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39-620: Minor league baseball in Newton, Kansas began during the 1888 season. The Newton team played briefly as members of the four–team Independent level Western League . Newton entered the league on June 11, 1888 after the Lincoln franchise had folded a week earlier. Newton compiled a 3–5 record under manager Dick Juvenal in their brief period of play. On June 23, 1888, the Western League folded. In 1908, Newton resumed minor league play after

78-460: A twenty-year hiatus. The Newton Browns became charter members of the six–team Class D level Central Kansas League . Ending the season with a record of 25–22, the Browns finished the season in second place, playing under manager Karl Becker. Newton finished 4.5 games behind the first place Minneapolis Minnies in the final standings. On May 26, 1908, at Athletic Park in Newton, Kansas, Newton and

117-532: A variety of community events and festivals. The stadium is listed on both the Kansas Register and National Register of Historic Places . It can seat up to 5,000 people. Dr. John T. Axtell , owner of the land upon which Athletic Park sits, came to Newton in 1878. He served as the principal of one of the city schools for two years, saving money to enter the University of Michigan Medical School. After

156-484: 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,

195-489: Is now run around the curve. Henry also set a state record in the 120-yard high hurdles and broke a national record in the 180-yard low hurdles while finishing second to Charles Tidwell. Curtis related that his successes where not his own but rather the talent, intelligence and commitment of the young men he mentored. Most of the young with whom Curtis related, both on and off the field of competition, found themselves leading productive lives through his leadership. Curtis became

234-546: Is still in use today as a public park containing Fischer Field Stadium , which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Athletic Park is located at 701 1st Street, Newton, Kansas. Newton Railroaders players Newton (minor league baseball) players Independent baseball league An independent baseball league is a professional baseball league in the United States or Canada that

273-687: Is the Railroad Savings and Loan Building. Today, Newton continues to serve the railroad, hosting the Newton Station , which serves 15,000 riders annually as a stop of the Southwest Chief Amtrak line. In their first season of Kansas State League play, the Newton Railroaders placed sixth in the 1909 Kansas State League. The Railroaders finished with a 42–54 overall record to end the season to place sixth in

312-765: 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

351-672: The McPherson Merry Macks played a 20–inning game. In a contest lasting 3:15 and ending at 6:45 P.M., Newton defeated McPherson 3–2. In 1909, the Newton "Railroaders" continued play in a new league. Newton became members of the reformed eight–team Class D level Kansas State League . Newton joined the Arkansas City-Winfield Twins, Great Bend Millers , Hutchinson Salt Packers, Larned Cowboys , Lyons Lions , McPherson Merry Macks and Wellington Dukes as 1909 league members. The Newton, Kansas use of

390-649: The National Register of Historic Places in December 2003. Another structure in the park listed on the state and national registers is the Mennonite Settler statue , sculpted in 1942 by artist Max Nixon. In 2004, the City of Newton, Newton Recreation Commission and Newton USD 373 committed a total of 1.8 mills of property taxes to upgrade athletic facilities citywide. This included the renovation, rehabilitation and additions to Fischer Field Stadium. Funding for

429-469: The "Railroaders" moniker corresponds to local industry and culture. The city was reportedly founded in 1871 when the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad extended a main line west from Emporia, Kansas . Newton, Kansas was named after Newton, Massachusetts , home to some of the railroad company stockholders. The Santa Fe Depot in Newton, Kansas is listed on the National Register of Historic Places , as

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468-545: 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,

507-608: 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

546-608: 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

585-537: The New Deal programs and the rarity of a stadium funded by those programs. It is one of the few remaining remnants of the City's development in the 1930s. The stadium has been the home of Newton High School football and until 2005, the home of Bethel College football, as well as community events. The stadium, named Curtis Fischer Field in 1992, was placed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places in August 2003 and on

624-513: The Newton Railroaders/Blackwell/Ottawa Gassers 4 gamed to 3. The league folded following the season. Newton, Kansas has not hosted another minor league team. Beginning in 1908, the Newton minor league teams were noted to have played home games at Athletic Park . Reportedly, a windstorm destroyed the grandstand on July 23, 1924 during a game with Arkansas City. Twenty people were injured. Athletic Park

663-656: The Normandy invasion. Curtis also served in the Pacific Theater until the Japanese surrendered and was honorably discharged after the war. He coached football and basketball after World War II in Madison, Kansas before moving to Newton, Kansas in 1949. "Curtis", as he was known, coached the first Arkansas Valley Football Championship Team in 1951-2. He loved sports and competition. Funds being sparse he would often go

702-838: 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

741-742: 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

780-467: The eight–team league. Playing under managers Con Harlow and William Stilwell, the Railroaders finished 18.0 games behind the first place Lyons Lions in the final Kansas State League standings. Continuing play as members of the 1910 Kansas State League, the Newton Railroaders finished the season with a record of 56–54 to place fourth under manager Mel Backus. The Railroaders finished 16.5 games behind

819-482: The existing stadium, including new locker rooms, full ADA upgrades, restrooms, mechanical systems, electrical systems and bleachers. Two paved parking lots were constructed, and new low-level lighting was also added. The project also included removal of the natural turf and installation of state-of-the-art artificial turf by FieldTurf , new goal posts, and new field lighting and sound system. A private fundraising campaign, "Fields of Memories," raised about $ 125,000 for

