Baseball in Danville, Illinois

Overview

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

Danville's joined our league three times, which makes it unique. This town won far more than its share playoff titles, taking 4 championships in just a dozen tries. They also led the league in wins one summer, then lost in the playoff series.

Something notable which doesn't show on this page: Despite the team's general success and the presence of some excellent hitters in most lineups, Danville was often on the losing end of no-hit games.

Some fine, fine players summered in Danville. Most are mentioned below.

Summary

• Midwest League seasons: 12
• Won/Lost overall: 759/734, .508
• Best season: 87/40, .685 (1952)
• Championship Playoffs Won: 4
• Best MWL Won/Lost Record: 1

Danville first joined the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League, a Midwest League predecessor, in 1951, as part of a major M-OV reorganization. Danville left the M-OV after the 1954 season, and was replaced by Kokomo.

Danville rejoined the league (now the MWL) in 1970, assuming the lapsed (after 1968) Dubuque franchise. The team disbanded after the 1976 season, and was not replaced as the MWL contracted from 10 to 8 teams.

Danville again rejoined the MWL in 1982, this time as an expansion team. This franchise moved to Peoria after 1 year.

Seasonal Results
Other Leagues

Team Names

• Danville Dans, 1951-54
• Danville Warriors, 1970-74
• Danville Dodgers, 1975-76
• Danville Suns, 1982

Affiliations

• Independent, 1951
• Boston Braves, 1952
• Chicago White Sox, 1953
• New York Giants, 1954
• Cooperative, 1970
• Milwaukee Brewers, 1971-74
• Los Angeles Dodgers, 1975-76
• California Angels, 1982

Officers, Managers, & Coaches

Ballpark

• Danville Stadium (built 1946)

Attendance record

• 95,023 (1972)

Ballparks & Attendance

Best Seasons

• Hitter: Leon Wagner (1954) .322, 24 HR, 115 RBI
• Pitcher: Ken Gohn (1952) 1.58, 22-5

Best Big League Career

• Cecil Cooper (1970)

Awards

• 1970 Frank Calo (Manager of the Year)
• 1972 Joe Nossek (Manager of the Year)
• 1973 Bernie Smith (Manager of the Year)

Danville Highlights

Team Records

Hitters

• Batting: Everette Hall (1951) .361
• Home Runs: Gorman Thomas (1971) 31
• Runs Batted In: Leon Wagner (1954) 115

Seasonal Hitting Leaders

Pitchers

• Wins: Ken Gohn (1952) 22
• Won/Lost (10 decisions): James Agnew (1952) 16-2, .889
• Earned Run Average: Ken Gohn (1952) 1.58
• Strikeouts: Mitch Bobinger (1975) 201

Seasonal Pitching Leaders

Notes

This summary originated as the August 14, 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.