The Lima Cigarmakers were a minor league baseball team based in Lima, Ohio . From 1908 to 1912, the Cigarmakers played as members of the Class D level Ohio State League , winning the 1909 league championship. The Lima "Boosters" played as members of the 1915 Buckeye League , winning the league championship in a shortened season.
21-455: The Cigarmakers and Boosters teams hosted home minor league games at San Felice Park in Lima. San Felice was a cigar brand in the era that was manufactured in the region. Lima first hosted minor league baseball in 1888, when the Lima "Lushers" played the season as members of independent Tri-State League , winning the league championship. The Cigarmakers were immediately preceded in minor league play by
42-408: A 79–50 record, playing under manager Lee Fohl . Lima finished 8.5 games ahead of the second place Marion Diggers in the final standings. The Cigarmakers had numerous league leaders on their 1909 roster, as Charles Fink led the league with 91 runs scored and Duke Reilley led the league in stolen bases for the second consecutive season, stealing 76. Lima pitcher Robert Nelson won .800 of his games to lead
63-1024: A brand of cigars manufactured in the region in the era, produced in the Diesel-Wemmer cigar company located in Lima. In the era, the ballpark was located on West Grand Avenue, near North McDonel Street in Lima, Ohio. Today, the former ballpark location is residential. Tri-State League The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball . The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio , Michigan and West Virginia . The second league, played from 1904–1914, and had member clubs in Delaware , New Jersey and Pennsylvania . The League contested its 1904 championship game in Philadelphia between York and Williamsport and attracted 3,500 fans to
84-684: A team called the Pomonkey Giants associated with a Pomonkey social club in Pomonkey Maryland. They played teams in Berry Road near La Plata, Maryland and in Hughesville among others. It was very much a rural league and almost totally black players. The team is mentioned in the obituary of a player and coach, George Dyson, Jr in 2020. One of the most extensive discussions of this Tri-State League explains how integration of Major League baseball led to
105-549: The Nesser brothers . In their final season of play as the "Cigarmakers," the 1912 Lima Cigars continued play as the Ohio State League reduced teams and returned to a six–team league. playing under manager Zeke Wrigley , Lima ended the season with a record of 64–73. Lima finished 25.5 games behind the first place Portsmouth Cobblers. Frank Nesser of Lima led the Ohio State League with 170 total hits. Lima did not return to play in
126-745: The Phillies' ball park Charles F. Carpenter was president from 1906 to 1913. During the 1920s, two versions of the Tri-State League briefly existed: a 1924 loop with clubs in Iowa , Nebraska and South Dakota , and a 1925–1926 association located in Tennessee , Mississippi and Arkansas . In the late 1930s another iteration existed for two years, composed of six teams from Wisconsin , Illinois and Indiana in its first season, and just four teams excluding Indiana in its second. The most recent incarnation of
147-608: The 1905 and 1906 Lima Lees , who played as members of the Class C level Interstate Association . Lima did not field a minor league team in 1907 before resuming play in a new league in 1908. In 1908, the Lima "Cigarmakers" began play as members of the six-team, Class D level Ohio State League, which reformed after having last played in 1898. The Lancaster Lanks , Mansfield Pioneers , Marion Diggers , Newark Newks and Springfield Reapers teams joined Lima in beginning league play on April 23, 1908. The "Cigarmakers" nickname corresponds with
168-574: The 1910 season, as Lima finished second in the standings. With a record of 82–52, the Cigarmakers finished 4.0 games behind the first place Portsmouth Cobblers in the six-team league final standings. Al Newham served as the Lima manager. Frank Nesser of Lima was the league home run champion, hitting six, while pitcher Henry Lloyd led the league with a 10–3 record. In 1911, the Lima Cigarmakers, played in an expanded Ohio State League, placing sixth in
189-641: The 1913 Ohio State League, as the league expanded to eight teams and added four new franchises. Lima, Ohio did not host a minor league team in the 1914 season. Lima resumed minor league play, when the 1915 Lima "Boosters" played the season as charter members of the Class D level Buckeye League and won the league championship in a shortened season. The 1915 Buckeye League formed as six–team league and began play on May 19, 1915. The Akron Rubbermen , Canton Giants , Findlay Finns , Marion Senators and Newark New Socks teams joined Lima in league play. On June 11, 1915, both
210-597: The Marion Senators and Canton Giants teams disbanded, leaving the Buckeye League with four remaining teams. After continuing the season, the league permanently disbanded on July 5, 1915. The league folding corresponded to World War I efforts that affected many minor leagues. The Lima Boosters, with a record of 25–18, were in first place when the Buckeye League folded on July 5, 1915. Lima was managed by Sandy Murray and finished 2.0 games ahead of second place Findlay. In
