Quad Cities River Bandits
Quad Cities River Bandits Founded in 1901 Davenport, Iowa | |||||
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Class-level | |||||
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Current | Class-A[1] (1963–present) | ||||
Previous |
Class D (1960-1962) Class B (1946-1952; 1957-1958) | ||||
Minor league affiliations | |||||
League | Midwest League (1960–present) | ||||
Conference |
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Major league affiliations | |||||
Current | Houston Astros (2013–present) | ||||
Previous |
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Minor league titles | |||||
League titles (10) |
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Team data | |||||
Nickname | Quad Cities River Bandits (2008–present) | ||||
Previous names |
Midwest League
Three-I League
Western League
Mississippi Valley League
Three-I League
Illinois–Iowa League
Central Interstate League
Northwestern League
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Ballpark | Modern Woodmen Park (1931–present) | ||||
Previous parks |
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Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Main Street Baseball | ||||
Manager | Omar Lopez | ||||
General Manager | Andrew Chesser |
The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Houston Astros, that plays in the Midwest League. Its home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park (formerly John O'Donnell Stadium) in Davenport, Iowa, one of the Quad Cities. The address is 209 S. Gaines Street.
Early Quad City baseball history
Tracing back to 1879, Quad City professional baseball has a rich history that includes teams in Davenport, Moline (Moline Plowboys) and Rock Island (Rock Island Islanders). The 1879 Davenport Brown Stockings played one season in the Northwestern League beginning a baseball history in the area. Davenport teams with catchy names (Onion Weeders, Pilgrims, Hawkeyes) played before the turn of the 20th century in a various leagues.[2]
In 1901, play began in the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (Three-I) with teams Davenport and Rock Island as charter members. The Davenport team set the foundation of the franchise that exists today. The Making up the rest of the 1901 Three-I League teams were: Terre Haute, Bloomington, Cedar Rapids, Rockford, Evansville and Decatur. The Davenport team continued to change their name frequently in the early years of their Three-I play: River Rats (1901–04), Riversides (1905), Knickerbockers (1906), Prodigals (1909–12) and Davenport Blue Sox (1913–1916). Davenport won their first Three-I Championship in 1914. [2]
With the Quad Cities area was able to support two teams in this era, Davenport and the Rock Island Islanders, a third Quad City team was added In July, 1914. Moline gained a franchise, that year when the Danville Speakers relocated to Moline and the Moline Plowboys were established. The Plowboys would win Three-I Championships in 1915, 1921 and 1937.
The Moline Plowboys were Class D affiliates of the Detroit Tigers (1922), St Louis Browns (1931–32), Chicago Cubs (1937–40) and the Philadelphia A's (1947–48). From 1920-22 the Plowboys were managed by player-manager Earle Mack, son of Connie Mack. The Rock Island slanders were Class D affiliates of the St. Louis Browns (1932) and Cincinnati Reds (1933). In 1922, Rock Island left the Three-I to join the Mississippi Valley League (MVL), followed by Moline a year later.
Unable to sustain their teams, Rock Island's final season of play was 1937 and Moline played their final season in 1948. The Moline franchise played home games at Browning Field and Rock Island played at Douglas Park.[2] In an exhibition on April 12, 1920 The Plowboys defeated the Chicago White Sox 7-1 in the first "major-league" game played at Browning.[2] Both Douglas Park and Browning Field are still in existence today.
