The Oklahoma State League was a Class D level minor baseball league based in Oklahoma that existed in 1912 and again from 1922 to 1924. L.S. Dodds (1912), Leo Meyer (1912), C.E. Plott (1922), E.A. Daniels (1922–1924) and A.L. Ragan (1924) served as presidents of the league. Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell played in the league, making his professional debut with the 1923 Cushing Refiners.[1]
History
The league was represented by eight teams in 1912: the Anadarko Indians, Holdenville Hitters, McAlester Miners, Muskogee Indians, Oklahoma City Senators, Okmulgee Glassblowers, Tulsa Terriers and Guthrie Spas. The league disbanded on July 29, with the Glassblowers in first place and the Guthrie team in last.
Another incarnation of the league came about in 1922, represented by the Chickasha Chicks, Clinton Bulldogs, Duncan Oilers, El Reno Railroaders, Wilson Drillers and Guthrie Linters team. The Duncan Oilers finished first in the league regular season standings, with the Chickasha Chicks becoming the league champions, winning the league's playoff series.
In 1923, the league was represented by the Cushing Refiners, Bristow Producers, Duncan Oilers, Clinton Bulldogs, El Reno Railroaders, Shawnee Indians, Drumright Boosters/Ponca City Poncans and the Guthrie Linters. The Refiners finished in first in the regular season and Bristow won the league championship.
The league played its final season in 1924, represented by the Ardmore Bearcats/Pawhuska Huskies, Bristow Producers, Cushing Refiners, Shawnee Indians, Duncan Oilers, Ponca City Poncans, Blackwell Gassers and the McAlester Diggers, also based in Guthrie, Wewoka and Enid. The league disbanded on July 8, with Ardmore/Pawhuska in first and the Guthrie/McAlester/Wewoka/Enid Harvesters team in last place.[2]
Cities represented
- Anadarko, OK: Anadarko Indians 1912
- Ardmore, OK: Ardmore Bearcats 1924
- Blackwell, OK: Blackwell Gassers 1924
- Bristow, OK: Bristow Producers 1923–1924
- Chickasha, OK: Chickasha Chicks 1922
- Clinton, OK: Clinton Bulldogs 1922–1923
- Cushing, OK: Cushing Refiners 1923–1924
- Drumright, OK: Drumright Boosters 1923
- Duncan, OK: Duncan Oilers 1922-1924
- El Reno, OK: El Reno Railroaders 1922–1923
- Enid, OK: Enid 1924
- Eufaula, OK: Eufaula (1912)
- Guthrie, OK: Guthrie Spas 1912; Guthrie Linters 1922–1924
- Holdenville, OK: Holdenville Hitters 1912
- McAlester, OK: McAlester Miners 1912; McAlester Diggers 1924
- Muskogee, OK: Muskogee Indians 1912
- Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma City Senators 1912
- Okmulgee, OK: Okmulgee Glassblowers 1912
- Pawhuska, OK: Pawhuska Huskies 1924
- Ponca City, OK: Ponca City Poncans 1923-1924
- Shawnee, OK: Shawnee Indians 1923–1924
- Tulsa, OK: Tulsa Terriers 1912
- Wewoka, OK & Holdenville, OK: Wewoka-Holdenville 1924
- Wilson, OK: Wilson Drillers 1922
Standings & statistics
1912
1912 Oklahoma State League schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okmulgee Glassblowers | 37 | 9 | .792 | – | Frank Garner |
| Tulsa Terriers | 33 | 15 | .688 | 5.0 | Howard Price |
| Anadarko Indians | 24 | 23 | .511 | 13.5 | Roy Ellison / Thomas Reed / Ted Price |
| Holdenville Hitters | 21 | 23 | .477 | 15.0 | Al Vorhees / James Bouldin / John Hendley |
| McAlester Miners | 21 | 25 | .457 | 16.0 | Jerry Kane |
| Muskogee Indians | 19 | 24 | .442 | 16.5 | Victor Kelly / Dick Speer |
| Oklahoma City Senators | 15 | 33 | .313 | 23.0 | Bill Reukauff / Leo Langley |
| Guthrie Spas | 15 | 33 | .313 | 23.0 | Chick Leutke |
| Enid | 1 | 4 | .200 | NA | Ted Price |
| Eufaula | 2 | 2 | .500 | NA | Joe Langley |
League played a split–season schedule. Oklahoma City disbanded June 21. Andarko moved to Enid June 28; Oklahoma City moved to Eufaula June 28; Okmulgee folded June 29
The league officially disbanded July 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wynn | Muskogee | BA | .430 | Ben Tincup | Muskogee | SO | 163 |
1922 to 1924
1922 Oklahoma State League schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duncan Oilers | 65 | 44 | .596 | – | John Fant |
| Clinton Bulldogs | 64 | 46 | .582 | 1.5 | Jim Lawrence |
| Chickasha Chicks | 55 | 55 | .500 | 10.5 | Jim Fitzgerald / Larry McLean |
| El Reno Railroaders | 53 | 56 | .486 | 12.0 | Virgil Moss |
| Guthrie Linters | 48 | 59 | .449 | 16.0 | Mike Balenti |
| Wilson Drillers | 40 | 65 | .381 | 23.0 | Jim Payne / Jew Hellman |
Chickasha became a road team in the second half.
Playoff: Chickasha 4 games, Clinton 0.
1923 Oklahoma State League schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duncan Oilers | 71 | 53 | .573 | – | Larry McLean |
| Cushing Refiners | 67 | 53 | .558 | 2.0 | Ned Pettigrew |
| Bristow Producers | 66 | 56 | .541 | 4.0 | Jim Payne / Ralph Heatley |
| Clinton Bulldogs | 63 | 60 | .512 | 7.5 | Huber Dennis |
| Shawnee Indians | 54 | 60 | .474 | 12.0 | Clyde Wren |
| El Reno Railroaders | 56 | 63 | .471 | 12.5 | Harry Burge |
| Guthrie Linters | 57 | 64 | .471 | 12.5 | Billy Williams |
| Drumright Boosters / Ponca City Poncans |
46 | 71 | .393 | 21.5 | Frank McGaha / Carl Wiggins / J.E. Jones |
Drumright (11–21) moved to Ponca City June 7.
Playoff: Bristow 4 games, Duncan 0.
1924 Oklahoma State League schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardmore Bearcats/ Pawhuska Huskies |
52 | 21 | .712 | – | Drap Hayes |
| Bristow Producers | 48 | 21 | .696 | 2.0 | Ralph Heatley |
| Cushing Refiners | 49 | 27 | .645 | 4.5 | Ned Pettigrew |
| Shawnee Indians | 40 | 37 | .519 | 14.0 | Larry McLean |
| Duncan Oilers | 33 | 37 | .471 | 17.5 | John Fant |
| Ponca City Poncans | 32 | 44 | .421 | 21.5 | Huber Dennis |
| Blackwell Gassers | 20 | 53 | .274 | 32.0 | J. Rustenhaven / Hal Grun |
| Guthrie / McAlester / Wewoka-Holdenville / Enid |
18 | 48 | .272 | 30.5 | M. Robertson / Ted Lipps |
Guthrie (8–18) moved to McAlester May 24; Ardmore (30–13) moved to Pawhuska June 8; McAlester (3–13) moved to Wewoka-Holdenville June 8, Wewoka-Holdenville moved to Enid in late June; Duncan disbanded July 6.
The league disbanded July 8.[2]
References
- ^ "Carl Hubbell Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ a b c The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.
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