Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League

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 (1946-1952) as a Class D League. Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee Mickey Mantle played in the league for the Independence Yankees in 1949, hitting .313 with 7 HR, 63 RBI.[1]

Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League
SportMinor League Baseball (Class D)
Founded1946
Ceased1952
No. of teams9
CountryUSA
Most titles3 : Ponca City Dodgers (1948, 1950-1951)

Teams

Year by Year

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 OwlsTopeka, Kansas Owls68-53
Miami BluesBrooklyn Dodgers *69-54
Iola CubsChicago Cubs63-57
Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns61-59
Carthage CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals54-66
Bartlesville OilersPittsburgh Pirates47-73
  • Brooklyn assigned a few players to Miami that season but the team was actually run by Ted Vernon of Amarillo, Texas. When it was discovered that the Miami Baseball Club Inc. had turned the reigns of the operation of the club to Mr. Vernon, W. G. Bramham, the President of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, sent a very stern letter to the Miami baseball officials that the rules had been violated in this matter. The next year the Dodgers moved their franchise to Ponca City, Oklahoma and Mr. Vernon returned to Amarillo.

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.

1947
Teams from Independence, Kansas and Ponca City, Oklahoma joined.

Miami Owls Topeka,Topeka, Kansas Owls76-49
Iola CubsChicago Cubs69-54
Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns69-54
Bartlesville OilersPittsburgh Pirates68-56
Carthage CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals66-59
Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers61-67
Chanute AthleticsIndependent44-80
Independence YankeesNew York Yankees41-80

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.

1948

Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers79-47
Independence YankeesNew York Yankees74-46
Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates71-52
Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns60-60
Miami OwlsTopeka, Kansas Owls58-66
Carthage CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals51-67
Iola IndiansWorking agreement with Cleveland51-72
Chanute GiantsNew York Giants44-78

The Independence Yankees defeated Pittsburg Browns 4 games to 1.

1949

Independence YankeesNew York Yankees71-53
Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates71-55
Iola IndiansCleveland Indians70-55
Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers66-59
Chanute AthleticsIndependent65-60
Carthage CubsChicago Cubs62-64
Miami OwlsTopeka, Kansas Owls56-69
Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns39-85

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.

1950

Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers80-42
Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates73-48
Carthage CubsChicago Cubs75-50
Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns71-52
Miami EaglesIndependent62-60
Independence YankeesNew York Yankees60-66
Iola IndiansIndependent35-84
Chanute AthleticsIndependent35-89

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.

1951
The teams in Chanute and Independence folded.

Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers85-39
Bartlesville PiratesPittsburgh Pirates77-45
Miami EaglesIndependent67-55
Carthage CubsChicago Cubs60-65
Pittsburg BrownsSt. Louis Browns41-80
Iola IndiansIndependent38-84

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.

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 IndiansIndependent79-47
Miami EaglesPhiladelphia Phillies67-57
Ponca City DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers68-58
Bartlesville Pirates/Pittsburg, Kansas. PiratesPittsburgh Pirates59-65
Blackwell BroncosChicago Cubs57-69
Independence BrownsSt. Louis Browns46-80

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

References
  1. "Independence Yankees - BR Bullpen". Baseball-reference.com. 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
  • 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, Portsmouth NH, San Francisco. ISBN 0-7385-3340-8.
  • Hall, John G. "Mickey Mantle Before the Glory." Leathers Publishing, Leawood, Kansas 2006. ISBN 1-58597-317-3.
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