On May 26, 1931, Davenport began play in the newly built Municipal Stadium, nicknamed the "Muny." On the Muny field, Rock Island and Davenport played each other in the championship series in 1932 and 1933. Rock Island won the '32 series and the title in six games.[2] Davenport rebounded to win the MVL title in 1933 (the final season of the MVL). The 1933 team was led by Ed Hall's 151 RBI and Como Cotelle's .407 average.[2] The Davenport Blue Sox played in the Western League from 1934–1937 as a Class A affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 1936 team continued the strong decade and claimed the Western League championship. The 1937 team was managed by player-manager John "Eagle Beak" Fitzpatrick. This is noteworthy as Fitzpatrick returned 25 years later to manage the Angels in 1962[2] [3]
Post-World War II Davenport teams
After a nine season baseball hiatus during World War II, baseball returned in 1946. The Davenport Cubs rejoined the Three-I League as the Class B affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Led by future MLB players Roy Smalley and Rube Walker, the 1946 team started the new era by winning the regular season Three-I Title.[4][5] Keeping the moniker of the MLB franchise, from 1948 to 1949 The Davenport Pirates were an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Future MLB stars Bob Purkey, Cy Young Winner Vern Law and slugger Frank Thomas were on the 1949 Pirates, who swept Evansville, 3-0, to win the Three-I championship. The 1949 season also saw Davenport draw 133,505 fans, a franchise record that would stand until 1981.[6]
After the 1950 "Davenport Quads" operated as an independent, the 1951 and 1952 squads became the Davenport Tigers as the Class B affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Harvey Kuenn starred for the 1952 team, hitting .340 and earning a late season call up to Detroit. Kuenn then won the 1953 Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award.[7] Sadly, after going 54-69 in 1952, the Detroit Tigers switched minor league cities, leaving Davenport without an affiliate and a team for four seasons. Then, in 1957, baseball returned to the Muny as the Davenport DavSox began Three-I league play as the Class B affiliate of the Chicago White Sox for two seasons.[8]
An interrupted marriage – Midwest League era: 1960–present
When the Davenport DavSox moved to Lincoln, Nebraska after the 1958 season, Davenport was left without a team for the 1959 season. As a result, local businessman Hugo "Hooks" Kohn started a drive to bring a new team to Davenport. Kohn was a local baseball enthusiast and a leading pioneer/player of "Diamond Ball", a Davenport game that eventually led to today's softball.[9] With the Kohn heading the Quad City Baseball Fans Association, a team was secured for the 1960 season as a Milwaukee Braves affiliate. This move solidified Davenport as a true baseball town and the city has operated with a team every year since. The Quad City Baseball Fans Association would operate the Davenport franchise from 1960 through 1986.[10] The 1960 Davenport Braves became a member of the fledgling Midwest League (MWL), a partnership that has operated uninterrupted in the subsequent decades. The 1960 team joined Waterloo, Iowa; Keokuk, Iowa; Dubuque, Iowa; Clinton, Iowa; Kokomo, Indiana; Quincy, Illinois and Decatur, Illinois to form an 8-team league.[11] The Davenport franchise has been a member of the Midwest League ever since, as has Clinton. The creation of the Midwest League essentially ended the Three-I, which folded after the 1961 season. In its long history, the Three-I hosted teams in 31 cities.[12]
In 1961 the franchise permanently dropped "Davenport" and became the "Quad City" Braves. In 1962, Quad Cities became a farm team of the expansion Los Angeles (later California) Angels. The affiliate change was forced when Cedar Rapids (also a Braves affiliate) was one of six Three-I teams that joined the Midwest League in 1962 after the Three-I dissolution. Thus began a lengthy affiliation with the Angels.[13] The Quad City Angels of 1963 and 1964 were managed by Chuck Tanner in his first managerial position. (Tanner would later lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to the World Series Championship in 1979.) The 1964 Angels were the first MWL team to draw more than 100,000 fans in a season. The franchise had other on field successes in the 1960s and 1970s: Fred Koenig managed the Angels to the 1968 MWL title; Mike Stubbins led the 1971 squad to another and Jim Napier led the Quad Cities Cubs title run in 1979.[14]
Except for a six-year affiliation with the Chicago Cubs (1979–84), the Angels affiliation ran from 1962 through the 1992 season. Quad Cities was then affiliate of the Houston Astros (1993-1998) and the Minnesota Twins (1999-2004). MLB Batting title winner Joe Mauer was a River Bandit during the Twins affiliation. In 2005 the Bandits became the Class A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, before partnering again with Houston for the 2013 season.[15]
During the 2013 season, Quad Cities became the first team in Minor League history to have two back-to-back first overall draft picks on their roster when the Astros drafted Carlos Correa for 2012 and Mark Appel for 2013.[16]
Franchise team names
The franchise had been called "Davenport" until changing to "Quad City" in 1962. The modern franchise used the nickname of its major-league affiliate through the 1991 season. In 1992, the team created its own nickname for the first time in a "name the team' contest. Subsequently, the team was the Quad City River Bandits from 1992 through the 2003. On October 20, 2003, the team was renamed the Swing of the Quad Cities; the nickname, like the previous one, was the winning entry in another "name the team" contest. However, On December 13, 2007, the team announced it would return to the "Quad Cities River Bandits" after voters in a contest (sponsored by the franchise's new owners, Dave Heller and Bob Herrfeldt of Main Street Baseball) chose the River Bandits name over "The Swing" and four other finalists: "Channel Cats", "The Current", "River Eagles", and "Talons."[17]
The renaming of the Bandits has proven to be one of sports’ most successful rebranding campaigns – merchandise sales after the 2008 rebranding increased more than 400% (and were up an additional 34% in 2009), sponsorships jumped more than 64% in the first season, and CNBC named the team's logo one of the top eight in minor league baseball.
