Humboldt Infants
| Humboldt Infants | |
|---|---|
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes | Class D (1911–1913) |
Previous leagues | Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League (1911–1913) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams | None |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 1911 |
| Team data | |
Previous names | Humboldt Infants (1911–1913) |
Previous parks | Humboldt Lake Park (1911–1913) |
The Humboldt Infants were a minor league baseball team based in Humboldt, Nebraska. The Infants played as members of the Class D level Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League from 1911 to 1913, winning the 1911 championship.
History
In their first season, the Humboldt Infants began play in mid–season and won the 1911 Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League championship. The Class D level league was nicknamed the "MINK" League. On July 10, 1911, the Maryville Comets had a 24–21 record when the franchise relocated to Humboldt, Nebraska, finishing the 1911 season as the Humboldt Infants. L.J. Segrist was a key figure in bringing the team to Humboldt. There are differing accounts of the 1911 team moniker, the Humboldt Standard and the Falls City Journal called the Humboldt team the "Orphans," while other references called them the "Infants". On July 17, 1911, Humboldt played their first home MINK league game in Humboldt was as C.E. Nims threw out the first pitch and the Humboldt band played. The team won 5 out of 6 games in the first week of August, moving into 1st place. Maryville/Humboldt finished the 1911 season with a 59–41 overall record under Managers Harry Sievers and A.F. Bridges, finishing 2.0 games ahead of the 2nd place Falls City Colts in the six–team league. The MINK League did not hold playoffs. After the season, the city of Humboldt held a championship celebration in the town square that lasted most of the night.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
The Humboldt Infants continued play in the 1912 six–team MINK League and Humboldt finished the season with a 44–57 record. The Infants placed 4th under manager Ira Plank, finishing 18.0 games behind the 1st place Nebraska City Forresters in the Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League final standings. The issue of Nebraska Sunday laws affected baseball teams in the MINK League, as teams were not allowed to play Sunday games or practice.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]
In 1913 the Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska-Kansas League began play as a four–team league. However on June 17, 1913 both the Falls City Colts and Humboldt Infants folded. As a result, the entire MINK League permanently folded. At the time the league folded Humboldt was 12.0 games behind the 1st place Auburn Athletics. The Infants had a 12–20 final record and were in 4th place under manager Warren Cummings. The Sunday laws were cited as a financial factor in causing the league to fold.[9][10][16][17][18][19][20]
The ballpark
The Humboldt Infants played home games at Humboldt Lake Park. The ballpark was located on Park Avenue near Railroad Street in Humboldt, Nebraska. The park is still in use today as a public park.[21][22]
Timeline
| Year(s) | # Yrs. | Team | Level | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911–1913 | 3 | Humboldt Infants | Class D | Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League |
Year–by–year records
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 59–41 | 1st | Harry Sievers / A.F. Bridges | League Champions |
| 1912 | 44–57 | 4th | Ira Plank | None |
| 1913 | 12–20 | 4th | Warren Cummings | league disbanded July 17 |
Notable alumni
No Humboldt alumni reached the major leagues.
References
- ^ "1911 Missouri-Illinois-Nebraska- Kansas League (MINKL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "1911 Maryville Comets/Humboldt Infants Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "MINK league results 1911". www.nebaseballhistory.com.
- ^ "Nebraska Minor League Baseball Humboldt Infants". www.nebaseballhistory.com.
- ^ "1911 Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1911 Maryville Comets/Humboldt Infants Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Maryville, Missouri Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Nebraska Minor League Baseball Humboldt Infants". www.nebaseballhistory.com.
- ^ a b "Humboldt Infants - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ a b "MINK League - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ "Nebraska Minor League Baseball Humboldt Infants". www.nebaseballhistory.com.
- ^ "MINK league results 1912". www.nebaseballhistory.com.
- ^ "1912 Humboldt Infants Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "1912 Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1912 Humboldt Infants Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Nebraska Minor League Baseball Humboldt Infants". www.nebaseballhistory.com.
- ^ "MINK league results 1913". www.nebaseballhistory.com.
- ^ "1913 Humboldt Infants Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "1913 Humboldt Infants Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1913 Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Humboldt Lake Park in Humboldt, NE history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Humboldt Lake Park". VisitNebraska.com.