The Springfield Governors were a minor league baseball team based in

Springfield, Ohio Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northe ...

. The Springfield "Governors" and "Wanderers" were members of the Class B level

Interstate League The Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. Early leagues Earlier versions of the Interstate League, with years active: *1896–1901: an unclassifie ...

from 1897 to 1899. The Springfield "Babes" continued minor league play as members of the Class B level

Central League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently cons ...

, from 1905 to 1907, winning the 1907 league championship. The Springfield teams hosted home minor league games at Snyder Field, which opened in 1897.

History

Interstate League 1897 to 1899

Minor league baseball began in Springfield, Ohio in 1877, when the Springfield "Champion City" team played as members of the

League Alliance The League Alliance was the first semi-affiliated minor league baseball league. Proposed by Al Spalding on January 15, 1877. Independent baseball teams were to affiliate with National League teams, which would honor their respective contracts. T ...

, which lasted one season. The 1890 "Springfield" team preceded the Governors in minor league play, ending a two-season tenure in the

Tri-State League The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball. History The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. The second leagu ...

. In 1897, the Springfield "Governors" began play as members of the Class B level

. The

Dayton Old Soldiers Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater D ...

Fort Wayne Indians A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

Mansfield Haymakers Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market town ...

New Castle Quakers The New Castle Quakers were a minor league baseball team based in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The Quakers played as members of the 1895 Iron and Oil League before becoming members of the Class D level Interstate League from 1896 to 1900, winning th ...

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played ...

Wheeling Nailers The Wheeling Nailers are a professional ECHL ice hockey team based in Wheeling, West Virginia. They are the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey Le ...

and

Youngstown Puddlers The Youngstown Puddlers was a Minor League Baseball team based in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. The team was part of the Interstate League. The team existed in the late 19th century. Eventually the team would also be named the Little Giants. T ...

teams joined Springfield in beginning league play on May 2, 1897. Bushnell ArchRec Oct1896 p

The Springfield "Governors" nickname corresponds to Springfield being home to

Asa S. Bushnell Asa Smith Bushnell I (September 16, 1834 – January 15, 1904) was an American U.S. Republican Party, Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 40th governor of Ohio. Prior to becoming governor, he served as the president of the Warder, ...

, who was elected as

Governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in 1895. Today, the Bushnell mansion is located at 838 East High Street in Springfield. In their first season of play, the 1897 Springfield Governors placed seventh in the eight-team Interstate League. The Governors finished with a record of 46–79, playing the season under managers Harry Rinehart and

Lew Whistler Lewis W. Whistler (''né'' Wissler; March 10, 1868 – December 30, 1959) was an American Major League Baseball player who played the majority of his career as a first baseman. In his four-season career, he played for the New York Giants (1890–1 ...

. Springfield ended the season 36.5 games behind the first place Toledo Mud Hens in the final Interstate League standings. With their seventh-place finish, the Governors did not qualify for the playoff won by Toledo over the Dayton. Continuing in Interstate League play, the 1898 Springfield Governors improved to a third-place finish. The Governors played the season under returning manager Lew Whistler. Springfield ended the 1898 season with a record of 81–66, finishing just 2.0 games behind the first place Dayton Old Soldiers in the eight-team league. No playoff was held. The Springfield franchise folded after the season. In the 1899 season, the Springfield team did not begin the season as members of the eight-team Interstate League but joined the league during the season. On July 20, 1899, the

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moved to become the

Columbus Senators The Columbus Senators Minor league baseball team was created in as a founding member of the Tri-State League. After that, the Senators played in the Western League (1897-1899), Interstate League (1900), Western Association (1901), and Ame ...

. On July 20, 1899, Columbus moved to Springfield, where the team finished the season known as the Springfield "Wanderers." The three-city team ended the season with a final overall record of 49–91, playing under manager Frank Torreyson in all three locations. Springfield ended the season 38.0 games behind the first place New Castle Quakers in the Class B level league. No league playoffs were held. In the 1900 season, the Interstate League played its final season without a Springfield franchise in the league. Springfield was replaced by the Columbus Senators, who returned to begin the season in the league.

Central League 1905 to 1907, championship

After a five-season hiatus, minor league play resumed when the 1905 Springfield "Babes" became members of the Class B level

. The

Dayton Veterans Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...