History of Franchise Ownership
After success in securing a Midwest League Franchise for Davenport beginning with the 1960 season, the non-profit Quad City Baseball Fans Association contiuned to operate the franchise from 1960 to 1986. In 1986 Chicago businessman Harry H. Semrow purchased the team from the association for $350,000, but Semrow was forced to sell after the 1987 season due to poor health.
Richard Holtzman, another Chicago businessman who owned as many as five minor league teams, purchased the franchise from Semrow and remained as owner from 1987 until 1998.
In 1998, Holtzman sold the team to Seventh Inning Stretch, a company owned by Kevin Krause, a businessman out of Mason City, Iowa, and son of Kum & Go co-founder William Krause.
On December 28, 2006, Krause agreed to sell the team to Florida-based Main Street Baseball for an undisclosed price; the sale was completed on November 29, 2007.[18][19]
Under Main Street Baseball's ownership, led by Dave Heller and Bob Herrfeldt, the River Bandits sparked a stunning resurgence of baseball in the Quad Cities, winning league championships in 2011 and 2013, setting new attendance records and capturing numerous awards for their innovative promotions.[20]
Since Heller and Herrfeldt took over the Bandits, sponsorship sales, suite sales, ticket sales, and concession sales have all seen annual increases. The team's average attendance in its first year under Main Street rose by more than 56%, the largest such increase in baseball, and has climbed to nearly 3,700 fans per game. The Bandits have also led one of sports' most successful rebranding campaigns – merchandise sales after the 2008 rebranding increased more than 400% (and were up an additional 34% in 2009!), sponsorships jumped more than 64% in the first season, and CNBC named the team's logo one of the top eight in minor league baseball.
Main Street Baseball has also been a trail-blazer, having hired the Midwest League's only female general manager (Stefanie Brown) then hiring the only African-American GM in minor league baseball. The River Bandits have also consistently had more women in leadership positions than most any team in baseball. The River Bandits have also consistently had more women in leadership positions than most any team in baseball, and are the only minor league club to have won back-to-back Diversity Economic Impact Engagement (DEIE) Scholarships from major league baseball since MLB started awarding them in 2012.
The River Bandits have been voted Best Family Entertainment by the Quad-City Times for each of the past five years and were recently voted by the River Cities Reader as "The Best Place for An Inexpensive Date that Doesn't Look Like It." The team won the prestigious "Golden Bobblehead" award in 2013 for best charitable promotion in Minor League Baseball for its innovative "Photo Jersey Auction" to benefit Autism Awareness. It also won a "Veeckie Award" from ESPN in 2009 for best minor league promotion ("Tattoo Night") and the "Promotion of the Year" Award from Ballpark Digest the same year for the team's "Mega-Candy Drop", as well as a Gold Award from the U.S. Army for its community service. The team has also won repeated awards for Heller's creative TV and radio ads, which have repeatedly been recognized as among the best in the industry.[20]
History of franchise ballparks
Davenport teams of 1909–1916 played at a park located near 3rd and Telegraph Road.[4][21] Then, the Davenport Blue Sox of 1929 and 1930 played home games at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, which had no lighting.
To sustain a baseball franchise, the city of Davenport realized a new lighted stadium was needed, with a location near downtown. A stadium had been proposed by the Davenport Levee Commission and once approved, has provided a venue to anchor baseball in Davenport for the generations to follow.
Unveiled on May 26, 1931 in Davenport's LeClaire Park, on the banks of the Mississippi River, the facility was constructed entirely with local labor for a construction cost $165,000, opening with a capacity of 4,000 fans in 1931. It was a modern marvel, opening complete with light towers (first night game was June 4, 1931) and a grandstand facing the Mississippi River.
