Bloomington Bloomers
| Bloomington Bloomers 1888–1939 (1937-1939, 1935, 1919-1931, 1912-1917, 1899–1910, 1895, 1888-1889) Bloomington, Illinois | |
| Minor league affiliations | |
|---|---|
| Previous classes |
|
Previous leagues |
|
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
|
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 4 (1903, 1919-1920, 1935) |
| Team data | |
Previous names | Bloomington Bloomers (1938-1939, 1935, 1919-1929, 1903-1917) Bloomington Bengals (1937) Bloomington Cubs (1930-1931) Bloomington Blues (1899-1902) Bloomington Reds (1888-1889) |
Previous parks | Fans Field (1901-1939) |
The Bloomington Bloomers were a minor League baseball franchise based in Bloomington, Illinois that played between 1889 and 1939. They were affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals (1935), Cleveland Indians (1938) and Chicago Cubs (1939). They played primarily in the Illinois-Iowa-Indiana League during their existence. Their home park was Fans Field.[1] Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees Burleigh Grimes and Clark Griffith played for Bloomington.
League championships[]
In 1903, they won the league championship under manager . They won back-to-back league championships in 1919 and 1920 under the guidance of Joe Dunn. Their final league championship came in 1935, under manager and future Hall of Famer Burleigh Grimes.[2]
The ballpark[]
In the seasons of play from 1901-1939, Bloomington played at Fans Field, located at 109 E. Lafayette Street. Today, the site still has baseball fields as part of the City of Bloomington Park and Recreation system. It is now known as RT Dunn Fields.[3]
Notable alumni[]
Baseball Hall of Fame alumni[]
- Clark Griffith (1888) Inducted, 1946
- Burleigh Grimes (1935) Inducted, 1964
Notable alumni[]
- Hal Peck (1939)
- Johnny Schmitz (1939) 2 X MLB All-Star; 1946 NL Strikeout Leader
- Jack Hallett (1938)
- Blix Donnelly (1937)
- Xavier Rescigno (1937)
- Bill Cox (1935)
- Howie Krist (1935)
- Max Macon (1935)
- Hersh Martin (1935) MLB All-Star
- Howard Maple (1930–31) Played in National Football League and MLB
- Hy Vandenberg (1930–31)
- Bruce Campbell (baseball) (1930)
- Jack Tobin (1930)
- Tommy Thompson (1929)
- Boom-Boom Beck (1925)
- Phil Collins (1924)
- Mack Allison (1922)
- Bob Fothergill (1920)
- Paul Zahniser (1920)
- Butch Henline (1919) MLB Player; MLB Umpire 1945-1948
- Heinie Sand (1919)
- Don Marion (1916–17)
- Elam Vangilder (1917)
- Jim Bluejacket (1912–14, 1916)
- Ray Schmandt (1915–16)
- Harry Bay (1912) 2× AL Stolen Base Leader (1903, 1904)
- Les Nunamaker (1910)
- George Cutshaw (1908–09)
- Bill Steen (1909)
- Art Wilson (1906–08)
- George Moriarty (1902) MLB MGR; MLB Umpire 1917-1940
- George Keefe (1900)
- Pop Dillon (1895)
- Alfred Lawson (1889) Aviation Pioneer
- Joe Farrell (1888)
References[]
- ^ a b "Bloomington, Illinois Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Bloomington Bloomers - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ History, Bill Kemp | Archivist/historian McLean County Museum of. "Built for professional baseball, Fans' Field ended as county fairground". pantagraph.com.
External links[]
- Defunct minor league baseball teams
- Defunct baseball teams in Illinois
- Sports teams in Bloomington–Normal
- Professional baseball teams in Illinois
- St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliates
- Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League teams
- Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates
- Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates
- Baseball teams established in 1888
- Baseball teams disestablished in 1939
- 1888 establishments in Illinois
- 1939 disestablishments in Illinois