The Paducah Chiefs are a collegiate summer baseball team in Paducah, Kentucky. They are a member of the Ohio Valley League.[1] The Chiefs has been the primary nickname for various Paducah teams, who began play in 1897.
| Paducah Chiefs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| League | Ohio Valley League (OVL South) |
| Location | Paducah, Kentucky |
| Ballpark | Brooks Stadium (1948–1955, 2016–present) |
| Founded | 1903 |
| Former league(s) | Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League, Mississippi–Ohio Valley League |
| Colours | Red, navy, white |
| General Manager | Greg McKeel |
| Website | https://www.paducahchiefs.com |
Early incarnations of the Paducah Chiefs played in the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY League) in 1903 and 1912–1913, and in the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League in 1949–1950.[citation needed][2][3] The Chiefs competed in the KITTY League from 1951 until their disbanding in 1955.[citation needed][2][3]
The Chiefs, though finishing fourth in the regular season standings in 1949, went on to win the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League playoffs and championship.[4][3] In 1950 the Chiefs again finished fourth in the regular season standings,[3] but made through the playoffs to the league championship series against the Centralia Sterlings; the championship series was cancelled due to bad weather.[4] After that season the Chiefs left the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League for the KITTY League.[4]
The Chiefs were the 1955 Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY League) champions with a 64–39 record,[5] and were the league runner up in 1952 (67–53).[citation needed][6][3]
The franchise was affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals (1952–1955), Brooklyn Dodgers (1939), St. Louis Cardinals (1938), Pittsburgh Pirates (1937) and Cincinnati Reds (1936).[2][3]
The team was also known as the Paducah Indians for much of its history.
The Modern Era
editIn 1996, Dr. Frank "Doc" Hideg and a group of volunteers resurrected Brooks Stadium. It proved to be a vital step in bringing amateur baseball back to Paducah, as in 2015, the Brooks Stadium Commission was approached by the Ohio Valley League about adding a team in Paducah. Under the leadership of General Manager Greg McKeel and Brooks Stadium Commission President Doc Hideg, the Chiefs returned to Brooks Stadium in Paducah in the summer of 2016.[1]
The ballparks
editThe franchise played at numerous parks in Paducah.
From 1949 to 1955 Paducah teams played at Brooks Stadium, located at 25th Street and C Street, now 2400 Brooks Stadium Drive.[7][8] Brooks Stadium hosted the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League All-Star Game in 1949.[9] The ballpark has remained in use to this day as the baseball home for the nearby Paducah Tilghman High School.
Earlier, the team played at Hook's Park, located at 8th street and Terrell, from 1935 to 1941.[10] In 1922 and 1923 Paducah played at League Park.[11] Early teams played at Wallace Park located at Broadway and Labelle.[12]
Notable alumni
edit- Alan Roden (2019) 2022 MLB Draft selection
- Tom Baker (1955)
- Jim McKnight (1955)
- Marty Kutyna (1953)
- Gene Green (1952)
- Jim Frey (1950) Mgr: 1980 AL Pennant - Kansas City Royals
- Eddie Kearse (1949)
- Billy Queen (1949)
- Charlie Biggs (1941)
- Ben Tincup (1937, 1939, 1941) Pitched into his 40s with Paducah; Native American Pioneer; longtime MLB Coach, Scout
- Dave Koslo (1940) 1949 NL ERA Leader
- Ed Wright (1940)
- Bill Burich (1939)
- Dutch McCall (1939)
- Dave Bartosch (1938)
- Augie Bergamo (1938)
- Ray Sanders (1938)
- Erv Brame (1937)
- Frankie Gustine (1937) 3 x MLB AS
- Hugh McMullen (1937)
- Jim Pruett (1937)
- Joe Grace (1935)
- Ollie Pickering (1922)
- Hank DeBerry (1914)
- Art Brouthers (1912–1913)
- Walt Marbet (1912)
- Dixie Carroll (1910–1911)
- Cowboy Jones (1911)
- Lew Groh (1906)
- Fred Miller (1906)
- Wiley Piatt (1905–1906)
- Grover Land (1904–1906)
- Harry Vahrenhorst (1906)
- Pete Dowling (1897)
- Jim Jones (1897)
- Frank Pears (1897)
- Willie Sudhoff (1897)
References
edit- ^ a b "About The Chiefs | Paducah Chiefs Baseball". Retrieved 2022-07-19.
- ^ a b c "Paducah, Kentucky Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ a b c d e f Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
- ^ a b c Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. Minor League Baseball Standings:All North American Leagues, Through 1999. Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0781-6
- ^ "1955 Paducah Chiefs Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1952 Paducah Chiefs Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Historic Brooks Stadium - Plan your Kentucky Vacation – Kentucky Tourism". www.kentuckytourism.com.
- ^ "Brooks Stadium Minor League History | Baseball-Reference.com". Archived from the original on 2015-10-16.
- ^ "Paducah, Kentucky, in the Midwest League | MWLguide.com". www.mwlguide.com.
- ^ "Hook's Park Minor League History | Baseball-Reference.com". Archived from the original on 2015-10-14.
- ^ "League Park Minor League History | Baseball-Reference.com". Archived from the original on 2015-10-13.
- ^ "Wallace Park Minor League History | Baseball-Reference.com". Archived from the original on 2015-10-09.