Nebraska City Forresters

The Nebraska City Forresters were a minor league baseball franchise based in Nebraska City, Nebraska from 1910 to 1913. The Nebraska City team played exclusively as members of the Class D level Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League. Nebraska City won the 1912 Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League championship.

History[]

Minor league baseball began in Nebraska City in 1910, when the city first hosted a team. The 1910 Nebraska City Forresters began play as charter members of the six–team Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League, which was known informally as the MINK League. Nebraska City played with the Auburn Athletics, Clarinda Antelopes, Falls City Colts, Maryville Comets and Shenandoah Pin Rollers as charter members in the new league.^[1][2][3]

In their first season, with the business district closing for the game, the Forresters drew over 1,000 fans on opening day for their game against Clarinda. The mayor of Nebraska City threw out the first pitch and the ball was auctioned off for the winning bid of $2.50. The 1910 Nebraska City Forresters finished with a record of 43–55, placing 6th in the Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League standings, 14.5 games behind the champion Falls City Colts. The 1910 Foresters were managed by Bonwell. Playing home games at the 15th Street ballpark, Nebraska City had total season attendance of 13,111 an average of 268 fans per game and season gate receipts of $3,922.24. After the season, team treasurer H.O Rice reported the franchise had a deficit of $637.00 for the season. Player salaries were published in the local newspaper along with team receipts. Turk Richter was the highest paid Nebraska City player, earning $271.95 for the season.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][3][10][11]}

Nebraska had Sunday laws in many jurisdictions in the era and the Nebraska City franchise had reached agreement with the local ministerial alliance that games would not be played on Sunday. On Sunday, June 26, 1910 several Nebraska City players played in a game and were arrested on a complaint from Reverend J.A. Koser after playing in a "pick up game" at Driving Park in Beatrice, Nebraska.^[7][12][13]

The 1911 Nebraska City Forresters finished last in the Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League for the second consecutive season. The Forresters ended the 1911 season with a record of 40–60, placing 6th and finishing 19.0 games behind the 1st place Maryville Comets/Humboldt Infants in the Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League final standings. Daniel Nee, Clyde Pinkerton and T.A. Wilson were the 1911 Forresters managers and 35 players were used during the season. A local business near the ballpark granted the team use of newly installed "shower baths" . T.A. Wilson also served as the MINK League president in 1911. Playing at age 18, Nebraska city's Les Mann led the league in runs scored with 78. Mann had won two and placed in five events in the Nebraska state high school track meet as a junior, before missing the event in his senior year to report to Nebraska City to play baseball.^{[14][6][15][13][9][3][16][17][18][19]}

In 1912, Nebraska City won the Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League Championship. The Forresters ended the 1912 season with a record of 61–38, finishing 1.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Falls City Colts. Ducky Holmes managed the Forresters to the championship. During the season, Falls City was in 1st place for most of June and July. Nebraska City was in 3rd place at the end of July before starting a winning streak that led them to 1st place and the Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League championship. Forrester Milt Drumm, tied for the league lead in runs scored with 65 and pitcher Conway had a 15–6 record to lead the league in win percentage.^{[20][21][22][9][3][23][24]}

After winning the Championship, the town of Nebraska city held a "Beefstake" dinner to honor the Forresters. Three players, Marshall, Pat Conway and Cummings missed the event after being immediately signed by the Sioux City Packers of the Western League.^[25]

In their final season, the 1913 Nebraska City Forresters folded, along with the rest of the Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League during the season. In 1913, Nebraska City began playing their Sunday games at the Driving Park in Beatrice Nebraska as a compromise with the local ministerial alliance. The Falls City Colts and Humboldt Infants franchises both disbanded on June 17, 1913, causing the four–team MINK league to collapse. The Nebraska City Forresters ended their final of the Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League season with a record of 15–17 losses, and were in 2nd place when the league folded. Jack Forrester served as manager, as the Forresters stopped play while 9.0 games behind the 1st place Auburn Athletics. Jack Forrester was immediately hired to be an umpire in the Nebraska State League after the Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League folded. Nebraska City has not hosted another minor league franchise.^{[26][27][28][9][3][29][30]}

The ballpark[]

The Nebraska City Foresters were noted to have played home games at the 15th Street Ballpark in Nebraska City. Bleachers were added to the ballpark before the Foresters began play in 1910. A nearby business installed showers for the players. Nebraska City also played some Sunday games at the Driving Park in Beatrice, Nebraska due to local Sunday Laws and as a compromise with the local ministerial alliance.^{[5][7][31][12][13]}

Nebraska City - 1918

Timeline[]

Year–by–year records[]

Notable alumni[]

• Ducky Holmes (1912, MGR)
• Les Mann (1910–1911)

See also[]

Nebraska City Forresters players

References[]

External links[]

• Baseball Reference Bullpen