by Mike Comfort The Iowa State League season rolled into July and each team received $293.35 for attendance on 4th of July games. Oskaloosa led the league in attendance with 2,755 people, resulting in $851.40 in gate receipts. That continued a strong trend for the Quakers as they were 2nd in attendance with an average […]
by Bill Wright April 8, 2026 – The Mohrfeld Solar Sprint Invaders kick off an exciting 2026 schedule this Saturday April 11, when they visit 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa! Saturday will mark the 83rd feature run at the 3/8-mile oval in West Burlington. Chris Martin, Joe B. Miller and JJ Hickle took Sprint […]
The Iowa State League saw dramatic games, controversies, and tragedy during a turbulent month of June in its early history. From extra-inning battles and early night game experiments to umpire disputes and the death of Burlington catcher Herbert Whitney, the league’s instability often matched the intensity on the field.
by Mike Comfort Despite the league successfully completing two seasons, the league wasn’t immune to financial problems. In June Keokuk and Fort Dodge released some of their highest salaried players, which abruptly stopped Fort Dodge’s winning streak. Ottumwa was struggling to stay afloat as their attendance was not strong, despite being in the midst of […]
by Mike Comfort The Quakers were involved in a few unusual incidents in August. The first occurred in a game against Boone. Their game was moved from the ballpark, presumably in Oskaloosa, to the fairgrounds. The Oskaloosa Herald claimed the reason was due to “poor accommodations” while the Waterloo Courier noted it was due to […]
by Mike Comfort As the league headed into the summer months, attendance was up from the previous year, despite Keokuk, Ottumwa, and Ft Dodge not being able to meet the $30 guarantee consistently. Fans of the league would be treated to a new star in pitcher Fred Steele of Oskaloosa who was acquired from Class […]
by Mike Comfort The first month of the 1905 season was highlighted by two different managerial controversies which struck two different teams with different results. Waterloo had struggled out of the gate and was stuck in the middle of the standings for much of the 1st month as they dealt with the tragic death of […]
by Mike Comfort The Marshalltown Times declared that the first season “proved a great success”, but also declared that every team lost money, including Marshalltown who lost $1000. Naturally, this led to speculation of a change in membership. Muscatine, Clinton, and Quincy (IL) attempted to join the league, with Muscatine needing to build a good […]
by Mike Comfort Criticism of the umpires continued as the season marched to its end. In July, Redmond, the former Ottumwa pitcher who had been hired to umpire during the season after complaints about other umpires, was released by President Norton. In his spot he hired none other than William Tiley, who had just recently […]
by Mike Comfort As the season hit the midpoint, the Iowa League suggested a new scheduling mechanism to keep interest in the pennant race throughout the rest of the year. President Norton mentioned a plan to end the season on July 4th and start a new season to give teams the chance to win again. […]
