The Central Kansas League was a Class D level baseball league established in 1908, playing through 1912. Member teams were based exclusively in

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. The Central Kansas League evolved from and into the Kansas State League.

History

The original Kansas State League ceased independent operations in 1911, combined with the Central Kansas League. After five seasons of play, the Central Kansas League subsequently changed its name to back to the Kansas State League for the 1913 and 1914 seasons before disestablishing. The league champions in 1909 and 1910 were the Ellsworth Blues. There is an ongoing debate about whether former US President Dwight Eisenhower played professional baseball in 1911 for the Junction City Soldiers prior to attending

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

Cities represented

This is a complete list of the teams which played under the Central Kansas League. * Abilene, KS: Abilene Red Sox (1909); Abilene Reds (1910) *

Beloit, KS Beloit is a city in and the county seat of Mitchell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,404. History On permanent organization of the county in 1870, Beloit was selected as the county sea ...

: Beloit (1909–1910) * Chapman, KS: Chapman (1910) * Clay Center, KS: Clay Center Cubs (1909–1911) * Concordia, KS: Concordia Travelers (1910–1911) * Ellsworth, KS: Ellsworth Worthies (1908–1910) * Great Bend, KS: Great Bend Millers (1912) *

Junction City, KS Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 22,932. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby. History Junction City is so named from its ...

: Junction City Soldiers (1909–1912) * Little River, KS:

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

(1908) * Lyons, KS: Lyons Lions (1912) *

Manhattan, KS Manhattan is a city in and the county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States, although the city extends into Pottawatomie County. It is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. As of the 2020 ...

: Manhattan Maroons (1909–1911); Manhattan Giants (1912) * McPherson, KS: McPherson Merry Macks (1908) * Minneapolis, KS: Minneapolis Minnies (1908–1909, 1912) *

Newton, KS Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 18,602. Newton is located north of Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. The city of North ...

: Newton Browns (1908); Newton Railroaders (1912) * Salina, KS: Salina Trade Winners (1908–1910); Salina Insurgents (1912)

Standings & statistics

1908 Central Kansas League
schedule
1909 Central Kansas League No Playoffs held 1910 Central Kansas League
schedule
Beloit moved to Chapman July 20. 1911 Central Kansas League The league disbanded July 21.
Playoff: Concordia 4 games, Junction City 3. 1912 Central Kansas League
schedule
Newton moved to Minneapolis July 12.
No Playoffs held

Notable players

* Fred Blanding (played under a pseudonym) * Harry Chapman * John Misse *

Ross Reynolds Ross Ernest Reynolds (August 20, 1887 – June 23, 1970), nicknamed "Doc", was a right-handed American baseball pitcher. He played professional baseball for five years from 1912 to 1916, including two seasons in Major League Baseball for the De ...

Harry Short Harry Bernard Short (1 September 1864 – 15 April 1937) was a Conservative member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was born in Bear River, Nova Scotia and became a corporate manager and municipal politician. Short attended school ...

* Chick Smith

References

{{Professional Baseball Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Kansas Sports leagues established in 1908 Sports leagues disestablished in 1912 1908 establishments in Kansas 1912 disestablishments in Kansas