The 1931 Municipal Stadium was fondly nicknamed "The Muny."[4][21] In 1971, Municipal Stadium was renamed John O'Donnell Stadium in honor of the longtime sports editor of the Quad-City Times. The ballpark has shown its beauty and staying power, hosting Midwest League All-Star Games eight times: 1964, 1968, 1975, 1980, 1982, 1990, 2006 and 2011.
Many events have been held at the Stadium through the years. Some of historical note:
- The Davenport Blue Sox had several exhibitions against Negro League teams in the 1930s.
- In May 1940, 14,000 were in attendance for Republican Presidential nominee Wendell Willkie.
- The Major League St. Louis Browns played the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1942 exhibition game.
- O'Donnell hosted concerts by Johnny Cash in 1974 and The Beach Boys in 1984.[22][23] "[4]
- On May 10, 1991, John O'Donnell Stadium hosted Boxing's IBF Middleweight Championship fight between Davenport native Michael Nunn and James Toney. Result: Toney upset Nunn with a KO in the 11th round to take the Championship belt away from Nunn, who was leading on all scorecards.[24]
Other tenants
Numerous high school and college football events were regularly played in the stadium. St. Ambrose University and Davenport Assumption High School used the venue for home football games for a number of years. The first football game in the Muny was hosted by St. Ambrose College in September, 1931. The old bleachers along left field/3rd base line had a football press box for a number of years. The last football game played at O'Donnell was in 1986, and demolition of the football stands began in 1987.[4][21]
The team's home attendance record of 260,471 was set in 1994.[25]
2004: Major renovation
Sitting on the banks of the river, the stadium has survived many floods, including major Mississippi River floods of 1965, 1969, 1993 and 2001, all of which breached the facility. Pictures of the flooded stadium are plentiful in the news media. The Great Flood of 1993 was especially damaging to the facility.
Designed to combat the recurring and costly toll of flooding, a huge project was undertaken in 2004 to completely modernize and protect the facility. The project was a joint effort of The River Bandits and the City of Davenport . The result was a massive redesign of the field and grounds at Modern Woodmen Park. The entire structure and field of the original 1931 stadium were redone. Only the exterior façade of the old stadium remained, with concessions, concourses, level loge boxes, and seating areas being reconstructed. The improvements essentially created a new ballpark within the shell of the old park. Other 2004 renovations included a raised playing field; a slight shift of the playing field to better face the river; removal of the drive behind the outfield fence; the addition of a berm in the outfield and the addition of exterior brick/metal columns, put in place for decoration and also to hold portable flood walls to be inserted outside the stadium. The new protections secured and protected the facility during other major Mississippi River floods in 2008, 2011 and 2013. Before the 2004 renovations, flooding created financial and logistical problems, as the team was regularly forced to move "home" games to local facilities or other MWL venues (mostly Clinton, Iowa). The team played also several games at North Scott High School and Brady Street Stadium in 1993 and several games at Moline's Black Hawk College during the 2001 flood.[21]
The new park has incorporated modern and creative features. Including a corn field beside left-field, from which the players are introduced.[21] The team also unveiled a $347,000 HD video board shortly before the Bandits hosted the 2011 Midwest League All-Star Game.[26] The renamed and remodeled Modern Woodmen Park was selected the Midwest Leagues best ballpark by Baseball America and earned a five-star rating from BallparkDigest.com.[27]
