The Bloomington Bloomers were a

minor League Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

baseball franchise based in

Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census showed the city had a population of 78,680, making it the List of municipalities in Illinois, 13th-most populous ci ...

that played between 1889 and 1939. They were affiliates of the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

(1935),

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 , the team ...

(1938) and

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

(1939). They played primarily in the Illinois-Iowa-Indiana League during their existence. Their home park was Fans Field.

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...

Inductees

Burleigh Grimes Burleigh Arland Grimes (August 18, 1893 – December 6, 1985) was an American professional baseball player and manager, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. Grimes made the most of this advantage, as well as his unsh ...

and

Clark Griffith Clark Calvin Griffith (November 20, 1869 – October 27, 1955, ), nicknamed "the Old Fox", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, manager and team owner. He began his MLB playing career with the St. Louis Browns (1891), Boston Re ...

played for Bloomington. Clark Griffith 1903

League championships

In 1903, the Bloomers won their first

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a Class B level Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymo ...

championship, playing the season under manager William Connors. The Bloomers won back-to-back lIllinois–Indiana–Iowa League championships in 1919 and 1920 under leadership of manager Joe Dunn in both championship seasons. Their final league championship came in 1935, when the Bloomers won the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League title, playing the season under manager and

member

The ballpark

In the seasons of play between 1901 through 1939, Bloomington hosted minor league games at Fans Field in Bloomington. The ballpark was located at 109 East Lafayette Street in Bloomington, Illinois. Today, the site is still in use as a public park with baseball fields and is part of the City of Bloomington Park and Recreation system. Today, the baseball park is known as RT Dunn Fields.

Notable alumni

(1888) Inducted

, 1946 *

(1935, MGR) Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1964 * Hal Peck (1939) *

Johnny Schmitz John Albert Schmitz (November 27, 1920 – October 1, 2011) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who worked in 366 games over 13 seasons as a member of the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Se ...

(1939) 2x MLB All-Star *

Jack Hallett Jack Price Hallett (November 13, 1914 – June 11, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants of Major League Baseball between 1940 and 1948. He was a , right- ...

(1938) *

Blix Donnelly Sylvester Urban "Blix" Donnelly (January 21, 1914 – June 20, 1976) was an American professional baseball pitcher. A right-hander, Donnelly appeared in 190 Major League Baseball (MLB) games between and for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelph ...

(1937) *

Xavier Rescigno Xavier Frederick Rescigno (October 13, 1912 – December 24, 2005) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1943 to 1945. The , right-hander was a native of New York, ...

(1937) *

Bill Cox William Cox, Will Cox, Bill Cox, or Billy Cox may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Bill Cox (1897–1968), American country and folk musician *Billy Cox (born 1941), American bassist best known for playing with guitarist Jimi Hendrix * Will Cox ...

(1935) *

Howie Krist Howard Wilbur Krist (February 28, 1916 – April 23, 1989) was an American pitcher who played Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1946. He was nicknamed “Howie” by his family and "Spud" during his baseball career, the latter in reference to h ...

(1935) *

Max Macon Max Cullen Macon (October 14, 1915 – August 5, 1989) was an American Major League Baseball player, a Minor League Baseball, minor league player-manager and pitching coach, and a professional baseball scout (sports), scout. Born in Pensacola, ...

(1935) *

Hersh Martin Hershel Ray Martin (September 19, 1909 – November 17, 1980) was an American professional baseball player and scout. An outfielder born in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised in Ponca City, Oklahoma, Martin played for 23 seasons, mostly in minor le ...

(1935) MLB All-Star * Howard Maple (1930–1931) *

Hy Vandenberg Harold Harris "Hy" Vandenberg (March 17, 1906 – July 31, 1994) born in Abilene, Kansas, was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (1935), New York Giants (1937–40) and Chicago Cubs (1944–45). Vandenberg helped the Giants win the 1937 National ...

