Kokomo Dodgers
| Kokomo Dodgers | |
|---|---|
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes | Class D |
| League | Midwest League (1956–1961) |
Previous leagues | Mississippi–Ohio Valley League (1955) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
|
| Team data | |
Previous names |
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Previous parks | Highland Park Stadium |
The Kokomo Dodgers were a minor league baseball team based in Kokomo, Indiana that was a charter member of the Midwest League. They were affiliated with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers and the franchise operated from 1955 through 1961. Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Orlando Cepeda played for Kokomo.
In 1955, Kokomo replaced the Danville Dans in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League, playing as the Kokomo Giants, an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.[1] The next season, Kokomo became an initial member of newly formed Midwest League, which grew out of the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League. The other Midwest League charter franchises were: Clinton Pirates, Dubuque Packers, Decatur Commodores, Michigan City White Caps, Paris Lakers, Lafayette Red Sox and Mattoon Phillies.[2][3]
Former Dodger Pete Reiser was the team's manager during the 1956 and 1957 seasons.[4][5] The team won the Midwest League pennant in 1957, but lost in the playoffs.[6][7][8]
The Ballpark
The team played at Highland Park Stadium.[8][9]
Notable Alumni
- Clarence Jones (1961)
- Bill Kelso (1961)
- Hector Valle (1960)
- Rod Miller (1959)
- Pete Reiser (1956–1957, MGR) 3 x MLB AS; 1941 NL Batting Champion; 2 × NL Stolen Base Leader (1942, 1946)
- Mike Brumley (1957)
- Tommy Davis (1957) 3 x MLB AS; 2 × NL Batting Champion (1962, 1963); 1962 NL RBI Leader
- Tim Harkness (1957)
- Don Miles (1956)
- Ed Palmquist (1956)
- Nate Smith (1956)
- Orlando Cepeda (1955) 11 x MLB AS; 1958 NL Rookie of the Year; 1961 NL Home Run Leader; 2 × NL RBI Leader (1961); 1967 National League MVP; Baseball Hall of Fame (1999)
References
- ^ http://www.mwlguide.com/cities/danville/
- ^ https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=0c107f1f
- ^ https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=f8b5cab2
- ^ (27 October 1981). Reckless Reiser Dead at 62, Windsor Star, Retrieved December 10, 2010 ("for two years managed the Kokomo Dodgers in the Class D Midwest League")
- ^ (24 January 1956). Sports in short, Milwaukee Journal, Retrieved December 10, 2010
- ^ Cox, Don (29 November 1957). Sports salutes, The Gadsden Times, Retrieved December 10, 2010
- ^ Cox, Don. (15 March 1958). Sports salutes, The Gadsden Times, Retrieved December 10, 2010
- ^ a b Boyle, Robert H. (2 September 1957). Pete In The Bush, Sports Illustrated, Retrieved December 10, 2010 (detailed article profiling Reiser at Kokomo)
- ^ Highland Park Stadium, Midwest League Guide, Retrieved December 10, 2010