The Hancock Infants was the only moniker of the

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 ...

teams based in

Hancock, Michigan Hancock is a city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of Hancock was 4,501 at the 2020 United States census. The city is located within Houghton County, Michigan, Houghton County, and ...

. Between 1890 and 1906, Hancock teams played as members of the 1890 Upper Peninsula League, 1905

Copper Country Soo League The Copper Country Soo League was a minor league baseball league which operated in four Michigan cities in . The league had four teams in their lone season. Three Major League Baseball players, Donie Bush, Fred Luderus, and Pat Paige, are know ...

and 1906

Northern-Copper Country League The Northern-Copper Country League (NCCL) was a Minor League Baseball league in operation for two seasons, 1906 and 1907. The league featured clubs representing cities in Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Manitoba. On March 18, 1906, the Cop ...

. The Hancock Infants hosted home minor league games at Sack's Park.

History

Hancock, Michigan began minor league play in 1890. Hancock hosted the Hancock team in the

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

level Upper Peninsula League. In their first season of play, Hancock folded before the end of the season, playing under manager Thomas Ryan. Houghton ended the season with a 23–12 record to win the championship, finishing 4.0 games ahead of the second place

Ishpeming Ishpeming ( ) is a city in Marquette County, Michigan, United States. Located in the Upper Peninsula, the population was 6,140 at the 2020 census, less than it was in the 1950s and 1960s when the Iron ore mines employed more workers. A statue ...

team, who were followed by the Marquette Undertakers and Calumet Red Jackets. The

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New H ...

and

Negaunee Negaunee ( or ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,627 at the 2020 census. The city is located at the southwest corner of Negaunee Township, which is administratively separate, in the Upper Peni ...

teams both folded before the season had concluded and their records are unknown. Playing in the 1904 Copper County League, Hancock and the league have no 1904 records known. In 1905, the Hancock Infants placed third playing in a new league. Playing as members of the four–team Class D level

, Hancock finished the season with a record of 38–58 playing under managers John Condon and Charles Rodgers. The Infants finished 22.5 games behind the first place and eventual league champion

Calumet Aristocrats The Calumet Aristocrats were a minor league baseball team based in Laurium, Michigan. The city was called "Calumet" in the era. The Calumet Red Jackets preceded the Aristocrats, playing in 1890 and 1891 as members of the Upper Peninsula League in ...

in the final regular season standings. In 1906, the Hancock Infants continued play, as the team became charter members of the eight–team Class C level

. Beginning play in the new league, the 1906 Hancock Infants folded from the Northern-Copper Country League during the season. After beginning league play on May 17, 1906, the Hancock Infants folded on July 29, 1906, while playing under manager Paul Wreath. In the final league standings, the Calumet Aristocrats finished ahead of Houghton Giants (56–65),

Winnipeg Maroons The Winnipeg Maroons were a minor League baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which played in the Northern League from 1902–1942. Their home field from 1906 to 1922 was Happyland Park, which had a seating capacity of 4,000. The ...

(57–38),

Duluth White Sox The Duluth White Sox were a minor league baseball team based in Duluth, Minnesota, that played from 1903 to 1916, and in 1934. The team played in the Northern League (1903–1905, 1908, 1913–1916, 1934), Northern-Copper Country League (1906–1 ...

(52–44),

Lake Linden Sandy Lakes A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from t ...

(40–56) and Fargo Trolley Dodgers (35–59). The Hancock Infants (29–34) and

Grand Forks Forkers Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), s ...

(13–40) teams both folded on July 29. Hancock, Michigan has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballparks

The Hancock Infants played home minor league games at Sack's Park. In the era, the ballpark was located on Ingot Street at Driving Park Road, Hancock, Michigan. HancockMich-panorama-1906

Timeline

Year–by–year record

Notable alumni

Ed Kippert Edward August "Kickapoo" Kippert (January 23, 1879 – June 3, 1960) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played in two games for the Cincinnati Reds in . He also played in the minor leagues Minor leagues are professional sports leagues ...

(1905) *

Buzzy Wares Clyde Ellsworth "Buzzy" Wares (March 23, 1886 – May 26, 1964) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop during the second decade of the 20th century and a longtime coach in the Majors. Born in Newberg Township, Michigan, Wares attended K ...

(1905)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Hancock - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in Michigan Baseball teams established in 1906 Baseball teams disestablished in 1907 Hancock, Michigan Upper Peninsula League teams