231-574: The cigarmaking industry in Lima in the era, which included the Deisel-Wemmer-Gilbert cigar factory. In addition, the team hosted home games at San Felice Park, with San Felice being a brand of cigars manufactured in the region in the era. In their first season of play, the Cigarmakers placed second in the six–team Ohio State League. Lima ended the Ohio State League season with an overall regular season record of 80–67, managed by Jim Jackson and Nick Kahl . The Cigarmakers finished 11.0 games behind
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#1732890713997252-522: The defection of clubs like Charlotte to higher-classification loops—eventually took its toll on the Tri-State League. In its last season, 1955 , there were only four clubs in the league. Its last champion was the Spartanburg Peaches, an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians . There were teams in southern Maryland that played in a "Tri-State League" in at least the 60s, 70s, and the 80s. There was
273-447: The demise of the Negro leagues . It became neighborhood baseball. Buckeye League The Buckeye League was a Class D level minor league baseball league that played briefly in the 1915 season. The six–team Buckeye League consisted of franchises based exclusively in Ohio . The Buckeye League played just a portion 1915 season before permanently folding. The Lima Boosters were
294-453: The eight-team league. Lima ended the season with 1 62–77 record playing the season under the direction of player/manager Frank Nesser. The Cigarmakers finished 22.0 games behind the first place Springfield Reapers in the final standings. Player/manager Frank Nesser was also a professional football player who played six seasons in the early National Football League . Along with six of his brothers they all played professional football, known as
315-522: The final standings, Lima and Findlay (22–19) were followed by the Akron Rubbermen (22–21) and Newark New Socks (14–24) in the final standings. The Marion Senators had a record of 10–5 and the Canton Giants were 5–11 when they both folded on June 11, 1915. Lima player/manager Sandy Murray was leading the Buckeye League with 52 total hits and teammate Bill Reynolds had a league leading 116 strikeouts when
336-527: The league champions in the shortened season. The Buckeye League began play in the 1915 season, formed as a Class D level league, with Al Lawson serving as league president. The 1915 Buckeye League was a six–team league that began play on May 19, 1915. The league was formed with teams representing Akron Ohio ( Akron Rubbermen ), Canton, Ohio , ( Canton Giants ), Findlay, Ohio ( Findlay Finns ), Lima, Ohio ( Lima Boosters ), Marion, Ohio ( Marion Senators ) and Newark, Ohio ( Newark New Socks ). During
357-512: The league folded. The Buckeye League never reformed a minor league after folding in 1915. Lima did not host minor league baseball for over twenty years and resumed play in 1939, when the Lima Pandas rejoined the Ohio State League. The Lima franchise played another tenure of eleven seasons in the league. The Lima Cigarmakers and Boosters teams both hosted minor league home games at San Felice Park. San Felice Park corresponds with "San Felice" being
378-515: The league was the post- World War II Tri-State, a Class B circuit with clubs in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina . This league, which played from 1946–1955, typically included clubs in Charlotte , Asheville , Knoxville , Rock Hill and Spartanburg ; most of its teams were affiliated with Major League Baseball farm systems . The attendance crisis in the minor leagues of the 1950s—and
399-449: The league. Lima championship player/manager Lee Fohl went on to a brief major league playing career as a catcher. Beginning in 1915, Fohl served as a major league manager for the Cleveland Indians for five seasons. He later managed the St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox , while serving as a major league manager through the 1926 season. The Cigarmakers continued play Ohio state League play in
420-403: The place first place Lancaster Lanks in the final regular season standings, as the league held no playoffs. Lima pitcher Charles Pickett, led the league with a 21–7 record, while Frank Foutz led the league with 12 home runs and Duke Reilley had 80 stolen bases, tops in the league. The Lima Cigarmakers were the 1909 Ohio State League champions. The Cigarmakers placed first in the standings with
441-580: The season, both the Marion and Canton franchises disbanded on June 11, 1915. The Buckeye League, with four remaining teams, permanently disbanded on July 5, 1915. The Lima Boosters, with an average roster age of 34.8 were in first place when the Buckeye League folded on July 5, 1915. Lima finished with a record of 25–18, playing under manager Sandy Murray. Lima was followed by the Findlay Finns (22–19), Akron Rubbermen (22–21) and Newark New Socks (14–24) in
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