In 2004, Author Tim Rask released a book titled Baseball at Davenport's John O'Donnell Stadium.[13]
In 2007, stadium renaming rights went to Rock Island-based-Modern Woodmen of America for a reported $4.5 million.[21][27]
Since then, Modern Woodmen Park has earned more accolades than any minor league ballpark in the country. It was voted "the best minor league ballpark in America" by the readers of USA Today and 10Best.com and the Midwest League's best ballpark by Baseball America. It also earned a 5-star rating from BallparkDigest.com, was named one of the two most beautiful ballparks in minor league baseball by USA Today, one of the top 10 in the nation by Parade Magazine, and was selected "the #2 Coolest Minor League Ballpark in America" by Complex Magazine.[28]
Under Main Street Baseball's leadership, the River Bandits have added many fun new features to the ballpark, including a new outfield bar, a new picnic area, five concourse-level "loge boxes", an 80-foot long high-definition ribbon-board, a huge new 20' x 36' tall HD videoboard, a new playground, birthday room, additional office and storage space, a new concessions stand and more than a dozen new portable food carts, a Hall of Fame autographed jersey display, an unmatched collection of bobbleheads from across the country and a sponsored corn field from which the players are introduced at the game's outset.[20]
In 2011, the Bandits unveiled their new Budweiser Champions Club, a 2500 s.f. glass-enclosed multi-purpose banquet hall with glass garage doors that open and close depending on the weather. That room has helped increase wedding business by more than 500%, and is regularly sold out during the Christmas season. It was voted by BallparkDigest.com as "the best ballpark renovation under $1 million."[29]
In 2014, added a 110-foot tall Ferris Wheel to the landscape of the stadium, with the Ferris Wheel located behind the left-field wall. Also, a 30-foot tall Drop-N-Twist, a mechanized gyroscope and an old-fashioned carousel to go along with a dual 300-foot long zip line, six bounce houses and a 25-foot tall rock climbing wall are in play! Also added in 2014 were three new themed areas, including a 1,500 s.f. deck featuring a firepit to keep fans warm during April and May, 51 new swivel-chair seats adjacent to the field, and 18 new extra-wide seats adjacent to the visitor's dugout, as well as four new padded seats set aside for veterans and active-duty military.
In 2015, the franchise continued to improve the ballpark with a 10,000 s.f. expansion of the third-base concourse.[20]
No-hitters
There have been numerous no-hitters by franchise pitchers since the team began play in the Midwest League:[30]
- 5-6-66 Vern Geishert Appleton 7-0
- 5-4-71 Sid Monge Cedar Rapids 6-0
- 8-21-74 Lamar Wright Danville 2-0 7 Innings
- 5-20-75 Jim Dorsey Clinton 4-0 7 Innings
- 5-31-76 Don Mraz Wisconsin Rapids 3-0 7 Innings
- 7-26-76 Ralph Botting Wausau 3-0 7 Innings
- 7-9-77 T. Joel Crisler Wausau 1-0 7 Innings (G2)
- 5-19-00 Tim Sturdy Cedar Rapids 1-0 7 Innings
- 8-12-01 Brian Wolfe Dayton 2-0
Hall Of Fame alumni
Four franchise alumni have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame:
- Jim Bunning (1951) Inducted: Major League Baseball Hall Of Fame: 1996
- Milo Hamilton (1950–51) Announcer KSTT Radio. Recipient, Major League Baseball Hall of Fame: Ford C. Frick Award:1992
- Travis Jackson "Stonewall" (MGR 1960) Inducted: Major League Baseball Hall of Fame: 1983
- Bid McPhee (1879) Inducted: Major League Baseball Hall of Fame: 2000
Alumni: Award Winners
There have been numerous franchise alumni as recipients of Major League Baseball Awards:
