Baseball in Geneva, Illinois

known as Kane County

Overview

The record of the Midwest League franchise in Geneva, Illinois. This team has been known as Kane County.

Until 1999, Geneva's teams (called Kane County) had routinely been pretty mediocre; consistently playing around .500 baseball, consistently about 7th in the MWL's final standings tally. In 1999, the Cougars led the league in wins; the 2000 team was also successful. Finally, in 2001, the Cougars won the championship trophy. In recent seasons, Kane County's been routinely excellent.

They've had some excellent talent, too, including Jason Stokes, Dontrelle Willis, Adrian Gonzales, Will Cunnane, A.J. Burnett, Mark Kotsay, Billy McMillon, and Tyrone Horne. And Charles Johnson....

This team's always among the league attendance leaders.

Summary

• Midwest League seasons: 16
• Won/Lost overall: 1161/1045, .526
• Best season: 88/50, .638 (2001)
• Championship Playoffs Won: 1
• Best MWL Won/Lost Record: 2 seasons

Geneva joined the Midwest League (as Kane County) in 1991; they were the direct successors to the Wausau franchise. Geneva/Kane County remains active in the MWL.

Historically, this is the Decatur franchise.

Seasonal Results
Other Leagues

Team Name

• Kane County Cougars, 1991-present

Affiliations

• Baltimore Orioles, 1991-92
• Florida Marlins, 1993-2002
• Oakland Athletics, 2003-present (PDC through 2010)

Officers, Managers, & Coaches

Ballpark

• Philip B. Elfstrom Stadium (new 1991)
  • This facility was originally named the Kane County Events Center.

Attendance record

• 510,390 (2002)

Ballparks & Attendance

Best Seasons

• Hitter: Tyrone Horne (1997) .306, 21 HR, 91 RBI or Jason Stokes (2002) .341, 27 HR, 75 RBI
• Pitcher: Brent Billingsley (1997) 3.01, 14 wins, 175 strikeouts or A.J. Burnett (1998) 1.97, 10 wins, 186 strikeouts (partial season)

Best Big League Career

• Edgar Renteria (1993)

Awards

• 1999 Rick Renteria (Manager of the Year)
• 2002 Jason Stokes (Most Valuable Player)

Geneva Highlights

Team Records

Hitters

• Batting: Jason Stokes (2002) .341
• Home Runs: Jason Stokes (2002) 27
• Runs Batted In: Jeff Baisley (2006) 110
• Steals: Quincy Foster (1998) 73

Seasonal Hitting Leaders

Pitchers

• Wins: Victor Hurtado (1996) 15
• Won/Lost (10 decisions): Dontrelle Willis (2002) 10/2, .833
• Earned Run Average: Will Cunnane (1994) 1.43
• Strikeouts: A.J. Burnett (1998) 186
• Saves: Bryan Moore (2000) 27

Seasonal Pitching Leaders

Notes

This summary originated as the January 8, 2000, 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.