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18-616: Over 19 seasons of competition, Union City played in 2,106 regular season games and compiled an all-time win–loss record of 1,002–1,104. They won three KITTY League championships (1936, 1948, and 1954) and had a postseason record of 15–12. The Union City Greyhounds became members of the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League in 1935. Their home games were played at Turner Memorial Field in Union City, Tennessee . They lost their inaugural Opening Day game on May 22 to

36-3255: A book. The Kitty League was written by Joshua Maxwell and Kevin McCann and published in 2012. Bowling Green, Kentucky * Bowling Green Barons 1939–1942 Cairo, Illinois * Cairo Egyptians 1903, 1912–1914, 1922–1924, 1946–1948 * Cairo Champions 1904 * Cairo Giants 1905–1906 * Cairo Dodgers 1949–1950 Central City, Kentucky * Central City Reds 1954 Clarksville, Tennessee * Clarksville Villagers 1903 * Clarksville Grays 1904 * Clarksville Volunteers 1910, 1913, 1916 * Clarksville Billies 1911 * Clarksville Rebels 1912 * Clarksville Boosters 1914 * Clarksville Owls 1946 * Clarksville Colts 1947 * Clarksville Cats 1948–1949 Danville, Illinois * Danville Old Soldiers 1906 Dawson Springs, Kentucky * Dawson Springs Resorters 1916 Dyersburg, Tennessee * Dyersburg Forked Deers 1923–1924 Evansville, Indiana * Evansville Yankees 1912 Fulton, Kentucky * Fulton Colonels 1911 * Fulton Railroaders 1922–1924, 1949–1951 * Fulton Eagles 1936–1938 * Fulton Tigers 1939–1942 * Fulton Chicks 1946–1948 * Fulton Lookouts 1952–1955 Harrisburg, Illinois * Harrisburg Merchants 1910 * Harrisburg Miners 1911 * Harrisburg Coal Miners 1913 Henderson, Kentucky * Henderson Hens 1903, 1905, 1911–1914, 1916 * Henderson Blue Birds 1904 Hopkinsville, Kentucky * Hopkinsville Hoppers 1903, 1910–1914, 1916, 1922–1923, 1935–1942, 1946–1954 * Hopkinsville Browns 1904 Jackson, Tennessee * Jackson Railroaders 1903 * Jackson Climbers 1911 * Jackson Blue Jays 1924 * Jackson Generals 1935–1942, 1950–1954 Jacksonville, Illinois * Jacksonville Jacks 1906 Lexington, Tennessee * Lexington Giants 1935–1938 Madisonville, Kentucky * Madisonville Miners 1916, 1922, 1946–1955 Mattoon, Illinois & Charleston, Illinois * Mattoon-Charleston Canaries 1906 Mayfield, Kentucky * Mayfield Pantsmakers 1922–1924 * Mayfield Clothiers 1936–1938, 1946–1955 * Mayfield Browns 1939–1941 McLeansboro, Illinois * McLeansboro Miners 1910–1911 Milan, Tennessee & Trenton, Tennessee * Milan-Trenton Twins 1923 Owensboro, Kentucky * Owensboro Distillers 1903, 1914, 1916 * Owensboro Pirates 1936 * Owensboro Oilers 1937–1942, 1946–1955 Paducah, Kentucky * Paducah Chiefs 1903, 1912–1913, 1951–1955 * Paducah Indians 1904–1906, 1910, 1914, 1922–1923, 1936–1941 * Paducah Polecats 1911 * Paducah Red Birds 1935 Paris, Tennessee * Paris Travelers 1922 * Paris Parisians 1923–1924 Portageville, Missouri * Portageville Pirates 1935–1936 Princeton, Kentucky * Princeton Infants 1905 Springfield, Tennessee * Springfield Blanket Makers 1923 Trenton, Tennessee * Trenton Reds 1922 Union City, Tennessee * Union City Greyhounds 1935–1942, 1946–1952 * Union City Dodgers 1953–1955 Vincennes, Indiana * Vincennes Alices 1903–1906, 1910, 1913 * Vincennes Hoosiers (1911) Earl Naylor Earl Eugene Naylor (May 19, 1919 – January 16, 1990)

54-612: A full-season record of 73–45 (.619), tied with the Paducah Indians for first place. They then met the first-half champion Indians in the playoffs. After Union City won the first game, 6–2, on September 15, Paducah refused to continue the series, claiming the Greyhounds had two ineligible players on their roster. The championship was subsequently awarded to Union City, and Paducah's manager and seven players who refused to play were banned from professional baseball . Finishing

72-607: The Cleveland Indians in 1947. The team placed seventh at 51–74 (.408). The 1948 team, managed by ex-major leaguer Tony Rensa finished second with a 79–46 (.632) record, qualifying for one of four playoff spots. They defeated the Owensboro Oilers , 3–2, in the semifinals before sweeping the Madisonville Miners in four games to win their second KITTY League championship. The 1949 club just missed

