Baseball in Mount Vernon, Illinois

Overview

The record of the Midwest League franchise in Mount Vernon, Illinois.

Mt. Vernon was an Charter member of the ISL, an MWL predecessor, and lasted through the league's eighth season. The Kings fielded generally lackluster teams staffed by career minor leaguers; most teams had a few bright spots, but they'd generally finish low in the standings. Some versions of the team--particularly the 1949 squad--must have been pretty exasperating to watch.

Only the 1951 season saw a winning record, and Don Liddle seems to be the only Mt. Vernon alumnus who played in the majors. During the 1951 championship playoff, Stanley Burat, who pitched only a few career minor league innings, threw a no hitter at the Centralia Zeros--to no avail, as the Zeros won the series.

Summary

• Midwest League seasons: 8
• Won/Lost overall: 418/532, .440
• Best season: 60/59, .504 (1951--3rd best in league)
• Championship Playoffs Won: none
• Best MWL Won/Lost Record: no seasons

Mount Vernon was a charter member of the Illinois State League. The franchise folded after the 1954 season and was not directly replaced.

Seasonal Results
Other Leagues

Team Names

• Mount Vernon Braves, 1947-48
• Mount Vernon Kings, 1949-54

Affiliations

• Boston Braves, 1947-48
• Independent, 1949-54

Officers, Managers, & Coaches

Ballpark

• Veterans Park (likely new 1947)
  • almost certainly the same as Vernon Field (1948) and Braves Field

Attendance record

• 39,665 (1951)

Ballparks & Attendance

Best Seasons

• Hitter: Bob Schmidt (1953) .358, 12 HR, 103 RBI
• Pitcher: Allen Evans (1952) 2.04, 19 wins

Best Big League Career

• Don Liddle (1947)

Awards

• none

Mount Vernon Highlights

Team Records

Hitters

• Batting: Bob Schmidt (1953) .358
• Home Runs: John Klingert (1954) 15
• Runs Batted In: James Given (1951) 119

Seasonal Hitting Leaders

Pitchers

• Wins: Allen Evans (1952) 19
• Won/Lost (10 decisions): Mike Rolla (1953) 14/3, .824
• Earned Run Average: Don Liddle (1947) 1.92
• Strikeouts: Don Liddle (1947) 190

Seasonal Pitching Leaders

Notes

This summary originated as the April 16, 2001, Midwest League Tidbit on the Midwest League Mailing List.

Sources

These pages draw heavily on several sources:

• Wolff & Johnson, Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball
• Midwest League 1981 Record Book
• Kevin Saldana, This Date in Minor League Baseball History
• Pat Doyle, Professional Baseball Players Database

Notes

According to Saldana, the Kokomo team replaced Danville in 1955, and the Lafayette team was added to the league before Mount Vernon folded.

The 1947 team may have been called the Blues.