Arkansas State League (1908-1909)
The Arkansas State League was a Class D minor baseball league that operated in Arkansas from 1908-1909.History
The league was organized on March 2nd, 1908 after a meeting held in Memphis, TN. T.J. Craighead of Hot Springs was elected president of the league (1).
The season opened on April 20th. On June 1st, Poplar Bluff dropped from the league and was transferred to Brinkley, AR. No playoffs were scheduled and Hot Springs was declared the winner.
On December 10th, 1908, a annual meeting of the league was held and W.W. Hurst was elected the new president of the league.
The 1909 season opened on April 15th and ran until it folded on July 7th. The league soon reorganized as the Northeast Arkansas League.
Teams
| Team | Years | ||||
| Alexandria Hoo Hoos | 1909 | ||||
| Argenta Shamrocks | 1908-1909 | ||||
| Brinkley, AR | 1908 | ||||
| Fort Smith Soldiers | 1909 | ||||
| Helena Hellions | 1909 | ||||
| Hot Springs Vaporites | 1908-1909 | ||||
| Jonesboro Zebras | 1909 | ||||
| Monroe, LA | 1909 | ||||
| Newport Pearl Diggers | 1908 | ||||
| Newport-Batesville Pearl Diggers | 1909 | ||||
| Pine Bluff Pine Knotts | 1908 | ||||
| Poplar Bluff, MO | 1908 | ||||
| Texarkana, AR | 1909 | ||||
1908 Record
| 1908 Standings | Wins | Losses | % | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs | 78 | 38 | .672 | Arthur Riggs / W. Forbes |
| Newport | 65 | 44 | .596 | Robert Shelton |
| Helena | 67 | 48 | .583 | Rudolph Kling |
| Pine Bluff | 51 | 61 | .455 | Walter Deaver / Al Sullivan |
| Argenta | 49 | 68 | .419 | James Kerwin / Roy Geyer / Reece / Riggs |
| Poplar Bluff/Brinkley | 28 | 79 | .262 | Al Sullivan / Lee Dawkins |
1909 Standings
| 1909 Standings | Wins | Losses | % | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro | 42 | 27 | .609 | Senter Rainey |
| Helena | 39 | 25 | .609 | C. A. Vandergriff |
| Texarkana | 34 | 35 | .493 | Robert Shelton |
| Hot Springs | 33 | 37 | .471 | Arthur Riggs / Elmer Coyle |
| Monroe/Newport-Batesville | 25 | 38 | .397 | W. Dobard |
| Fort Smith Soldiers | 27 | 42 | .391 | Hugo Bezdek / Dad Ritter |
| Argenta Shamrocks | 26 | 19 | .578 | Dad Ritter |
| Alexandria Hoo Hoos | 20 | 23 | .465 | John Auslet |
League Presidents
| Name | From-To | ||||
| Thomas J. Craighead | 3/2/1908-12/10/1908 | ||||
| William W. Hurst | 12/10/1908-6/10/1909 | ||||
| Ralph Montague Rider | 6/14/1909- | ||||
No-Hitters
| Date | Pitcher | Team | Opponent | Score | Notes |
| 5/26/1908 | William Wright | Hot Springs | Poplar Bluff | 3-0 | 55-minute Game |
| 7/29/1908 | John McFarland | Helena | Pine Bluff | 6-0 | Faced only 26 batters after one was called out for failing to come to the plate. |
| 6/8/1909 | Charles Deardorff | Jonesboro | Fort Smith | 10-0 | |
| 6/9/1909 | Cook | Helena | Texarkana | 1-0 |
Sources
1) 1909 Reach Baseball Guide
2) 1910 Reach Baseball Guide
3) The Sporting Life, 6/13/1908
4) The Sporting Life, 6/19/1909
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