Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League

Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League

Sport	Minor League Baseball (Class D)
Founded	1946
Ceased	1952
No. of teams	9
Country	USA
Most titles	3 : Ponca City Dodgers (1948, 1950-1951)

The Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League (or KOM League) was a name of an American minor league baseball league which was established in 1946. It existed for seven seasons (1946-1952) as a Class D League. Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee Mickey Mantle played in the league for the Independence Yankees in 1949, hitting .313 with 7 HR, 63 RBI.^[1]

Teams

• Bartlesville Oilers (1946-1947); Bartlesville Pirates (1948-1952)
• Blackwell Broncos (1952)
• Carthage Cardinals (1946-1948); Carthage Cubs (1949-1951)
• Chanute Athletics (1946-1947, 1949-1950); Chanute Giants (1948);
• Independence Yankees (1947-1950); Independence Browns 1952
• Iola Cubs (1946-1947); Iola Indians (1948-1952)
• Miami Blues (1946); Miami Owls (1947-1949); Miami Eagles (1950-1952)
• Pittsburg Browns (1946-1951); Pittsburg Pirates (1952)
• Ponca City Dodgers (1947-1952)

Year by Year

1946
The League and all of its member teams were created. Teams were formed in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Carthage, Missouri, Chanute, Kansas, Iola, Kansas, Miami, Oklahoma, and Pittsburg, Kansas.

Chanute Owls	Topeka, Kansas Owls	68-53
Miami Blues	Brooklyn Dodgers *	69-54
Iola Cubs	Chicago Cubs	63-57
Pittsburg Browns	St. Louis Browns	61-59
Carthage Cardinals	St. Louis Cardinals	54-66
Bartlesville Oilers	Pittsburgh Pirates	47-73

• Brooklyn assigned a few players to Miami that season but the team was actually run by Ted Vernon of Amarillo, Texas. When it was discovered that the Miami Baseball Club Inc. had turned the reigns of the operation of the club to Mr. Vernon, W. G. Bramham, the President of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, sent a very stern letter to the Miami baseball officials that the rules had been violated in this matter. The next year the Dodgers moved their franchise to Ponca City, Oklahoma and Mr. Vernon returned to Amarillo.

Chanute beat Pittsburg by 3 games to 2 in the first round of the playoffs. Iola beat Miami by the same number. The championship series between Chanute and Iola ended tied at three games apiece, although Chanute won 4 games. A dispute arose between the Chanute and Iola club officials regarding Chanute selecting Dave Dennis from the Miami club for the playoffs. Although Iola owner Earl Sifers originally agreed to the arrangement he later changed his mind. By the time the dispute was settled it was too late in the fall, young men had to go back to school, the rodeo took over the ball park playing area and then the rains came.

1947
Teams from Independence, Kansas and Ponca City, Oklahoma joined.

Miami Owls Topeka,	Topeka, Kansas Owls	76-49
Iola Cubs	Chicago Cubs	69-54
Pittsburg Browns	St. Louis Browns	69-54
Bartlesville Oilers	Pittsburgh Pirates	68-56
Carthage Cardinals	St. Louis Cardinals	66-59
Ponca City Dodgers	Brooklyn Dodgers	61-67
Chanute Athletics	Independent	44-80
Independence Yankees	New York Yankees	41-80

Miami beats Bartlesville in the first round of the playoffs 3 games to 1. Iola beat Pittsburgh by the same number. Miami won the championship over Iola, 4 games to 1.

1948

Ponca City Dodgers	Brooklyn Dodgers	79-47
Independence Yankees	New York Yankees	74-46
Bartlesville Pirates	Pittsburgh Pirates	71-52
Pittsburg Browns	St. Louis Browns	60-60
Miami Owls	Topeka, Kansas Owls	58-66
Carthage Cardinals	St. Louis Cardinals	51-67
Iola Indians	Working agreement with Cleveland	51-72
Chanute Giants	New York Giants	44-78

The Independence Yankees defeated Pittsburg Browns 4 games to 1.

1949

Independence Yankees	New York Yankees	71-53
Bartlesville Pirates	Pittsburgh Pirates	71-55
Iola Indians	Cleveland Indians	70-55
Ponca City Dodgers	Brooklyn Dodgers	66-59
Chanute Athletics	Independent	65-60
Carthage Cubs	Chicago Cubs	62-64
Miami Owls	Topeka, Kansas Owls	56-69
Pittsburg Browns	St. Louis Browns	39-85

Independence beat Ponca City 3 games to 1 in the first playoff round. Iola beat Bartlesville by the same number. Independence beat Iola three games to none for the championship.

1950

Ponca City Dodgers	Brooklyn Dodgers	80-42
Bartlesville Pirates	Pittsburgh Pirates	73-48
Carthage Cubs	Chicago Cubs	75-50
Pittsburg Browns	St. Louis Browns	71-52
Miami Eagles	Independent	62-60
Independence Yankees	New York Yankees	60-66
Iola Indians	Independent	35-84
Chanute Athletics	Independent	35-89

Ponca City beats Pittsburgh 3 games to 2 in the first round of playoffs. Bartlesville beat Carthage 3 games to one. Ponca City won the championship, defeating Bartlesville 3 games to 1.

1951
The teams in Chanute and Independence folded.

Ponca City Dodgers	Brooklyn Dodgers	85-39
Bartlesville Pirates	Pittsburgh Pirates	77-45
Miami Eagles	Independent	67-55
Carthage Cubs	Chicago Cubs	60-65
Pittsburg Browns	St. Louis Browns	41-80
Iola Indians	Independent	38-84

Carthage beat Ponca City 3 games to 2 in the first round. Miami beat Bartlesville 3 games to 1. Carthage beat Miami for the championship, winning the series 3 games to none.

1952
The Carthage Cubs moved to Blackwell, Oklahoma. The Pittsburg Brownies moved to Independence, Kansas. The Bartlesville Pirates moved to the now-vacant Pittsburg on July 7.

Iola Indians	Independent	79-47
Miami Eagles	Philadelphia Phillies	67-57
Ponca City Dodgers	Brooklyn Dodgers	68-58
Bartlesville Pirates/Pittsburg, Kansas. Pirates	Pittsburgh Pirates	59-65
Blackwell Broncos	Chicago Cubs	57-69
Independence Browns	St. Louis Browns	46-80

Miami and Ponca City started a playoff series, with Miami winning both games. Then all the teams, and the league itself, folded.

References

1. "Independence Yankees - BR Bullpen". Baseball-reference.com. 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2016-04-02.

External links

• Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. Minor League Baseball Standings:All North American Leagues, Through 1999. Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0781-6
• Hall, John G. "Majoring in the Minors--a glimpse of baseball in a small town. 1996 Oklahoma Bylines. ISBN 1-882336-09-7. Reprinted 2000 by Inter-State Printing. Sedalia, Missouri.
• Hall, John G. "The KOM League Remembered." Arcadia Publishing. Charleston SC, Chicago IL, Portsmouth NH, San Francisco. ISBN 0-7385-3340-8.
• Hall, John G. "Mickey Mantle Before the Glory." Leathers Publishing, Leawood, Kansas 2006. ISBN 1-58597-317-3.