Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League (or KOM League) was a name of an American minor league baseball league which was established in 1946. It existed for seven seasons.

Contents

[edit] 1946

The League and all of its member teams were created. Teams were formed in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Carthage, Missouri, Chanute, Kansas, Iola, Kansas, Miami, Oklahoma, and Pittsburg, Kansas.

Chanute Owls Topeka, Kansas Owls 68-53
Miami Blues Brooklyn Dodgers* 69-54
Iola Cubs Chicago Cubs 63-57
Pittsburg Browns St. Louis Browns 61-59
Carthage Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals 54-66
Bartlesville Oilers Pittsburgh Pirates 47-73
  • The Brooklyn Dodgers assigned a few players to Miami that year but they were not a Dodger farm club. That was due to the distrust Ted Vernon, General Manager of the club had for Dodger General Manager, Branch Rickey.

Chanute beat Pittsburg by 3 games to 2 in the first round of the playoffs. Iola beat Miami by the same number. The championship series between Chanute and Iola ended tied at three games apiece, although Chanute won 4 games. A dispute arose between the Chanute and Iola club officials regarding Chanute selecting Dave Dennis from the Miami club for the playoffs. Although Iola owner Earl Sifers originally agreed to the arrangement he later changed his mind. By the time the dispute was settled it was too late in the fall, young men had to go back to school, the rodeo took over the ball park playing area and then the rains came.

[edit] 1947

Teams from Independence, Kansas and Ponca City, Oklahoma joined.

Miami Owls Topeka, Topeka, Kansas Owls 76-49
Iola Cubs Chicago Cubs 69-54
Pittsburg Browns St. Louis Browns 69-54
Bartlesville Oilers Pittsburgh Pirates 68-56
Carthage Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals 66-59
Ponca City Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers 61-67
Chanute Athletics Independent 44-80
Independence Yankees New York Yankees 41-80

Miami beats Bartlesville in the first round of the playoffs 3 games to 1. Iola beat Pittsburgh by the same number. Miami won the championship over Iola, 4 games to 1.

[edit] 1948

Ponca City Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers 79-47
Independence Yankees New York Yankees 74-46
Bartlesville Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates 71-52
Pittsburg Browns St. Louis Browns 60-60
Miami Owls Topeka, Kansas Owls 58-66
Carthage Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals 51-67
Iola Indians Working agreement with Cleveland 51-72
Chanute Giants New York Giants 44-78

The Independence Yankees defeated Pittsburg Browns 4 games to 1.

[edit] 1949

Independence Yankees New York Yankees 71-53
Bartlesville Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates 71-55
Iola Indians Cleveland Indians 70-55
Ponca City Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers 66-59
Chanute Athletics Independent 65-60
Carthage Cubs Chicago Cubs 62-64
Miami Owls Topeka, Kansas Owls 56-69
Pittsburg Browns St. Louis Browns 39-85

Independence beat Ponca City 3 games to 1 in the first playoff round. Iola beat Bartlesville by the same number. Independence beat Iola three games to none for the championship.

[edit] 1950

Ponca City Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers 80-42
Bartlesville Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates 73-48
Carthage Cubs Chicago Cubs 75-50
Pittsburg Browns St. Louis Browns 71-52
Miami Eagles Independent 62-60
Independence Yankees New York Yankees 60-66
Iola Indians Independent 35-84
Chanute Athletics Independent 35-89

Ponca City beats Pittsburgh 3 games to 2 in the first round of playoffs. Bartlesville beat Carthage 3 games to one. Ponca City won the championship, defeating Bartlesville 3 games to 1.

[edit] 1951

The teams in Chanute and Independence folded.

Ponca City Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers 85-39
Bartlesville Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates 77-45
Miami Eagles Independent 67-55
Carthage Cubs Chicago Cubs 60-65
Pittsburg Browns St. Louis Browns 41-80
Iola Indians Independent 38-84

Carthage beat Ponca City 3 games to 2 in the first round. Miami beat Bartlesville 3 games to 1. Carthage beat Miami for the championship, winning the series 3 games to none.

[edit] 1952

The Carthage Cubs moved to Blackwell, Oklahoma. The Pittsburg Brownies moved to Independence, Kansas. The Bartlesville Pirates moved to the now-vacant Pittsburg on July 7.

Iola Indians Independent 79-47
Miami Eagles Philadelphia Phillies 67-57
Ponca City Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers 68-58
Bartlesville Pirates/Pittsburg, Kanss. Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates 59-65
Blackwell Cubs Chicago Cubs 57-69
Independence Browns St. Louis Browns 46-80

Miami and Ponca City started a playoff series, with Miami winning both games. Then all the teams, and the league itself, folded.

[edit] References

  • Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. Minor League Baseball Standings:All North American Leagues, Through 1999. Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0781-6

Hall, John G. "Majoring in the Minors--a glimpse of baseball in a small town. 1996 Oklahoma Bylines. ISBN 1-882336-09-7. Reprinted 2000 by Inter-State Printing. Sedalia, Missouri.

Hall, John G. "The KOM League Remembered." Arcadia Publishing. Charleston SC, Chicago IL, Portsmuth NH, San Francisco, CA. ISBN 0-7385-3340-8.

Hall, John G. "Mickey Mantle Before the Glory." Leathers Publishing, Leawood, Kansas 2006. ISBN 1-58597-317-3.