Alumni MLB Most Valuable Player
- Joe Mauer (2002) 2009 AL Most Valuable Player
- Justin Morneau (2001) 2006 AL Most Valuable Player
Alumni: Cy Young Award
- Vern Law (1949) 1960 Cy Young Award
- Johan Santana (1998) 2004 & 2006 AL Cy Young Award
Alumni: Rookie of the Year Award
- Vince Coleman (Coach, 2013-14) 1985 NL Rookie of the Year
- Carlos Correa (2013) 2015 AL Rookie of the Year
- Harvey Kuenn (1952)1953 AL Rookie of the Year
- Gary Peters (1958)1963 AL Rookie of the Year
Alumni: Batting Title /Home-Run Leader / RBI Leader
- Rico Carty (1960) 1970 NL Batting Title
- Nick Etten (1933, .357) 1944 AL HR Leader; 1945 AL RBI leader
- Harvey Kuenn (1952) 10 x MLB All-Star; 1959 AL Batting Title
- Carney Lansford (1976) 1981 AL Batting Title
- Joe Mauer (2002) 3 x Gold Glove; 6 x MLB All-Star; 3 x AL Batting title (2006, 08, 09)'
- Justin Morneau (2001) 4 x MLB All-Star; 2015 NL Batting Title
Alumni: MLB Draft, #1 Overall Pick
- Shawon Dunston (1983) 1982, #1 Overall Draft Pick
- Joe Mauer (2002) 3 x GG; 6 x MLB All-Star; 2001, #1 Overall Draft Pick
- Mark Appel (2013) 2013, #1 Overall Draft Pick
- Carlos Correa (2013) 2012, #1 Overall Draft Pick
- (List of first overall Major League Baseball draft picks)
Alumni: MLB All-Star Selections / Leaders
- Sandy Alomar, SR (1961) MLB All-Star
- Whitey Alperman (1902) 1907 NL Triples Leader
- Garret Anderson (1991) 3 x MLB All-Star; 2003 All-Star Game MVP
- Morrie Arnovich (1947) MLB All-Star
- Jesse Barnes (1913–1915) 1919 NL Wins Leader
- Dante Bichette (1985) 4 x MLB All-Star;
- Clay Carroll (1961) 2 x MLB All-Star; 1972 NL Saves Leader
- Matt Carpenter (2009) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Ray Chapman (1911) 1918 AL Triples Leader; HBP died from injury 8/17/1920; (List of baseball players who died during their careers)
- Mark Clear (1976–77) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Damion Easley (1990) MLB All-Star
- Jim Edmonds (1989) 4 x MLB All-Star; 8 x Gold Glove
- Chuck Finley (1986) 4 x MLB All-Star; 200 MLB wins
- Freddy García (1996) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Doug Griffin (1966, 1969) Gold Glove Award
- Carlos Guillén (1996) 3 x MLB All-Star
- Bryan Harvey (1985) 2 x MLB All-Star; 1991 AL Saves leader
- Roberto Hernández(1987–1988); MLB All-Star; 1000+ MLB Appearances
- Joe Hoerner (1959) MLB All-Star
- Brad Lidge (1998) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Lance Lynn (2008) MLB All-Star
- Jim McGlothlin (1962); MLB All-Star (Died Age 32)
- Joe Maddon (1976) MLB MGR: 3 x MLB Manager of the Year: 2008, 2011, 2015
- Carlos Martinez (2011) MLB All-Star
- Shelby Miller (2009–10) MLB All-Star
- Wade Miller (1997) MLB All-Star
- Don Mincher (1958) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Sid Monge (1971) MLB All-Star
- Mark Mulder (2006) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Marty Pattin (1966) MLB All-Star
- Chris Perez (2006) MLB All-Star
- Bob Purkey (1949) 3 x MLB All-Star
- Jerry Remy (1973, .335 BA) MLB All-Star
- Rick Reuschel (1983) 2 x GG; 3 x MLB All-Star
- Trevor Rosenthal (2011) MLB All-Star
- Denard Span (2004) 2 x MLB Triples leader
- Jim Spencer (1965) MLB All-Star
- Mark Sweeney (1992) All-time MLB Leader: Pinch hit RBI
- Frank Tanana (1972) 3 x MLB All-Star; MLB: 240 lifetime wins;1975 AL Strikeouts Leader; 1977 AL ERA Title
- Chuck Tanner (MGR 1963-64) MLB MGR: 1979 World Series Champion – Pittsburgh Pirates
- Frank Thomas (1949) 3 X MLB All-Star
- Dickie Thon (1976) MLB All-Star
- Billy Wagner (1994) 6 x MLB All-Star; MLB Rolaids Reliever Award
- Jimy Williams (MGR, 1974) MLB MGR: 1,052 wins; 1999 AL MGR of the Year
- Roger Wolff (1936) 1945 AL Leader: WHIP
- Clyde Wright (1965) MLB All-Star
Notable alumni
Notable Major League Baseball players/managers/media from the history of the Davenport franchise include:[31]
