The Eastern Illinois League was a Class-D league in
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 ...
that existed during the 1907 and 1908 baseball seasons. The league president as of 1907 was
L. A. G. Shoaff.
According to the 1908
Spalding Guide There have been several Baseball Guides since the 19th century - the ''Spalding Guide'' and ''Reach Guide'' were the primary ones for decades. The two merged eventually and then were replaced by the Guides put out by ''The Sporting News''. The main ...
, the league got its start in
Pana, IL and the league's "godfather" was
Joe Adams, also known as "Old Wagon Tongue."
[ In 1907, teams had a salary limit of $600.][
]
Cities represented
*Centralia, Illinois
Centralia is a city in Clinton, Jefferson, Marion, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Illinois with the largest portion in Marion County. The city is the largest in three counties, Clinton, Marion, and Washington, but it is not a ...
: Centralia White Stockings (1907)
*Charleston, Illinois
Charleston is a city in and the county seat of Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,286, as of the 2020 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor, Mattoon, Illinois, Ma ...
: Charleston Broom Corn Cutters (1907); Charleston Evangelists (1908)
*Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The populations was 29,204 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Danville micropolitan area.
History
The area that is now Danville was on ...
: Danville Speakers Danville or Dansville may refer to:
Places
Canada
*Danville, Quebec
United States
*Danville, Alabama
* Danville, Arkansas
*Danville, California
*Danville, Georgia
*Danville, Illinois
*Danville, Indiana
* Danville, Iowa
*Danville, Kansas
*Danvil ...
(1908)
*Linton, Indiana
Linton is a city in Stockton Township, Greene County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,133 at the 2020 census. A coal mining city, it is located southeast of Terre Haute.
Linton is part of the Bloomington, Indiana, metropolitan ...
: Linton (1908)
*Mattoon, Illinois
Mattoon ( ) is a city in Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 16,870 as of the 2020 census. The city is home to Lake Land College and has close ties with its neighbor, Charleston, Illinois, Charleston. Both are principal cit ...
: Mattoon Giants (1907-1908)
*Pana, Illinois
Pana is a small town in Christian County, Illinois, United States. A small portion is in Shelby County. The population was 5,199 at the 2020 census.
History
The area around Pana was first organized as Stone Coal Precinct in 1845. The count ...
: Pana Coal Miners (1907-1908)
*Paris, Illinois
Paris is a city in Edgar County, Illinois, south of Chicago and west of Indianapolis. The population was 8,291 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Edgar County, Illinois, Edgar County.
History
Paris was established i ...
: Paris Colts (1907); Paris Parisians (1908)
*Shelbyville, Illinois
Shelbyville is a city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Illinois, Shelby County, Illinois, United States, along the Kaskaskia River. As of the 2020 census, the population was at 4,674. HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital, located in town, is the c ...
: Shelbyville Queen Citys (1907-1908)
*Staunton, Illinois
Staunton is the second largest city in Macoupin County, Illinois, Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 5,054.
History
Name origins
A settler named Stanton bought land in ...
: Staunton Speakers
The Staunton Speakers were a minor league baseball team based in Staunton, Illinois in 1908. The Staunton Speakers played briefly as members of the Class D (baseball), Class D level Eastern Illinois League, which folded during the 1908 season. Afte ...
(1908)
*Taylorville, Illinois
Taylorville is a city in and the county seat of Christian County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,506 at the 2020 census, making it the county's largest city.
History
Taylorville was founded on May 24, 1839, and was named after J ...
: Taylorville Tailors (1907-1908)
*Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in, and the county seat of, Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. It was founded in 1732 by F ...
: Vincennes Alices (1908)
Standings & statistics
1907 Eastern Illinois League
President: Charles Welvert / L.A.G. Schoaff
Centralia (6-27) moved to Paris June 20.
1908 Eastern Illinois League
President: L.A.G. Schoaff
#Pana (18-44) moved to Linton July 17, for the second half.
Danville (42-18) moved to Staunton July 17, for the second half.
Charleston and Mattoon disbanded July 30.
Shelbyville disbanded August 20, causing the league to disband.
Sources
The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball:Second Edition.
References
{{reflist
External links
Baseball Reference
Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States
Baseball leagues in Illinois
1907 establishments in Illinois
1908 disestablishments in Illinois
Sports leagues established in 1907
Sports leagues disestablished in 1908
Baseball leagues in Indiana