The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a low-level Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The league began play in 1901 and disbanded after the 1961 season. It was popularly known as the Three–I League and sometimes as the Three–Eye League. The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League played from 1901 to 1961 with some interruptions due to world events: the league did not play in 1918 due to World War I and it had a break in 1933 and 1934 because of the Great Depression. After resuming play in 1935, it closed down in 1936, but reformed and had a six-year run from 1937 through 1942, before a break due to World War II. The league resumed play in 1946, lasting through 1961, where it was largely supplanted by the Midwest League. A Class B level league from 1902 throughout its lifespan, no other league survived for as long at that level.

History

The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was founded in 1901 with Rock Island, Illinois native Michael H. Sexton serving as the first president. Eight charter members began play in 1901. The Bloomington Blues, Cedar Rapids Rabbitts, Davenport River Rats, Decatur Commodores, Evansville River Rats, Rock Island Islanders, Rockford Red Sox and Terre Haute Hottentots were the charter teams. Bloomington, Illinois, Decatur, Illinois and Terre Haute, Indiana had left the Central League to join expansion teams in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Davenport, Iowa, Evansville, Indiana, Rockford, Illinois, and Rock Island, Illinois and form the Class D level league (equivalent to a Rookie-level league today). Two expansion teams, Davenport and Evansville, chose "River Rats" as their team name. For the second season, 1902, the league became Class B level league (equivalent to a short-season Class A league before 2021 and a Low-A league today), a classification it retained for the next 59 seasons of league operation. The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was inactive during some years of World War I (1918) and World War II (1943–1945), as well as part of the Great Depression (1933-34, 1936), like many minor leagues that were forced to suspend operations or disband during those severe times. As with many minor leagues, especially at the lower classifications, league membership fluctuated a great deal over its six decades. Overall, the league hosted teams in 31 cities during its existence. At various times it had teams in such medium-sized cities as Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Bloomington, Decatur, Danville, Peoria, Springfield, Evansville and Terre Haute. It was a Class B league in the old classification system that ran from Class D up to Class Triple-A. The 1955 Keokuk Kernels are ranked #30 in the Top–100 All–Time minor league teams by MiLB.com. The Kernels finished with a 92–34 record and were led by Russ Nixon and Mudcat Grant. Since 1956 its territory had largely been supplanted by the Midwest League, which began play in 1947 as the Class D level Illinois State League. After 1956 there were no Illinois or Indiana teams in the league. The final 1961 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League franchises were the Fox Cities Foxes, Burlington Bees, Topeka Reds, Lincoln Chiefs, Cedar Rapids Braves and Des Moines Demons. In 1962, Appleton (Fox Cities), Burlington, and Cedar Rapids joined the Midwest League and the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League folded operations when those franchises switched leagues. The league's unique name made it a convenient reference point for any mention of the minor leagues. Casey Stengel made the following comment in later life, evidently still feeling stung from having been traded by the New York Giants to the Boston Braves in the 1923–1924 off-season, despite having hit 2 game-winning home runs in the World Series: "It's lucky I didn't hit 3 home runs in three games, or McGraw would have traded me to the 3-I League!"

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League teams (1901–1961)

Alton, Illinois Appleton, Wisconsin Bloomington, Illinois Burlington, Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa Clinton, Iowa Danville, Illinois Davenport, Iowa Decatur, Illinois 1935, 1937–1942, 1946–1947, 1950 Des Moines, Iowa Dubuque, Iowa Evansville, Indiana Fort Wayne, Indiana Freeport, Illinois Green Bay, Wisconsin Hannibal, Missouri Joliet, Illinois Keokuk, Iowa Lincoln, Nebraska Madison, Wisconsin Moline, Illinois Peoria, Illinois Quincy, Illinois Rochester, Minnesota Rock Island, Illinois Rockford, Illinois Sioux City, Iowa Springfield, Illinois Terre Haute, Indiana Topeka, Kansas Waterloo, Iowa Winona, Minnesota

Year-by-year (1901–1932)

