The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball.

History

The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

and

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

The second league, played from 1904–1914, and had member clubs in

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The League contested its 1904 championship game in Philadelphia between York and Williamsport and attracted 3,500 fans to the Phillies' ball park Charles F. Carpenter was president from 1906 to 1913. During the 1920s, two versions of the Tri-State League briefly existed: a 1924 loop with clubs in

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

and

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...

, and a 1925–1926 association located in

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

and

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

. In the late 1930s another iteration existed for two years, composed of six teams from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

and

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

in its first season, and just four teams excluding Indiana in its second. The most recent incarnation of the league was the post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Tri-State, a Class B circuit with clubs in Tennessee,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

and

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. This league, which played from 1946–1955, typically included clubs in

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, Asheville, Knoxville, Rock Hill and

Spartanburg Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest city in the state. For a time, the Offi ...

; most of its teams were affiliated with

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

farm system In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

s. The attendance crisis in the minor leagues of the 1950s—and the defection of clubs like Charlotte to higher-classification loops—eventually took its toll on the Tri-State League. In its last season,

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijiangs ...

, there were only four clubs in the league. Its last champion was the Spartanburg Peaches, an affiliate of the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

. There were teams in southern Maryland that played in a "Tri-State League" in at least the 60s, 70s, and the 80s. There was a team called the Pomonkey Giants associated with a Pomonkey social club in Pomonkey Maryland. They played teams in Berry Road near La Plata, Maryland and in Hughesville among others. It was very much a rural league and almost totally black players. The team is mentioned in the obituary of a player and coach, George Dyson, Jr in 2020. One of the most extensive discussions of this Tri-State League explains how integration of Major League baseball led to the demise of the

Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

. It became neighborhood baseball.

Teams

1887

* Played as

Ohio State League The Ohio State League was a minor league baseball league that operated in numerous seasons between 1887 and 1947, predominantly as a Class D level league. League franchises were based in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. ...

1888–1890

* Akron Akrons (1890) *

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

(1888, 1890) * Canton Nadjys (1889) * Columbus Senators (1888) * Dayton Reds (1889–1890) *

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...

(1889) * Jackson Jaxons (1888) * Kalamazoo Kazoos (1888) * Lima Lushers (1888) * Mansfield Pioneers (1890) * McKeesport Tubers (1890) * Sandusky Fish Eaters (1888) * Springfield (1889–1890) * Toledo Maumees (1888) * Wheeling Nail Cities (1888) *

Wheeling Nailers The Wheeling Nailers are a professional ECHL ice hockey team based in Wheeling, West Virginia. They are the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey L ...

(1889–1890) * Youngstown Giants (1890) * Zanesville Kickapoos (1888)

1904–1914

* Allentown (1912–1914) * Altoona Mountaineers (1904–1909) * Altoona Rams (1910–1912) *

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

(1912–1913) * Camden (1904) *

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

(1912) * Harrisburg Senators (1904–1914) *

Johnstown Johnnies Johnstown may refer to: Places Australia * Johnstown, Queensland, a locality split between the Southern Burnett Region and the Gympie Region, Queensland Canada * Johnstown, Nova Scotia * Johnstown, Ontario, United Counties of Leeds and Grenvi ...

(1905–1908) * Johnstown Jawns (1909) * Johnstown Johns (1910–1912) *

Lancaster Red Roses The Lancaster Red Roses baseball team, originally known as the Maroons, changed its name at the start of the 1906 season during a bitter match with the York, Pennsylvania-based White Roses. Some sources indicate that the rival teams were named fo ...

(1905–1912, 1914) *

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...

(1904) *

Reading Pretzels Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...

(1907–1912, 1914) * Shamokin (1905) *

Trenton Tigers The Trenton Tigers were an American basketball team based in Trenton, New Jersey that was a member of the American Basketball League. In the 1946/47 season, the team made it to the championship playoffs where they were to meet the Baltimore Bu ...

1907–1914 * Williamsport Millionaires (1904–1910) * Wilmington Peaches (1904–1908) * Wilmington Chicks (1911–1914) * York Penn Parks (1904) * York White Roses (1905–1907, 1909–1914)

1924

* Beatrice Blues * Grand Island Islanders *

Hastings Cubs Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west at ...

* Norfolk Elk Horns * Sioux City Cardinals *

Sioux Falls Canaries The Sioux Falls Canaries are a professional baseball team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The Canaries are members of the North Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major L ...

1925–1926

* Blytheville Tigers (1925–1926) * Corinth Corinthians (1925–1926) * Dyersburg Deers (1925) *

Jackson Giants Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, ...

(1925) *

Jackson Jays The Jackson Jays were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Jackson, Tennessee, from 1924 to 1926. They competed in the Class D Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY League) in 1924 as the Jackson Blue Jays. They moved to the Class ...

(1926) *

Jonesboro Buffaloes Jonesboro or Jonesborough is the name of a number of settlements in the United States and the United Kingdom: United States * Jonesboro, Arkansas ** Jonesboro massacre, a school shooting incident *Jonesboro, Georgia, originally Jonesborough **Batt ...

(1925–1926) * Sheffield-Tuscumbia Twins (1926) * Tupelo Wolves (1925–1926)

1938–1939

* Chicago Harley Mills (1938–1939) * Elgin All-Stars (1938) * Fort Wayne Harvesters (1938) *

Madison Blues "Madison Blues" is a blues song by American blues musician Elmore James. It is an upbeat Chicago-style shuffle featuring James' amplified slide guitar and vocal. He recorded it in 1960 for Chess Records, during a session that also produced " Ta ...

(1938–1939) * Sheboygan Chairmakers (1938–1939) * Spencer Coals (1938–1939)

1946–1955

* Anderson A's (1946) * Anderson Rebels (1947–1954) *

Asheville Tourists The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in differe ...

(1946–1955) *

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

(1946–1953) * Fayetteville Cubs (1947–1948) * Florence Steelers (1948–1950) * Gastonia Rockets (1952–1953) *

Greenville Spinners The Greenville Spinners was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams located in Greenville, South Carolina between 1907 and 1962. Greenville teams played as members of the South Carolina League in 1907, Carolina Association (1908–191 ...

(1951–1952, 1954–1955) * Greenwood Tigers (1951) * Knoxville Smokies (1946–1952, 1954) * Reidsville Luckies (1947) *

Rock Hill Chiefs The Rock Hill Chiefs was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA between 1908 and 1968. Rock Hill teams played as members of the South Carolina League (1908), Tri-State League (1947–1955) and West ...

(1947–1955) * Shelby Cubs (1946) * Spartanburg Spartans (1946) * Spartanburg Peaches (1947–1955) *

Sumter Chicks The Sumter Chicks were a minor league baseball team based in Sumter, South Carolina, United States that played in the Tri-State League in 1949 and 1950. History The Sumter Chicks were preceded by the Sumter Game Cocks, who played as members of the ...

(1949–1950) ''Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'' – Lloyd Johnson, Miles Wolff. Publisher: Baseball America, 1993. Language: English. Format: Paperback, 420pp.

References

External links