(1930–1931) *

Bruce Campbell (baseball) Bruce Campbell (October 20, 1909 – June 17, 1995) was an American professional baseball right fielder from 1930 to 1942. Campbell began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Chicago White Sox, but had very little playing time in the m ...

(1930) * Jack Tobin (1930) *

Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American politician who served as the 19th United States secretary of Health and Human Services from 2001 to 2005 in the Presidency of George W. Bush, cabinet of President of the United State ...

(1929) *

Boom-Boom Beck Walter William "Boom-Boom" Beck (October 16, 1904 – May 7, 1987) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played 12 seasons in the Major Leagues with the St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Detro ...

(1925) *

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...

(1924) * Mack Allison (1922) *

Bob Fothergill Robert Roy Fothergill (August 16, 1897 – March 20, 1938), often referred to by the nicknames "Fats" and "Fatty" because of his weight and "the People's Choice" due to his popularity with the fans, was an American professional baseball player. ...

(1920) * Paul Zahniser (1920) * Butch Henline (1919) * Heinie Sand (1919) * Don Marion (1916–1917) *

Elam Vangilder Elam Russell Vangilder (April 23, 1896 – April 30, 1977) was an American professional baseball pitcher in the Major Leagues from –. He played for the St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers. An effective pitcher despite his high walk rate, Vang ...

(1917) *

Jim Bluejacket Jim Bluejacket (born William Lincoln Smith July 8, 1887 – March 26, 1947) was a major league pitcher in the early 20th century. Bluejacket played for the Brooklyn Tip-Tops (–) and Cincinnati Reds (). Personal life When he started playing ...

(1912–1914, 1916) * Ray Schmandt (1915–16) * Harry Bay (1912) 2× AL Stolen Base Leader (1903, 1904) *

Les Nunamaker Leslie Grant Nunamaker (January 25, 1889 – November 14, 1938) was an American catcher for the Boston Red Sox (1911–14), New York Yankees (1914–17), St. Louis Browns (1918) and Cleveland Indians (1919–22). He helped the Red Sox win the ...

(1910) *

George Cutshaw George William Cutshaw (July 29, 1886 – August 22, 1973), nicknamed "Clancy", was an American professional baseball second baseman. He played twelve seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1912 to 1923 for the Brooklyn Dodgers/Robins, Pitt ...

(1908–1909) * Bill Steen (1909) *

Art Wilson Arthur Earl "Dutch" Wilson (December 11, 1885 – June 12, 1960) was an American professional baseball player. He played all or part of fourteen seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a catcher. Wilson spent most of his career as a back ...

(1906–1908) *

George Moriarty George Joseph Moriarty (July 7, 1884 – April 8, 1964) was an American third baseman, umpire (baseball), umpire and manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1903 to 1940. He played for the Chicago Cubs, New York High ...

(1902) *

George Keefe George Washington Keefe (January 7, 1867 – August 24, 1935) was an American professional baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Buffalo Bisons, and Washington Statesmen ...

(1900) *

Pop Dillon Frank Edward Dillon (October 17, 1873 – September 12, 1931), known in later years as Pop Dillon, was an American baseball player and manager. He played 22 seasons in professional baseball from 1894 to 1915, including five years in Major Leagu ...

(1895) *

Alfred Lawson Alfred William Lawson (March 24, 1869 – November 29, 1954) was an English-born professional baseball player, aviator, and utopian philosopher. He played baseball, managed and promoted leagues from 1887 through 1916, and pioneered the U.S. air ...

(1889) Aviation Pioneer *

Joe Farrell Joseph Carl Firrantello (December 16, 1937 – January 10, 1986), known as Joe Farrell, was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who primarily performed as a saxophonist and flutist. He is best known for a series of albums under his own name o ...

(1888)

References

{{Reflist

External links

Bloomington Bloomers - Pantagraph
Defunct minor league baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in Illinois Sports clubs and 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