1901 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Terre Haute won the title behind the impressive pitching of Mordecai Brown, future Chicago Cubs mound star. 1902 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1903 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Evansville and Terre Haute joined the Central League. New teams in Dubuque, Iowa and Joliet, Illinois formed. Joliet, with a record of 14–19, moved to Springfield, Illinois on June 12, where they had a record of 28–61. 1904 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1905 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Rockford team folded, and a new team in Peoria, Illinois formed. After the season ended, Cedar Rapids lost to the Burlington, Iowa team from the Iowa State League 4 games to 3. 1906 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1907 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Davenport team folded. The team from Clinton, Iowa joined after leaving the Iowa State League. 1908 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1909 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Clinton team folded. A new team in Davenport, Iowa formed. 1910 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League After the previous disappointing season, Cedar Rapids folded. The Decatur team moved to the Northern Association. The team from Waterloo, Iowa left the Central Association to join here. A new team from Danville, Illinois formed and joined the league as well. 1911 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The team from Bloomington folded. The Quincy, Illinois team from the Central Association joined the league. The Springfield team, with a 12–4 record, moved to Decatur, Illinois on May 31, where their record was 57–56. 1912 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The teams from Rock Island and Waterloo folded. New teams from Springfield, Illinois and Bloomington, Indiana joined the league. 1913 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1914 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Danville team, with a record of 26–53, moved to Moline, Illinois on July 14, where their record was 20–33. 1915 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Springfield team folded. A new team in Rockford, Illinois formed. Dubuque moved to Freeport, Illinois during the season. The Decatur team folded on August 10. The league adopted a playoff system in which the team with the best record in the first half of the season would play the team with the best record in the second half of the season. Moline beat Davenport 4 games to 2 for the title. 1916 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Freeport team folded. New teams in Hannibal, Missouri and Rock Island, Illinois formed and joined the league. The playoff system was apparently dropped. 1917 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Davenport team folded. A new team in Alton, Illinois formed and joined the league. 1918, The league suspended operations because of World War I. 1919 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The teams in Alton, Hannibal, Quincy, and Rock Island folded. New teams in Evansville, Indiana and Terre Haute, Indiana formed and joined the league. 1920 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League New teams in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois formed and joined the league. Evansville changed their names to the "Evas". 1921 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1922 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The teams in Cedar Rapids and Rock Island moved to the Mississippi Valley League. New teams in Danville and Decatur formed and joined the league. 1923 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1924 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Rockford team folded. The Moline team moved to the Mississippi Valley League. 1925 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League New teams in Quincy and Springfield formed and joined the league. 1926 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Springfield played Bay City of the Michigan State League and won 4 games to none. They were leading against Des Moines of the Western League 3 games to 1 when the series was canceled due to cold weather. 1927 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1928 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The league returned to the playoff format in which the team with the best record in the first half of the season played the team with the best records in the second half of the season for the title. Decatur beat Terre Haute for the title 4 games to 1, with 1 tie. 1929 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Two teams with the nickname "Tractors" played in the league this season. Quincy played Canton of the Central League after the season ended and lost 4 games to 2. 1930 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The league returned to the best record in the 1st half vs. best record in the 2nd half playoff system. Danville defeated Evansville 4 games to 2 for the title. Danville went on to play Springfield of the Central League and lead 3 games to 2 when the series was cancelled because of poor attendance. 1931 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Quincy beat Springfield 4 games to 2 for the championship. 1932 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The teams in Bloomington and Evansville folded before the season, and the Springfield and Decatur teams folded on July 12. The Terre Haute, Peoria, Quincy, and Danville teams all folded on July 15, as did the league itself. The league was restarted in 1935, 1937–1942, and 1946–1961.

Year–by–year 1935 to 1949

1935 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1937 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule Playoff: Moline 4 games, Clinton 2. 1938 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule Finals: Decatur 4 games, Moline 1. 1939 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule 1940 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1941 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule Finals: Cedar Rapids 3 games, Decatur 2. 1942 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Finals: Cedar Rapids 3 games, Madison 0. The league did not play in 1943, 1944 and 1945 due to World War II 1946 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1947 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Finals: Waterloo 4 games, Danville 1. 1948 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule Finals: Evansville 4 games, Terre Haute 0.

Year-by-year 1950 to 1961

1950 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1950 Three-I League schedule Finals: Terre Haute 3 games, Danville 1. 1951 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule Finals: Quincy 3 games, Cedar Rapids 2. 1952 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule Finals: Terre Haute 3 games, Evansville 1. 1953 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule Finals: Quincy 3 games, Evansville 0. 1954 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule Finals: Quincy 3 games, Peoria 0. 1955 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule Finals: Keokuk 3 games, Burlington 1. 1956 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule 1957 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule 1958 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League - schedule 1959 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule 1960 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule 1961 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League schedule

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

Three-I Most Valuable Players

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