Evansville River Rats The Evansville River Rats were a professional minor league baseball team based in Evansville, Indiana. They played from 1901 to 1902 in the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (the "Three-I" League) and from 1903 to 1910 and 1914 to 1915 in the ...

Fort Wayne Railroaders A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

Grand Rapids Orphans Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and commun ...

South Bend Greens South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...

Terre Haute Hottentots The Terre Haute Hottentots were a Minor League Baseball team from Terre Haute, Indiana, that played in the Northwestern League in 1891, Illinois–Iowa League in 1892, Western Interstate League The Wisconsin State League was a class D baseball ...

and

Wheeling Stogies The Wheeling Stogies was a minor league baseball team based in Wheeling, West Virginia, that played under several different names at various times between 1877 and 1934. They played mostly in the Central League and the Middle Atlantic League, as we ...

teams joined Springfield in beginning league play on April 27, 1905. In their first season of play in the new league, the 1905, Springfield Babes placed sixth in the eight-team Class B level Central League. Managed by Harry Wilson and

Jack Hendricks John Charles Hendricks (April 9, 1875 – May 13, 1943) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball as an outfielder, but is best known as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds fro ...

, the Babes placed sixth in the league a 66–68 regular season record. Springfield ended the season 14.0 games behind the first place Wheeling Stogies in the final standings. No Interstate League playoff was held. The Springfield Babes ended the 1906 Class B Central League season as the runner up in the eight-team league. With a final record of 91–60, Springfield ended the season 8.0 games behind the first place

Grand Rapids Wolverines Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and com ...

in the Central League final standings. Jack Hendricks returned as the Babes' manager. No playoff was held. In 1907 Jack Hendricks returned to manage the Springfield for a third season and the Babes won the Central League championship. With a final record of 86–49, the Babes ended the season 8.5 games ahead of the second place Wheeling Stogies in the Central League standings. Springfield player

Champ Osteen James Champlin "Champ" Osteen (February 24, 1877 – December 14, 1962) was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators, New York Highlanders and the St. Louis Cardina ...

led the Central League with a .338 average and 170 total hits.

Larry Lejeune Sheldon Adalbert "Larry" LeJeune (July 22, 1885–April 21, 1952) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played parts of two seasons in the major leagues for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an ...

tied for the Central League lead with 7 home runs and

Joe Collins Joseph Edward Collins (born Joseph Edward Kollonige; December 3, 1922 – August 30, 1989) was an American Major League Baseball player born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. On September 25, he began his major league career playing for the New Yor ...

scored 96 runs to lead the league. Springfield pitcher Matt Muldowney had a 18–6 record, best winning percentage in the Interstate League, Despite winning the 1907 Central League championship, the Springfield franchise folded and was replaced in the 1908 league by the

Zanesville Infants The Zanesville Infants (1908–1909) was a short-lived baseball franchise located in Zanesville, Ohio, and affiliated with the regional Central League. The organization's name was intended to highlight that they were a new minor league club. The In ...

. With Springfield folded, Jack Hendricks remained in the Central League and became manager of the

Fort Wayne Billikens A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

. Jack Hendricks later managed both 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 (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals h ...

for six seasons and the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

for one season in the major leagues. Hendricks received his law degree from

Northwestern University Law School Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law is the law school of Northwestern University, a private research university. It is located on the university's Chicago campus. Northwestern Law has been ranked among the top 14, or "T14" law scho ...

and was admitted to the bar in the state of Illinois. Hendricks became one of a select group of major league managers to hold a law degree or pass a state bar. The others include

James Henry O'Rourke James Henry O'Rourke (September 1, 1850 – January 8, 1919), nicknamed "Orator Jim", was an American professional baseball player in the National Association and Major League Baseball who played primarily as a left fielder. For the period 1876� ...

Miller Huggins Miller James Huggins (March 27, 1878 – September 25, 1929) was an American professional baseball player and manager. Huggins played second base for the Cincinnati Reds (1904–1909) and St. Louis Cardinals (1910–1916). He managed the ...

Branch Rickey Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player and sports executive. Rickey was instrumental in breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier by signing black player Jackie Robinson. He also creat ...

John Montgomery Ward John Montgomery Ward (March 3, 1860 – March 4, 1925), known as Monte Ward, was an American Major League Baseball pitcher, shortstop, second baseman, third baseman, manager, executive, union organizer, owner and author. Ward, of English descent, ...

