4 games, Watertown 1.
Finals: Ogdensburg 4 games, Ottawa 2.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
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

1951 Border League

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
Cornwall Canadians 29 18 .617 NA 4,892 Bill Metzig
Auburn Cayugas 26 26 .500 NA 13,826 Bill Gates
Watertown Athletics 22 30 .423 NA 18,055 Bob Shawkey
Geneva Robins 20 30 .400 NA 12,405 Humberto Baez

Cornwall and Geneva disbanded June 26; Auburn and Watertown disbanded July 1.
The league disbanded July 16. Last game played on July 10.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
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

[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Lloyd Johnson; Miles Wolff, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
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