Harrisburg Miners

Harrisburg Miners
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass D (1910–1911, 1913)
League
Major league affiliations
TeamUnaffiliated
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Team data
Name
  • Harrisburg Coal Miners (1913)
  • Harrisburg Miners (1911)
  • Harrisburg Merchants (1910)
BallparkUnknown

The Harrisburg Miners was the primary moniker of the Minor League Baseball team that played in Harrisburg, Illinois, from 1910 to 1911 and 1913.[1] They began the 1910 season as members of the Class D Southern Illinois League (SIL) as the Harrisburg Merchants.[1] The league disbanded on July 11,[2] and the Merchants moved to the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY League) on July 24.[3] Their SIL record was 6–17 (.261).[2] In the KITTY League, they went 29–29 (.500).[3]

They continued in the KITTY League in 1911 as the Harrisburg Miners. The Miners won their season opener on the road against the McLeansboro Miners, 4–1, on May 17.[4] On August 13, the league's directors voted to transfer the team to Jackson, Tennessee.[5] The team's management claimed to have lost some US$1,700 due to poor attendance.[5] Harrisburg won its last two games, 3–1 and 3–0, in a doubleheader on the road against the Fulton Colonels on August 12.[6] The team's record in Harrisburg was 8–15 (.348).[7] The franchise relocated to Jackson where it became the Jackson Climbers.[7]

The Harrisburg Coal Miners returned to play in the 1913 KITTY League. The team finished 42–85 to place 7th in the eight–team league, playing under player/manager King Brockett. The Harrisburg franchise did not return to play in 1914, as the league reduced to six teams.[8][9]

Notable alumni

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The only member of the Miners team to also play in Major League Baseball was Ernie Gust (1910–1911), who played three games with the St. Louis Browns in August 1911.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sports in Harrisburg, Illinois". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "1910 Southern Illinois League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "1910 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  4. ^ "Kitty League". Nashville Banner. Nashville. May 18, 1911. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "Just Off the Bat". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. Paducah. August 14, 1911. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "At Fulton". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. Paducah. August 14, 1911. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "1911 Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  8. ^ "1913 Harrisburg Coal Miners Statistics".
  9. ^ "Harrisburg, Illinois Encyclopedia".
  10. ^ "Ernie Gust Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
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