The Harrisburg Miners was the primary moniker of the Minor League Baseball team that played in Harrisburg, Illinois, from 1910 to 1911 and 1913.[1] They began the 1910 season as members of the Class D Southern Illinois League (SIL) as the Harrisburg Merchants.[1] The league disbanded on July 11,[2] and the Merchants moved to the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY League) on July 24.[3] Their SIL record was 6–17 (.261).[2] In the KITTY League, they went 29–29 (.500).[3]
| Harrisburg Miners | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class | Class D (1910–1911, 1913) |
| League |
|
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team | Unaffiliated |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (0) | None |
| Team data | |
| Name |
|
| Ballpark | Unknown |
They continued in the KITTY League in 1911 as the Harrisburg Miners. The Miners won their season opener on the road against the McLeansboro Miners, 4–1, on May 17.[4] On August 13, the league's directors voted to transfer the team to Jackson, Tennessee.[5] The team's management claimed to have lost some US$1,700 due to poor attendance.[5] Harrisburg won its last two games, 3–1 and 3–0, in a doubleheader on the road against the Fulton Colonels on August 12.[6] The team's record in Harrisburg was 8–15 (.348).[7] The franchise relocated to Jackson where it became the Jackson Climbers.[7]
The Harrisburg Coal Miners returned to play in the 1913 KITTY League. The team finished 42–85 to place 7th in the eight–team league, playing under player/manager King Brockett. The Harrisburg franchise did not return to play in 1914, as the league reduced to six teams.[8][9]
Notable alumni
editThe only member of the Miners team to also play in Major League Baseball was Ernie Gust (1910–1911), who played three games with the St. Louis Browns in August 1911.[10]
- Dallas Bradshaw (1913)
- King Brockett (1913, player/MGR)
- Ernie Gust (1910–1911)
- Fred Ostendorf (1913)
References
edit- ^ a b "Sports in Harrisburg, Illinois". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ a b "1910 Southern Illinois League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ a b "1910 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "Kitty League". Nashville Banner. Nashville. May 18, 1911. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Just Off the Bat". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. Paducah. August 14, 1911. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "At Fulton". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. Paducah. August 14, 1911. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "1911 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "1913 Harrisburg Coal Miners Statistics".
- ^ "Harrisburg, Illinois Encyclopedia".
- ^ "Ernie Gust Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 22, 2020.