Wichita Indians (baseball)
The Wichita Indians were a Class A minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, that played in the Western League from 1950–1955. The Wichita Indians were an affiliate of the St. Louis Browns (1950), Cleveland Indians (1951–1952), St. Louis Browns (1953) and Baltimore Orioles (1954–1955). Wichita won the Western League Championship in 1955.
| Wichita Indians 1950–1955 (1950 – 1955) Wichita, Kansas | |
| Minor league affiliations | |
|---|---|
| Previous classes | Class-A (1950–1955) |
Previous leagues | Western League (1950–1955) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams | St. Louis Browns (1950) Cleveland Indians (1951–1952) St. Louis Browns (1953) Baltimore Orioles (1954–1955) |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 1955 |
| Team data | |
Previous names | Wichita Indians (1950–1955) |
Previous parks | Lawrence-Dumont Stadium (1950–1955) McDonald Stadium (1950–1955) |
In 1956, the Indians were succeeded by the Class AAA Wichita Braves, as the Wichita franchise became a member of the American Association.
History
The Wichita Indians were preceded in the Western League by the Wichita Aviators (1929-1933), Wichita Larks (1927-1928), Wichita Izzies (1923-1926), Wichita Witches (sometimes called the Wichita Wolves) (1917-1922) and Wichita Jobbers (1905-1920). Wichita hosted teams in various other leagues, with professional baseball having started in Wichita with the Wichita Eagles of the Kansas State League in 1898.[1][2][3]
The Wichita Indians joined the Western League in 1950 as an affiliate of the St. Louis Browns. The Western League had reformed in 1947 with six teams: Denver Bears, Des Moines Bruins, Lincoln A's, Omaha Cardinals, Pueblo Dodgers and Sioux City Soos. All six clubs remained in 1950, when the league expanded to eight teams, adding the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and Wichita Indians.[4]
The 1950 Indians were 77-77, finishing fourth in the Western League. In the playoffs, Wichita defeated the first-place Omaha Cardinals 3 games to 0 in the semifinals. In the league Finals, Wichita lost 3 games to 1 to the Sioux City Soos. The Indians drew 126,729 fans, ranking 5th in the league.[5][6][7][8]
In 1951, Wichita became an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians and finished 84-68 (3rd). In the Western League playoffs, Wichita was defeated by the Denver Bears 3 games to 1.[5][9]
The 1952 Indians finished in tie for sixth in the Western League at 67–87. The team did not quality for the playoffs.[5][10]
Becoming a St. Louis Browns affiliate, the Wichita Indians finished in last place at 58–96 in 1953. The team drew 68,683, 7th in the Western League.[5][11]
In 1954, the Indians became affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles after the St. Louis Browns relocated. The team finished 76-77 (6th place) and missed the Western League playoffs. Attendance was 87,854, 4th in the league.[5][12]
In 1955, Wichita finished in a tie for third place at 78-73 and began a Western League Championship run. First, the Indians defeated the Des Moines Bruins in a 3rd place tie-breaker game. In the playoffs, the Indians beat the Pueblo Dodgers 3 games to 1 in the semifinals. Advancing to the Finals, Wichita beat the Des Moines Bruins three games to one to claim the 1955 Western League Championship. Bob Harrison pitched a no-hitter for Wichita in the Finals.[5][13]
After their 1955 Western League Championship, Wichita had a team in new league in 1956. The American Association member Toledo Sox relocated to Wichita and the Wichita Braves became the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves in 1956. The Western League folded after the 1958 season.[1][14]
The ballparks
The Wichita Indians played at historic Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. The ballpark was built in 1934 and was demolished in 2019. Lawrence-Dumont Stadium was replaced on the site by Riverfront Stadium in 2020.[15][16][17]
The Indians played some games at Central Park Stadium in El Dorado, Kansas during July and August months. Today the stadium is called McDonald Stadium.[18][19]
Notable alumni
- Jack Bruner (1952)
- Mike Blyzka (1950)
- Mark Christman (1953, MGR)
- Johnny Goryl (1955)
- Lenny Green (1955)
- George Hausmann (1953)
- Don Larsen (1950) 1956 World Series Most Valuable Player
- Don Mossi (1951) MLB All-Star
- Jim Pisoni (1953)
- Joe Schultz (1950-1951, MGR)
- Bob Turley (1950) 3x MLB All-Star; 1958 AL Cy Young Award; 1958 World Series Most Valuable Player
- Lefty Wallace (1952)
References
- "Wichita, Kansas sports teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- "Baseball in Kansas, 1867-1940 - Kansas Historical Society". www.kshs.org.
- "Wichita plays ball!". F5paper.com. November 13, 2014.
- "Western League - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- "Wichita Indians - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- "1950 Wichita Indians Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- "1947 Western League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- "1950 Western League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- "1951 Wichita Indians Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- "1952 Wichita Indians Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- "1953 Wichita Indians Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- "1954 Wichita Indians Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- "1955 Wichita Indians Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- "Western League (A) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
- "Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita, KS history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- Spedden, Zach (February 13, 2019). "New Wichita Ballpark Breaks Ground".
- https://www.kansas.com/sports/other-sports/nbc-baseball/article216537945.html
- "Historical Baseball Sites in Kansas - Fort Hays State University". www.fhsu.edu.
- "Stadium History". El Dorado Broncos.