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26-467: Minor league baseball in Arkansas City, Kansas, began in the 1887 season. The Arkansas City team played as members of the six–team Independent level Kansas State League , which reduced to four teams during the season. Arkansas City placed second in the league standings with a record of 19–20, playing under managers W.F. Wingate, Billy Hunter and Luke Short. Arkansas City finished 3.0 games behind

52-619: Is a professional baseball league in the United States or Canada that is not overseen by Major League Baseball or its affiliated Minor League Baseball system (historically referred to as organized baseball ). Independent leagues have flourished in northeastern states, where dense populations can often support multiple franchises . Because they are not subject to the territorial limitations imposed on affiliated minor-league teams, independent clubs can relocate as close to affiliated teams (and one another) as they choose to. For example,

78-641: Is located at 100 North Summit Street in Arkansas City, Kansas. Continuing play in the 1925 Southwestern League, the Arkansas City Osages placed third in the final standings, missing the playoffs. With a regular season record of 65–63, playing under manager Ed Yuna. Arkansas City finished 8.0 games behind the first place Salina Millers. Player/manager Ed Yuna led the Southwestern League with both 28 home runs and 205 total hits. The Arkansas City Osages played their final season in 1926 as

104-705: Is often applied as an umbrella term for all leagues — major and minor — under the authority of the Commissioner of Baseball . Operating outside the Minor League Baseball organization are many independent minor leagues such as the Atlantic League , American Association , Frontier League , and the feeder league to these the Empire Professional Baseball League . Japan has had professional baseball since

130-481: The Arkansas City Grays finished the season in last place. The Grays ended the season with a record of 40–67 to finish in eighth place. The team was managed by Roy Baker, Billy Hunter, L. Evans and M.E. Parks. The Grays finished 29.0 games behind the first place Hutchinson Salt Packers in the final 1910 standings of the eight–team league. In 1924, Arkansas City returned to minor league play as members of

156-765: The Carolina League and the Quebec -based Provincial League . The Carolina League, based in the North Carolina Piedmont region, gained a reputation as a notorious "outlaw league" during its existence from 1936 to 1938. The Provincial League fielded six teams across Quebec and was independent from 1948 to 1949. Similarly to early 20th-century independent leagues, it joined the National Association in 1950, playing for six more years. Independent leagues saw new growth after 1992, after

182-504: The China National Baseball League , Israel Baseball League , and Baseball Philippines . During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, players of black African descent were barred from playing the major leagues , though several did manage to play by claiming to be Cubans or Native Americans . As a result, a number of parallel Negro leagues were formed. However, after Jackie Robinson began playing with

208-686: The National League (founded in 1876) and the American League (founded in 1901). Historically, teams in one league never played teams in the other until the World Series , in which the champions of the two leagues played against each other. This changed in 1997 with the advent of interleague play . The Philadelphia Phillies , founded in 1883, are the oldest continuous same-name, same-city franchise in both Major League Baseball and all of American professional sports. In addition to

234-578: The 1924 Class D level Southwestern League and the Arkansas City "Osages" won the league championship. Arkansas City joined the Coffeyville Refiners , Emporia Traders , Enid Harvesters , Eureka Oilers , Independence Producers , Newton Railroaders and Salina Millers teams in league play. Finishing with a regular season record of 70–61, the Osages placed third, playing under managers Rube Geyer and Ed Yuna. Fuzzy Hufft of Arkansas City led

260-700: The 1930s. Nippon Professional Baseball consists of two leagues, the Central League and the Pacific League , each with six teams. South Korea has had professional baseball since 1982. There are 10 teams in KBO League . Taiwan has had professional baseball since the 1990s. The Chinese Professional Baseball League absorbed Taiwan Major League in 2003. There are currently 6 teams in the CPBL. Other Asian leagues include three now defunct leagues,

286-545: The 2024 season, there are seven active leagues, with four of them acting as MLB Partner Leagues . Additionally, Major League Baseball co-operatively operates the MLB Draft League , which operates as an amateur collegiate summer baseball league in the first half of each season and a professional league outside of the structure of Minor League Baseball for the remainder. Independent baseball leagues and teams exist outside of North America, though rarer. In Japan,

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312-547: The Arkansas City-Winfield Twins placed seventh in the 1909 standings. The Twins finished with a 41–56 overall record to end the season in 7th place in the eight–team league. Playing under managers M.E. Parks, Frank Layne and Bennie Owens, the Twins finished 19.5 games behind the first place Lyons Lions in the final Kansas State League standings. Continuing play as members of the 1910 Kansas State League,

338-608: The Commissioner of Baseball. Independent baseball existed in the early 20th century and has become prominent again since 1993. Leagues operated mostly autonomously before 1902, when the majority joined the NAPBL. From then until 1915, a total of eight new and existing leagues remained independent. Most joined the National Association after one season of independence. Notable exceptions were the California League , which

