The Bozeman Irrigators were a

minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

team based in

Bozeman, Montana Bozeman ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. The 2020 United States census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it Montana's fourth-largest city. It is the principal city of the Bozeman, Montan ...

. In 1909, the Irrigators played a partial season as members of the Class D level Inter-Mountain League. The Irrigators were preceded by an 1892 Bozeman team, which played as members of the Class B level Montana State League.

History

Bozeman, Montana first hosted minor league baseball in 1892, when the Bozeman team became a member of the six–team, Class B level Montana State League, a league that played a split–season schedule. The

Butte In geomorphology, a butte ( ) is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and table (landform), tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from the French l ...

, Great Falls Smelter Cities,

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Missoula Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot River, Bitterroot and Blackfoot River (Montana), ...

and Philipsburg Burgers teams joined Bozeman in league play. Bozeman folded during the 1892 season. On July 23, 1892, the team disbanded at the start of the second half. Bozeman folded with an overall record of 10–8, playing the season under manager B.E. Vaile. The Great Falls Smelter Cities team folded from the league on the same day. The 1892 Montana State League finished the season schedule with four teams and folded after the season was completed. Minor league baseball returned to Bozeman during the 1909 season. On July 10, 1909, the Boise Irrigators of the Class D level Inter-Mountain League moved to Bozeman to finish the 1909 season. Boise had compiled a 13–38 record when the franchise moved to Bozeman on July 10. Bozeman hosted their first home game on July 15, 1909. On July 25, 1909, the Inter-Mountain League disbanded during the season. The Boise/Bozeman team ended the season with a record of 16–41, placing fourth in the four–team Inter-Mountain League, finishing 22.0 games behind the first place Helena Senators. The team was managed by Con Strouthers and Joe Marshall. Bozeman, Montana has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

The name of the Bozeman minor league ballpark(s) is not directly referenced. The Gallatin County Fairgrounds were in use in the era, first constructed in 1903. Still in use today, the fairgrounds host amateur baseball at Heros Park. 23796 3283 540 Screen shot 2014 08 02 at 2 27 47 PM

23796 3283 540 Screen shot 2014 08 02 at 2 27 47 PM

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

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 ...

(1892) * Harry Gardner (1909) * Charlie Hoover (1892) * Joe Marshall (1909, MGR) * Joe Miller (1892) * Joe Moffet (1892) * Con Strouthers (1909, MGR) *

Bozeman Irrigators players Bozeman ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. The 2020 United States census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it Montana's fourth-largest city. It is the principal city of the Bozeman, Montan ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Bozeman - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in Montana Baseball teams established in 1892 Baseball teams disestablished in 1909 Bozeman, Montana Gallatin County, Montana Sports in Bozeman, Montana