Hughie Jennings Hugh Ambrose Jennings (April 2, 1869 – February 1, 1928) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won Nat ...

Muddy Ruel Herold Dominic "Muddy" Ruel (February 20, 1896 – November 13, 1963) was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager and general manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1934. One of the top defensive c ...

, and

Tony La Russa Anthony La Russa Jr. (; born October 4, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. His MLB career has spanned from 1963 to 2022, in several roles. He is the former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland A ...

. In 1911, the

Springfield Reapers Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

resumed minor league play, as the team became members of the Class D level

Ohio State League The Ohio State League was a minor league baseball league that operated in numerous seasons between 1887 and 1947, predominantly as a Class D level league. League franchises were based in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Histo ...

, beginning another Springfield tenure in minor league play. In 1928, the

Springfield Buckeyes The Springfield Buckeyes were a minor league baseball team based in Springfield, Ohio. From 1928 to 1930, Springfield played as members of the Class B (baseball), Class B level Central League (minor league), Central League. Springfield won the 19 ...

team returned the city to Central League play when the league reformed.

The ballpark

The Springfield Reapers teams hosted minor league home games at Snyder Field. The site of Snyder Park was donated to the city of Springfield by brothers John and David Snyder in 1895, with the parcel containing over 1,000 acres. After two years of development, Snyder Park had an opening ceremony on April 22, 1897. The park itself was designed by architect Herman Haerlin. Today, the site is still in use as part of Snyder Park, a public park. The Snyder Field ballpark was located on Park Street off Snyder Park Road in Springfield, Ohio.

Timeline

Year-by-year records

Notable alumni

Cy Alberts Frederick Joseph "Cy" Alberts (January 14, 1882 – August 27, 1917) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played in with the St. Louis Cardinals. He batted and threw right-handed. Alberts had a 1–2 record, with a 6.18 ERA, in four games, in ...

(1906–1907) *

Nick Altrock Nicholas Altrock (September 15, 1876 – January 20, 1965) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in the major leagues as a left-handed pitcher between 1898 and 1919. After the 1919 season he continued to make periodic ...

(1899) *

Monte Beville Henry Monte Beville (February 24, 1875 – January 24, 1955), was a Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and first basemen who played in 1903 and 1904. He played for the New York Highlanders and the Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an ...

(1899) * Joe Burke (1899) *

Billy Campbell William Oliver Campbell (born July 7, 1959) is an American film and television actor. He first gained recognition for his recurring role as Luke Fuller in the TV series ''Dynasty''. Then he became known for playing Rick Sammler on ''Once and A ...

(1899) *

Henry Cote Henry Joseph Cote (February 19, 1864 – April 28, 1940) was an American Major League Baseball catcher who played with the Louisville Colonels The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that also played in the American Associ ...

(1899) * Frank Cross (1897) *

Gene Curtis Eugene Holmes Curtis (May 5, 1883 – January 1, 1919) was a professional baseball player. He played in five games in Major League Baseball for the 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season, 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates as an outfielder. Nicknamed "Eude", he a ...

(1905) *

Pete Daniels Peter J. Daniels (April 8, 1864 – February 13, 1928), nicknamed "Smiling Pete", was an Irish born professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1891 to 1898. He played for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys The following is a ...

(1899) *

Cliff Daringer Clifford Clarence Daringer (April 10, 1885 – December 26, 1971) was a Major League Baseball infielder who played for one season. He played in 64 games for the Kansas City Packers during their 1914 season. He was the older brother of Rolla Darin ...

(1907) *

John Dobbs John Gordon Dobbs (June 3, 1875 – September 9, 1934) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played five seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1901 to 1905 for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Orphans/Cubs, and Brooklyn Superbas ...

(1897–1898) * John Dolan (1897–1899) *

Red Dooin Charles Sebastian "Red" Dooin (June 12, 1879 – May 12, 1952) was an American professional baseball player and manager. A catcher in Major League Baseball during the first two decades of the 20th century, he played 1,219 of his 1,290 games as a ...

(1899) *

Charlie Emig Charles Henry Emig (April 5, 1875 – October 2, 1975) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played in one game for the Louisville Colonels of the National League in 1896. Emig is currently accepted to be the most recently passed 19th centu ...