Notable MLB Players/Managers
- Kyle Abbott (1989)
- Manny Acta (MGR 1997) MLB MGR: Washington, Cleveland
- Matt Adams (2010)
- Willie Mays Aikens (1975)
- Rich Amaral (1984)
- Rick Ankiel (2005) MLB: Pitcher and Hitter
- Scott Baker (2003)
- Grant Balfour (1999)
- Virgil Barnes (1915)
- Damon Berryhill (1984)
- Larry Bigbie (2006)
- Nick Blackburn (2004)
- Thad Bosley (1975)
- Tom Bradley (1970)
- Dan Briggs (1971)
- Mike Butcher (1988)
- Mike Capel (1983)
- Ramon Castro (1996)
- Bobby Clark (1976)
- Mike Cook (1985)
- Henry Cotto (1980–81)
- Julio Cruz (1975) MLB: 343 SB
- Dave Collins (1973) MLB: 395 SB
- Keith Comstock (1976)
- Chad Curtis (1989–1990)
- Paul Dade (1970)
- Mark Dalesandro (1991)
- John Doherty (1970) #7 Overall Draft Pick, 1970
- Steve Eddy (1976) Quad City Native – United Township High School
- Scott Elarton (1994–1995)
- Willie Eyre (2000–01)
- Willie Fraser (1986)
- Jaime García (2006)
- Adrian Garrett (1961)
- Al Gould (1915)
- Peaches Graham (1916)
- Tyler Greene (2006)
- John Halama (1996)
- Mel Hall (1980)
- Hilly Hathaway (1991)
- Brian Harper (1978, Angels Record: 24 HR)
- Paul Hartzell (1975)
- Richard Hidalgo (1994) MLB: 44HR, 2001
- Walter Holke (1913)
- Chris Holt (1993)
- Mark Holzemer (1989)
- Doug Howard (1970)
- Dane Iorg (1976)
- Darrin Jackson (1982)
- Ron Jackson (1972)
- Jon Jay (2006)
- Doug Jennings (1985)
- Garrett Jones (2002)
- Joe Kelly (2010)
- Bobby Kielty (1999)
- Hal King (1965)
- Ed Kirkpatrick (1962)
- Don Kirkwood (1972)
- Pete Kozma (2008)
- Jason Kubel (2002)
- Dave LaRoche (1968)
- Winston Llenas (1963)
- Julio Lugo (1996)
- Kyle McClellan (2005)
- Bob McClure (1979)
- Lance McCullers (2013)
- Jeff Manto (1985–86)
- Dave Marshall (1963)
- J. C. Martin (1957)
- Carmelo Martínez(1980)
- Dave Martinez (1983)
- Joe Mather (2005)
- Rudy Meoli (1970)
- Jim Middleton (1914)
- Aaron Miles (1997–98)
- Norm Miller (1964)
- Marcus Moore (1990, 16-5)
- Jason Motte (2006) WS closer 2011
- Eddie Mulligan (1914–1915)
- Rance Mulliniks (1975)
- Tom Murphy (1967) 12 MLB seasons
- Pat Neshek (2003)
- Morris Nettles (1971)
- Rabbit Nill (1902)
- Dickie Noles (1983)
- Adam Ottavino (2006)
- Dave Owen (1979)
- Juan Padilla (1999)
- Orlando Palmeiro (1992)
- Glen Perkins (2003–04)
- Marty Perez (1966–67)
- J. R. Phillips (1989)
- Stephen Piscotty (2012)
- Chuck Porter (1976)
- Chris Pritchett (1992)
- Nick Punto (2004)
- Colby Rasmus (2006)
- Dennis Ribant (1961)
- Juan Rincón (1999)
- Rick Reichardt (1964)
- Michael Restovich (1999, 107 RBI)
- Dennis Ribant (17-2, 1961)
- Jeriome Robertson (1997)
- Luis Rodríguez (1999–2000)
- Rolando Roomes (1982–1983)
- Bobby Rose (1986–88) 1999 Japanese Central League Batting Title
- Sean Runyan (1995)
- Don Schulze (1981)
- Jeff Schwarz (1984)
- Brian Sikorski (1995–1996)
- Jon Singleton (2013)
- Roy Smalley (1946)
- Chuck Smith (1993)
- Paul Sorrento (1986)
- George Springer (2014)
- Nick Stavinoha (2005)
- Brian Tallet (2011)
- Ken Tatum (1966)
- Oscar Taveras (2011) (.386, 2011) Died in automobile accident 2014, age 22' (List of baseball players who died during their careers)
- Chris Truby (1994–96)
- Chris Turner (1992)
- Bill Tuttle (1951–52)
- Al Van Camp (1937)
- Gary Varsho (1982)
- John Verhoeven (1974)
- Jamie Walker (1993)
- Rube Walker (1946) MLB pitching coach (1965–84)
- Brett Wallace (2008)
- Dick Wantz (1962) (Died, Age 25 Brain Tumor List of baseball players who died during their careers)
- P. J. Walters (2007)
- Alan Wiggins (1978)
- Claude Willoughby (1936–37)
- Brian Wolfe (2000–2001)
- Kolten Wong (.335, 2011)
All 20th Century Team
In 2000, the Franchise All 20th Century Team was selected by fan vote.[4]
- 1st Base: Don Mincher (1958)
- 2nd Base: Jerry Remy (1973)
- Shortstop: Shawon Dunston (1983)