364-608: The Japan Independent Baseball League Organization, which consists of the Shikoku Island League Plus and Baseball Challenge League , operates independently from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Japan also has a variety of independent semi-professional leagues consisting of industrial teams , where the players are regular employees of the company that own the team and are additionally paid to play baseball for

390-544: The Southwestern League reduced to six teams. The Osages placed fourth with a record of 54–62. Playing under managers Russ McMullan and Zuidal Zunigha, Arkansas City ended their final season 21.5 games behind the first place Salina Millers in the league standings. The Southwestern League folded following the 1926 season. Arkansas City, Kansas, has not hosted another minor league team. In 1909 and 1910, Arkansas City minor league teams were noted to have played home games at Association Park . The reported capacity of Association Park

416-838: The city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania , cannot have an affiliated team because of its proximity to the Harrisburg Senators and Reading Fightin Phils , leaving the Atlantic League to place a team—the Lancaster Barnstormers —to fill the void. Another example is the greater New York City metropolitan area, where there are many independent teams: the Long Island Ducks , Staten Island FerryHawks , New Jersey Jackals , New York Boulders , and Sussex County Miners . The Atlantic League considered as

442-742: The company on the side. South Korea also has series of small independent leagues. Additionally, as of 2024, two Japanese teams without affiliation to NPB teams play within NPB's minor leagues (the Eastern League and the Western League ). Similarly, within KBO Futures League , the minor league of Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), there is an unaffiliated team that consists only of South Korean military personnel . A select number of Japanese independent teams also participate in

468-817: The first place Wellington Browns in the final standings. The Kansas State League did not return to play the 1888 season. In 1909, the Arkansas City-Winfield Twins resumed play in the Kansas State League and in partnership with nearby Winfield, Kansas . The "Twins" became members of the reformed eight–team Class D level Kansas State League . Arkansas City-Winfield joined the Great Bend Millers , Hutchinson Salt Packers, Larned Cowboys , Lyons Lions , McPherson Merry Macks , Newton Railroaders and Wellington Dukes as 1909 league members. In 1909 Kansas State League play,

494-579: The league with 28 home runs and a .367 batting average. In the playoff Finals, the Arkansas City Osages defeated the Newton Railroaders 4 gamed to 3 to capture the Southwestern League championship. The Arkansas City use of the "Osages" moniker corresponds to local history, geography and business. Located in the Osage region, the city became host to the Osage Hotel in 1920. The hotel building

520-410: The league. The Atlantic League has had many notable managers and coaches, including Wally Backman , Frank Viola , Tommy John , Sparky Lyle , and Bud Harrelson . The Northern League alumni include Leon "Bull" Durham , J. D. Drew , and Darryl Strawberry . Independent leagues are those professional leagues in the United States and Canada not under the purview of organized Minor League Baseball and

546-568: The major leagues, many North American cities and towns feature minor league teams. An organization officially styled Minor League Baseball , formerly the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, oversees nearly all minor league baseball in the United States and Canada. The minor leagues are divided into classes AAA, AA, High-A, A, and Rookie. These minor-league divisions are affiliated with major league teams, and serve to develop young players and rehabilitate injured major-leaguers. "Affiliated baseball" (archaically, " organized baseball ")

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572-585: The new Professional Baseball Agreement in organized baseball instituted more stringent revenue and stadium requirements on members. The Northern League and Frontier League both started play in 1993, and the Northern League's success paved the way for other independent leagues like the Texas-Louisiana League and Northeast League . Over the next eight years, at least 16 independent leagues formed, of which six existed in 2002. As of

598-491: The off-season Miyazaki Phoenix League alongside Japanese and Korean minor league teams. Professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada consists of

624-587: The top level of competition among the independent leagues, and has had more marquee players than any other independent league, including Jose Canseco , Mat Latos , Steve Lombardozzi Jr. , Francisco Rodríguez , Chien-Ming Wang , Roger Clemens , Rich Hill , Scott Kazmir , Juan González , John Rocker , and Dontrelle Willis . Two former Atlantic League players are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum , Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson . Gary Carter , another Hall of Famer, managed in

650-507: Was 700–1,000, with every Wednesday serving as Ladies' Day . The Arkansas City Osages of 1924 to 1926 hosted played home minor league games at League Park . It was noted games had 2:30 P.M. start on Saturday and Sunday games and 4:15 P.M. for weekday contests. The location was reported to be on East Kansas Street, near North Summit Street, Arkansas City, Arkansas. Arkansas City Osages players Arkansas City Grays players Independent baseball league An independent baseball league

676-641: Was independent in 1902 and from 1907 to 1909; the United States Baseball League , which folded during its independent 1912 season; and the Colonial League, a National Association Member that went independent in 1915 and then folded. Another independent league, the Federal League , played at a level considered major league from 1914 to 1915. Few independent leagues existed between 1915 and 1993. Major exceptions included

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