sweaver
07-12-2002, 03:21 PM
Published in 1975, with material through 1973, this is a valuable resource for minor league research. Obojski is not a very gifted writer, but what works here is a Jack Webb-style "just the facts" approach. There are some stories here, a bit of history, some background on guys like Branch Rickey and Frank Shaugnessey, histories of the most important leagues, like the International League and the Southern Association, and some tidbits on great minor league players.
The most valuable information, though, is twofold: a list of towns that have had professional teams, and rosters of the teams of the minor leagues since 1902 (through 1973). Of course, in the heyday of the minors, almost every town of any size had its own team. 101 towns in Texas alone have hosted pro baseball. Teams from Abbeville, AL, Leadville, CO, Wabash, IN, Brainerd, MN, Plattsburgh, NY, Woonsocket, RI, and Clarksburg, WV are all part of the history of baseball. So are leagues like the Alabama-Mississippi League (which didn't last a whole season in 1936), the Blue Grass League (in Kentucky, of course, 1909-1912 and 1922-24--though only Lexington was in the league all those years), the Illinois State League (1947-48, in Belleville, Centralia, Marion, Mattoon, Mount Vernon, and West Frankfort--this league eventually reincarnated itself into today's Midwest League), the Mountain States League (a personal favorite, 1911-12, 1937-42 and 1948-54) with teams in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Ohio; and the New York-New Jersey League (1913, teams in Danbury, CT, Paterson, NJ, and Kingston, Long Branch, Middletown, Newburgh, and Poughkeepsie, NY--Paterson transferred to Danbury in-season).
Meant as a companion to the Macmillan Baseball Encyclopedias, this is a fascinating treasure trove for those interested in the history of the minors.
The most valuable information, though, is twofold: a list of towns that have had professional teams, and rosters of the teams of the minor leagues since 1902 (through 1973). Of course, in the heyday of the minors, almost every town of any size had its own team. 101 towns in Texas alone have hosted pro baseball. Teams from Abbeville, AL, Leadville, CO, Wabash, IN, Brainerd, MN, Plattsburgh, NY, Woonsocket, RI, and Clarksburg, WV are all part of the history of baseball. So are leagues like the Alabama-Mississippi League (which didn't last a whole season in 1936), the Blue Grass League (in Kentucky, of course, 1909-1912 and 1922-24--though only Lexington was in the league all those years), the Illinois State League (1947-48, in Belleville, Centralia, Marion, Mattoon, Mount Vernon, and West Frankfort--this league eventually reincarnated itself into today's Midwest League), the Mountain States League (a personal favorite, 1911-12, 1937-42 and 1948-54) with teams in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Ohio; and the New York-New Jersey League (1913, teams in Danbury, CT, Paterson, NJ, and Kingston, Long Branch, Middletown, Newburgh, and Poughkeepsie, NY--Paterson transferred to Danbury in-season).
Meant as a companion to the Macmillan Baseball Encyclopedias, this is a fascinating treasure trove for those interested in the history of the minors.