- 3rd Base: Carney Lansford (1976)
- Catcher: Brian Harper (1978)
- OF: Harvey Kuenn (1952)
- OF: Dante Bichette (1985)
- OF: Chad Curtis (1990)
- Utility: Nick Etten (1933)
- Starting Pitchers: Jim Bunning (1951), Frank Tanana (1972), Chuck Finley (1986), Billy Wagner (1994)
- Closer: Saúl Rivera (1999)
- Manager: Chuck Tanner (1963–64)
Roster
Quad Cities River Bandits roster | ||||
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Players | Coaches/Other | |||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager
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References
- ↑ http://www.milb.com/milb/info/classifications.jsp
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Minor League Baseball History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
- ↑ John Fitzpatrick Minor League Statistics & History Baseball-Reference.com
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rask, Tim; Baseball at John O'Donnell Stadium (2004) Arcadia Publishing; ISBN 0-7385-3247-9
- ↑ "1946 Davenport Cubs Statistics – Minor Leagues". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
- ↑ "pre-1960s | MiLB.com About | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Milb.com. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
- ↑ "1952 Davenport Tigers Statistics – Minor Leagues". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
- ↑ "1959 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
- ↑ A field of history
- ↑ Q-C reaches 50 years in the Midwest League
- ↑ 1960 Midwest League Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
- ↑ Era comes to close for Q-C minor league baseball
- 1 2 https://books.google.com/books?id=eTFA9XC7D4UC&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&dq=quad+city+baseball+fans+association&source=bl&ots=HQ4x2AbKWG&sig=5cxzXezcfICO2JU6D5Hxdn1-w2E&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GHnYUIC0KcH0qAHslYDoAg&ved=0CHEQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=quad%20city%20baseball%20fans%20association&f=false
- ↑ 1971 Quad Cities Angels Statistics – Minor Leagues Baseball-Reference.com
- ↑ Dinda, Joel. "Davenport, Iowa, in the Midwest League". Retrieved 2007-01-01.
- ↑ Bierl, Matt (July 31, 2013). "Vasquez, Borchering lift Bandits to walk off win". Quad Cities River Bandits. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
- ↑ Quad Cities River Bandits (press release) (2007-12-13). "The Fans Have Spoken: 'River Bandits' Returns to the Quad Cities".
- ↑ Batterson, Steve (2006-12-29). "Florida Group Buys Swing of Q-C". Quad-City Times.
- ↑ Swing of the Quad Cities (press release) (2007-11-29). "It's official: Main Street Iowa completes purchase of Swing".
- 1 2 3 4 http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20071220&content_id=41529816&sid=t565&vkey=team4
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jewel of the Quad Cities". Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ↑ Johnny Cash Live Performances
- ↑ john o'donnell stadium [Classic rock Concerts]
- ↑ Flashback: Michael Nunn vs. James Toney | The Boxing Magazine.com
- ↑ "Davenport's Modern Woodmen Park". MWLguide.com. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
- ↑ Batterson, Steve (17 March 2011). "Bandits adding HD video board at ballpark". Quad City Times.
- 1 2 Main Street Communications | Baseball
- ↑ http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20091008&content_id=7396404&sid=t565&vkey=team4
- ↑ http://ballparkdigest.com/201311186812/awards/news/2013-ballpark-renovations-under-1m-centennial-field-modern-woodmen-park
- ↑ http://www.mwlguide.com/reference/nohitters.html
- ↑ Swing of the Quad Cities. "From the QCA to the Big Leagues". 2005 Souvenir Program. pp. 51–52.
External links
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