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858-449: The first place Great Bend Millers in the final standings. The Central Kansas League folded following the season. After a twelve-year gap in minor league play, Newton had a final season playing as members of the 1924 Class D level Southwestern League . The Newton Railroaders played their final season in 1924, relocating twice due to a ballpark issue. The team won the pennant, finishing with a record of 79–50 under manager John McCloskey . It

897-495: The first place Hutchinson Salt Packers in the final 1910 standings of the eight–team league. The 1911 Newton Railroaders continued play as the Kansas State League folded during the season. The Kansas State League folded on July 11, 1911. The Railroaders ended the 1911 season with a record of 39–21 record, after the league disbanded on July 11, 1911, due to crop failures and drought. When the league ceased play, Newton

936-468: The football field during summer nights to change the sprinklers for the newly planted seeds to help assure a good field in the upcoming fall competition. Curtis also coached track in the spring and was successful in helping a talented runner obtain a scholarship to the University of Missouri. The athlete's name was Henry Wiebe. Henry still holds the 220 yard dash state record of 21.0 seconds. The 220-dash

975-410: 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

1014-518: The most comfortable and commodious tourist camps in Kansas." The race track in the park was used for horse, motorcycle, and automobile racing; the park also contained ball fields, playgrounds, and picnic shelters. A zoo with several animals and a working small-scale railroad entertained a generation of children in the 1960s. Newtonians swam in Sand Creek at Athletic Park until the public swimming pool

1053-558: The nation. Dr. Lucena Axtell and Dr. J.L. Abbey joined Dr. Axtell in medical practice at the Axtell Hospital , eventually establishing the Axtell Clinic. As well as contributing greatly to medicine in the state, Dr. John Axtell was an entrepreneur interested in livestock, horses, and horse racing . Dr. Axtell's Newton Driving and Athletic Association built what became known as "one of the fastest half-mile race tracks in

1092-585: 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

1131-582: The off-season Miyazaki Phoenix League alongside Japanese and Korean minor league teams. Fischer Field Stadium Fischer Field Stadium is the signature athletic field in Newton, Kansas , and is located in Athletic Park. The stadium is used for athletic events — including high school football and soccer (including the state's 8-man football championship), competitive leagues, and semi-pro football — concerts, Newton High School graduation and

1170-502: The project from Newton High School alumni and supporters. In August 2005, the Newton Kansan published a commemorative edition about Fischer Field that included citizens’ thoughts about the renovations and memories of the historic field. Hundreds attended a ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration, which featured food, entertainment, and tours of the newly renovated stadium. The field is named after " John Curtis Fischer ". He

1209-538: The stadium project also came from a Heritage Trust Fund Grant from the Kansas State Historical Society and private contributions. The Fischer Field Stadium project included construction of a one-story masonry and concrete structure that houses public restrooms and concession sales, two public plazas at either end of the existing stadium, new visitor bleachers, and concrete walkways and pad; and renovations and historic preservation work on

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1248-413: The state" upon land he owned. In 1909, Dr. Axtell sold the land to the City of Newton for $ 5,000, financed though a 10-year bond issue. This purchase included most of the land that is now Athletic Park. Since 1909, Athletic Park has served many functions, including hosting an automobile tourist camp in the early days of automobile travel, quoted in a Chamber of Commerce pamphlet in the mid-1920s to be "one of

1287-587: 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

1326-598: The two-year course there and studies at Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York City , he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1883. In 1887, Dr. Axtell established the first hospital in Newton. His wife, Lucena Chase Axtell , with two young daughters in tow, then attended the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Kansas City . She graduated in 1895, becoming one of the first female physicians in

1365-622: Was born in Leroy, Kansas, December 11, 1921. He married Betty Lorraine Heath of Madison (DOB 11Nov1922), Kansas. He played football at Emporia State Teachers College in Kansas and was co-captain with "Bernie" Taylor. He graduated from Emporia State in 1943 and subsequently served in the United States Navy as a "90-Day Wonder" officer. He entered and left military service as a Lieutenant J.G. He was on board LST-540 [Landing Ship Tank—a shallow draft ship for close beach approach] on D-Day during

1404-613: Was built in the park in 1934. In 1935, the City of Newton was granted funds by the Works Progress Administration , a New Deal program for recovery from the Great Depression , to build a football stadium in Athletic Park. The stadium was completed in 1936. More than 1,400 athletic fields and 1,800 swimming pools were constructed with New Deal funds, but stadiums were rare. Fischer Field is a significant historic structure in Newton because of its ties to

1443-643: Was in second place in the standings, as the Railroaders finished 0.5 game behind the first place Great Bend Millers (39–20) in the shortened season. In 1912, the Newton Railroaders rejoined the Central Kansas League. On July 12, 1912, the Newton franchise moved to Minneapolis, Kansas with a record of 16–11. Overall, the Newton/Minneapolis team finished the season with an overall record of 50–40 to place third, playing under returning manager William Stilwell. Newton finished 4.0 games behind

1482-641: 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

1521-481: Was reported that a windstorm collapsed the grandstand at Newton's Athletic Park on July 23, 1924, during a game with the Arkansas City Osages. Twenty people were injured. As a result of the damage, Newton moved to Blackwell (7–4) on July 26, 1924. Blackwell moved to Ottawa (13–12) on August 5, 1924. Ottawa then returned to Newton on August 28, 1924. In the playoff Finals, the Arkansas City Osages defeated

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