The Eastern Illinois League was a Class-D league in Minor League Baseball that existed during the 1907 and 1908 baseball seasons. The league president as of 1907 was L. A. G. Shoaff.[1] According to the 1908 Spalding Guide, the league got its start in Pana, IL and the league's "godfather" was Joe Adams, also known as "Old Wagon Tongue."[1] In 1907, teams had a salary limit of $600.[1]
Cities Represented
- Centralia, IL: Centralia White Stockings 1907
- Charleston, IL: Charleston Broom Corn Cutters 1907; Charleston Evangelists 1908
- Danville, IL: Danville Speakers 1908
- Linton, IN: Linton 1908
- Mattoon, IL: Mattoon Giants 1907-1908
- Pana, IL: Pana Coal Miners 1907-1908
- Paris, IL: Paris Colts 1907; Paris Parisians 1908
- Shelbyville, IL: Shelbyville Queen Citys 1907-1908
- Staunton, IL: Staunton Speakers 1908
- Taylorville, IL: Taylorville Tailors 1907-1908
- Vincennes, IN: Vincennes Alices 1908
Standings & statistics
1907 Eastern Illinois League
President: Charles Welvert / L.A.G. Schoaff
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mattoon Giants | 74 | 24 | .627 | -- | Hank O'Day |
| Charleston Broom Corn Cutters | 71 | 49 | .592 | 4.0 | Nig Langdon |
| Taylorville Tailors | 60 | 58 | .508 | 14.0 | Phil Ketter / Mike Ryan |
| Centralia White Stockings / Paris Colts | 51 | 67 | .432 | 23.0 | Red Kelly / Bob Shaw |
| Pana Coal Miners | 51 | 70 | .421 | 24.5 | Joe Adams |
| Shelbyville Queen Citys | 50 | 69 | .420 | 24.5 | J.B. Young |
Centralia (6-27) moved to Paris June 20.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Ketter | Taylorville | BA | .284 |
| Bill Bartley | Charleston | Runs | 51 |
| Phil Ketter | Taylorville | Hits | 111 |
| Andy Lotshaw | Charleston | HR | 10 |
| Grover Lowdermilk | Mattoon | W | 33 |
| Grover Lowdermilk | Mattoon | SO | 458 |
| Grover Lowdermilk | Mattoon | ERA | 0.93 |
1908 Eastern Illinois League
President: L.A.G. Schoaff
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danville Speakers / Staunton | 65 | 27 | .707 | -- | W.C. Dithridge |
| Taylorville Tailors | 56 | 39 | .589 | 10.5 | Mike Ryan |
| Shelbyville Queen Citys | 52 | 43 | .547 | 14.5 | Joe Adams |
| Vincennes Alices | 47 | 48 | .495 | 19.5 | Pop Lloyd |
| Paris Parisians | 43 | 48 | .473 | 21.5 | Erickstone / Eckson / Dan Jenkins / Skipper Roberts |
| Pana Coal Miners / Linton | 25 | 70 | .263 | 41.5 | Sunday Hawker / Nig Langdon / Butts |
| Mattoon Giants | 32 | 45 | .416 | NA | Lefty Russell / George Kizer |
| Charleston Evangelists | 37 | 37 | .500 | NA | Kid Madden |
#Pana (18-44) moved to Linton July 17, for the second half.
Danville (42-18) moved to Staunton July 17, for the second half.
Charleston and Mattoon disbanded July 30.
Shelbyville disbanded August 20, causing the league to disband.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Ahring | Charleston | BA | .355 |
| Tom Fleming | Dan/Sta | Runs | 57 |
| Buck Stanley | Paris | Hits | 93 |
| Andy Biltz | Shelbyville | HR | 6 |
| Ralph Grimes | Dan/Sta | W | 19 |
| Joe Jenkins | Par/Pan/Sta | SO | 139 |
| Chet Carmichael | Vincennes | Pct | .800; 16-4 |
Sources
The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball:Second Edition.