90-589: The Portageville Pirates , 3–2, on the road. The Greyhounds got their first win two games later on May 24, defeating the Pirates, 4–2. They ended their first season in second place with a 49–43 (.533) record but missed the playoffs having not won either half the league's split season. In 1936, the Greyhounds became an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals . They succeeded in winning the second half and posting

108-534: The "KIT League" was formed. Members of the KIT League featured some of the former KITTY League cities, who formed teams and revived their previous monikers, such as the Fulton Railroaders , Owensboro Oilers and Union City Greyhounds . The KIT League is now defunct, with the teams having evolved to form the currently active ten–team Ohio Valley League in 2010. The league history was the subject of

126-580: The 1937 season in first place at 73–46 (.613), Union City again qualified for the playoffs, but they were eliminated in the semifinals, 3–0, by the Mayfield Clothiers . Union City left the St. Louis organization after 1937 and became and affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds in 1938. In contrast to the previous campaign, the 1938 team finished last of eight teams at 45–85 (.346). They returned to

144-539: The Cardinals organization in 1939, but the team again placed last with a record of 44–82 (.349). Slightly improved teams placed sixth at 60–65 (.480) in 1940 and fifth at 62–64 (.492) in 1941. Having lost some US$ 3,500 due to low attendance brought on by poor play, Union City announced it would drop out of the KITTY League after their game on June 19, 1942. The Bowling Green Barons were also forced to withdraw, and

162-582: The Mayfield Clothiers, 6–3, in a game that was called after seven innings due to rain. They posted a season record of 50–57 (.467), placing fourth out of six teams. The KITTY League did not reform for the 1956 season, and Union City did not field another professional team afterwards. Over their second stretch of 10 years, the Greyhounds/Dodgers accumulated a 587–609 (.491) record. Over all 19 seasons, Union City's all-time record

180-513: The postseason with a 65–60 (.520) record, placing fifth. Union City severed its ties with Cleveland after the 1949 season and had no affiliation in 1950. They placed seventh at 43–72 (.374) in 1950 and sixth at 43–72 (.374) in 1951. The 1952 Greyhounds qualified for the playoffs with a fourth-place 63–56 (.529) record. They won the semifinals over the Fulton Lookouts , 3–2, but fell in the championship finals to Madisonville, 3–0. In 1953,

198-420: The remaining clubs voted to discontinue the circuit on June 19. The Greyhounds decided against playing their final game after receiving word from St. Louis that their players would not be compensated for the game. The club was last of six teams with a 9–35 (.205) record in the abandoned season. Over eight seasons of competition, the Greyhounds accumulated a regular season record of 415–495 (.456). The KITTY League

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216-404: The states of Illinois , Indiana , Kentucky , Missouri and Tennessee . The first KITTY League played from 1903 through 1906. The next one ran from 1910 through 1914. The third try played the 1916 season. The circuit was revived in 1922 and lasted three years. The fifth KITTY League lasted the longest, playing from 1935 through 1955 with a break from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II. The league

234-572: The team became an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers and changed their name to the Union City Dodgers. After placing last (51–69; .425) in their first season with Brooklyn, the 1954 Dodgers won the first half title and paced the league with a 76–40 (.655) record. Under manager Earl Naylor , they defeated Madisonville, 4–2, to win a third KITTY League championship. The Dodgers played their final game on August 29, 1955, losing to

252-550: Was 1,002–1–104 (.476). Eighteen Union City players also played in at least one game in Major League Baseball during their careers. These players and their seasons with Union City were: Kentucky%E2%80%93Illinois%E2%80%93Tennessee League The Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (or KITTY League ) was a Class D level minor league baseball circuit that went through six different periods of play between 1903 and 1955. The League hosted teams in 29 cities from

270-606: Was also known briefly as the Kentucky–Indiana–Tennessee League , for during this time the league contained teams such as the Evansville Yankees from Evansville, Indiana . Unlike most leagues that were dormant for years in between playing, the KITTY was much the same from 1903 to 1955, through its inactive years. Clifton C. Gosnell was league president in 1906, after which the league stopped playing, and

288-674: Was an American outfielder and pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies . He played from 1942 to 1946. From 1944 to 1945 Naylor served in the United States Navy during World War II. Naylor became a manager in the minor leagues at the end of his career, for the Union City Dodgers of the KITTY League in 1953 and 1954 and the Asheville Tourists of

306-481: Was nonoperational from 1943 to 1945 during World War II . It and the Greyhounds were revived in 1946. With no major league affiliation, Union City opened the 1946 season on May 7 with a 7–3 loss to the Fulton Chicks before a home crowd of 1,230 people at Turner Memorial Field. At the end of the season, the team was seventh out of eight teams at 52–72 (.419). The Greyhounds entered into an affiliation with

324-410: Was president in 1910–1911 when play resumed. Then Dr. Frank H. Bassett was league president 1912–1914, 1916, 1922–1924, and 1935–1937, through the active times and the inactive. Hopkinsville, Kentucky was represented for 28 of the 31 active seasons of the KITTY League, while Paducah, Kentucky made it for 23. In 2004, the league moniker was reincarnated, as a summer collegiate baseball league called

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