(1898) * John Farrell (1897–1898) *

Frank Freund Lawrence Joseph Freund (July 5, 1875 – November 5, 1933), was a Major League Baseball catcher for the Louisville Colonels during the 1896 season. External links

1875 births 1933 deaths Major League Baseball catchers Baseball players f ...

(1897) *

Bill Friel William Edward Friel (April 1, 1876 – December 24, 1959) was an American professional baseball player. He played three seasons in Major League Baseball, as a second baseman, third baseman and outfielder. Friel began his career in the minor le ...

(1905) * William Gallagher (1899) *

Lou Gertenrich Louis Wilhelm Gertenrich (May 4, 1875 – October 20, 1933) was a professional baseball player. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirat ...

(1905) * Jack Harper (1899) * Charlie Hemphill (1899) *

(1905–1907, MGR) *

Jesse Hoffmeister Jesse H. Hoffmeister (June 1872 - January 14, 1933 in Des Moines, Iowa) was a Major League Baseball player who played infielder in . He would play for the Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team b ...

(1897) *

Joe Kostal Joseph William Kostal (January 1, 1876 – October 10, 1933), nicknamed "Cudgey", was an American Major League Baseball player who pitched two games for the Louisville Colonels. He pitched a total of two innings, gave up four runs, zero e ...

(1898) * Otto Krueger (1899) *

Larry LeJeune Sheldon Adalbert "Larry" LeJeune (July 22, 1885–April 21, 1952) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played parts of two seasons in the major leagues for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an ...

(1907) * Billy Kelly (1906–1907) *

Ed McKean Edwin John McKean (June 6, 1864 – August 16, 1919) was an American professional baseball shortstop. He played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the National League's Cleveland Spiders. Career Born in Grafton, Ohio, McKean ...

(1905) *

Bill Niles William E. Niles (January 11, 1867 – July 3, 1936) was a Major League Baseball player. Niles played for Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1895 in baseball, 1895 season. He played just eleven games in his career, having eight hits in 37 at-bats, a .216 b ...

(1898) *

Tim O'Rourke Timothy Patrick O'Rourke, nicknamed ''Voiceless Tim'', was a Major League Baseball player. He played five seasons in the majors, from until , for six different teams. He was primarily an infielder, playing two-thirds of his games at either third ...

(1898) *

Jack Mercer Winfield B. Mercer (January 31, 1910 – December 7, 1984), professionally known as Jack Mercer, was a prolific American voice actor, animator and TV screenwriter. He is best known as the voice of cartoon characters Popeye the Sailor Man and F ...

(1907) *

(1905–1907) *

Ed Poole Edward Isaih Poole (September 7, 1874 – March 11, 1919) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played from 1900 to 1904 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Brooklyn Superbas. Poole stood at and weighed 175 lbs.

(1897–1898) *

Josh Reilly William Henry Reilly (May 9, 1868 – June 12, 1938), was a professional baseball player who played second base in the Major Leagues for the 1896 Chicago Colts The following is a North American professional sports league organization, franch ...

(1897) *

Owen Shannon Owen Dennis Ignatius Shannon (December 22, 1879 – April 10, 1918) was a professional baseball catcher. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team tha ...

(1905) * Al Shaw (1905) *

Johnny Siegle John Herbert Siegle (July 8, 1874 – February 12, 1968) was a Major League Baseball outfielder. He played parts of two seasons in the majors, and , for the Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team ...

(1899) *

John Sowders John Sowders (December 10, 1866 – July 29, 1939) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of three seasons in the majors, between and , for the Indianapolis Hoosiers, Kansas City Cowboys and Brooklyn Ward's Wonders. Sowders w ...

(1897) *

Ed Summers Oren Edgar Summers (December 5, 1884 – May 12, 1953), nicknamed "Kickapoo Ed", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played five seasons with the Detroit Tigers from 1908 to 1912. Biography Summers was born in Lado ...

(1905) *

(1897–1898, MGR) *

Charlie Ziegler Charles Wallace Ziegler (January 13, 1875 – April 18, 1904) was a professional baseball infielder. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Spiders and Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are ...

(1899) *

Springfield Governors players Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

Springfield Wanderers players Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queensl ...

Springfield Babes players Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queen ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Springfield - Baseball ReferenceSnyder Park photos
Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in Ohio Defunct baseball teams in Ohio Central League teams Baseball teams established in 1897 Baseball teams disestablished in 1898 Sports in Springfield, Ohio Defunct Interstate League teams