Baseball in Canton, Illinois

Overview

The record of the Midwest League franchise in Canton, Illinois.

Canton was only in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League, an MWL predecessor, for a few months in 1952. Nonetheless, a couple team members found their way into the MWL record book.

Summary

• Midwest League seasons: 1
• Won/Lost overall: 54/70, .435 (1 season)
• Best season: 54/70, .435 (1952)
• Championship Playoffs Won: none
• Best MWL Won/Lost Record: no seasons

Canton joined the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League on June 7, 1952; it succeeded the collapsed Vincennes franchise. The team disbanded after the season and had no successor.

Seasonal Results
Other Leagues

Team Names

• Canton Citizens [can anyone verify this nickname?], 1952

Affiliations

• Independent, 1952

Officers, Managers, & Coaches

Ballpark

• Canton Athletic Park

Attendance record

• 25,654 (1952--includes Vincennes)

Ballparks & Attendance

Best Seasons

• Hitter: Edward Gilde (1952) .303, 90 RBI
• Pitcher: McPherson Crum (1952) 12 wins, 119 strikeouts

Best Big League Career

• No major leaguers.

Awards

• None.

Canton Highlights

Team Records

Hitters

• Batting: Edward Gilde & Joseph Henry (both 1952) .303
• Home Runs: John Finingan (1952) 3
• Runs Batted In: Edward Gilde (1952) 90

Seasonal Hitting Leaders

Pitchers

• Wins: McPherson Crum (1952) 12
• Won/Lost (10 decisions): McPherson Crum (1952) 12/9, .571
• Earned Run Average: Harvey Nolan (1952) 3.10
• Strikeouts: McPherson Crum (1952) 119

Seasonal Pitching Leaders

Notes

All 1952 Canton statistics include Vincennes performances.

This summary originated as the April 10, 1999, Midwest League Tidbit on the Midwest League Mailing List.

Sources

These pages draw heavily on several sources:

• Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, eds, The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Durham: Baseball America, 1997)
• Midwest League Media Guide and Record Book (Beloit: Midwest League, various years; title varies)
• Kevin Saldana, Today in Minor League Baseball History (???: SalFam Books, 1999)
• Baseball America's Almanac (Durham: Baseball America, various years)
• News sources.