Milestones
Formed: November 28, 1955 – The Mississippi-Ohio Valley League re-brands as the Midwest League1UNITED PRESS, “MOV Loop Changes Name to Midwest”, The Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL), November 29, 1955
First Game: April 29, 1956
Seasons: 70 & Counting (as of 2026)
States: 7
(IA, IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, WI)
Leadership
Trophy Case
Background
Coming someday….
Midwest League Franchise List
| FRANCHISE | YEARS ACTIVE | Midwest League Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Appleton Foxes | 1962 & 1967-1994 | 1964*, 1966*, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1982, 1983 & 1984 |
| Battle Creek Yankees | 2003-2004 | Never |
| Beloit Brewers | 1982-1994 | Never |
| Beloit Sky Carp | 2022-Present | Never |
| Beloit Snappers | 1995-2021 | 1995 |
| Bowling Green Hot Rods | 2010-2019 | Never |
| Burlington Astros | 1991-1992 | Never |
| Burlington Bees | 1962-1981 | 1965 & 1977 |
| Burlington Bees | 1993-2019 | 1999 & 2008 |
| Burlington Braves | 1988-1990 | Never |
| Burlington Expos | 1986-1987 | Never |
| Burlington Rangers | 1982-1985 | Never |
| Cedar Rapids Astros | 1973-1974 | Never |
| Cedar Rapids Braves | 1962 | Never |
| Cedar Rapids Cardinals | 1965-1972 | Never |
| Cedar Rapids Giants | 1975-1979 | Never |
| Cedar Rapids Kernels | 1993-Present | 1994 & 2023 |
| Cedar Rapids Red Raiders | 1963-1964 | Never |
| Cedar Rapids Reds | 1980-1992 | 1988 & 1992 |
| Clinton C-Sox | 1959-1965 | 1963 |
| Clinton Dodgers | 1977-1979 | Never |
| Clinton Giants | 1980-1993 | 1991 |
| Clinton LumberKings | 1994-2019 | Never |
| Clinton Pilots | 1966-1976 | Never |
| Clinton Pirates | 1956-1958 | Never |
| Danville Dodgers | 1975-1976 | Never |
| Danville Suns | 1982 | Never |
| Danville Warriors | 1970-1974 | 1972 & 1974 |
| Davenport Braves | 1960 | Never |
| Dayton Dragons | 2000-Present | Never |
| Decatur Commodores | 1956-1974 | 1957 |
| Dubuque Packers | 1956-1967 | 1962 |
| Dubuque Packers | 1974-1976 | Never |
| Dubuque Royals | 1968 | Never |
| Fort Wayne TinCaps | 2009-Present | 2009 |
| Fort Wayne Wizards | 1993-2008 | Never |
| Fox Cities Foxes | 1963-1966 | 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1982, 1983 & 1984** |
| Great Lakes Loons | 2007-Present | 2016 |
| Kane County Cougars | 1991-2019 | 2001 & 2014 |
| Kenosha Twins | 1984-1992 | 1985 & 1987 |
| Keokuk Cardinals | 1958-1961 | Never |
| Keokuk Dodgers | 1962 | Never |
| Kokomo Dodgers | 1956-1961 | Never |
| Lafayette Red Sox | 1956-1957 | Never |
| Lake County Captains | 2010-Present | 2010 |
| Lansing Lugnuts | 1996-Present | 1997 & 2003 |
| Madison Hatters | 1994 | Never |
| Madison Muskies | 1982-1993 | Never |
| Mattoon Athletics | 1957 | Never |
| Mattoon Phillies | 1956 | Never |
| Michigan Battle Cats | 1995-2002 | 2000 |
| Michigan City White Caps | 1956-1959 | Never |
| Midwest Dodgers | 1962 | Never |
| Paris Lakers | 1956-1959 | 1956 |
| Peoria Chiefs | 1984-Present | 2002 |
| Peoria Suns | 1983 | Never |
| Quad Cities River Bandits | 2008-Present | 2011, 2013, 2017, 2021 |
| Quad City Angels | 1962-1978 | 1968 & 1971 |
| Quad City Angels | 1985-1991 | 1990 |
| Quad City Braves | 1961 | Never |
| Quad City Cubs | 1979-1984 | 1979 |
| Quad City River Bandits | 1992-2003 | 2011, 2013, 2017, 2021*** |
| Quincy Cubs | 1965-1973 | 1970 |
| Quincy Gems | 1964 | Never |
| Quincy Giants | 1960-1961 | 1961 |
| Quincy Jets | 1962-1963 | Never |
| Rockford Cubbies | 1995-1998 | Never |
| Rockford Expos | 1988-1992 | Never |
| Rockford Reds | 1999 | Never |
| Rockford Royals | 1993-1994 | Never |
| South Bend Cubs | 2015-Present | 2022 |
| South Bend Silver Hawks | 1994-2014 | 2005 |
| South Bend White Sox | 1988-1993 | 1989 & 1993 |
| Southwest Michigan Devil Rays | 2005-2006 | Never |
| Springfield Cardinals | 1982-1993 | Never |
| Springfield Sultans | 1994-1995 | Never |
| Swing of the Quad Cities | 2004-2007 | Never |
| Waterloo Diamonds | 1989-1993 | Never |
| Waterloo Hawks | 1958-1969 | 1958, 1959 & 1960 |
| Waterloo Indians | 1977-1988 | 1980 & 1986 |
| Waterloo Royals | 1970-1976 | 1975 & 1976 |
| Wausau Mets | 1975-1978 | Never |
| Wausau Timbers | 1979-1990 | 1981 |
| West Michigan Whitecaps | 1994-Present | 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2007 & 2015 |
| Wisconsin Rapids Senators | 1963 | Never |
| Wisconsin Rapids Twins | 1964-1983 | 1973 |
| Wisconsin Timber Rattlers | 1995-Present | 2012 |
**As Appleton Foxes in 1967, 1969, 1978, 1982, 1983 & 1984
***As Quad Cities River Bandits in 2011, 2013, 2017 & 2021
Midwest League Shop
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More teams and franchises
These additional team histories are filed under this league.
One Response
The Midwest League grew out of the Illinois State League (Class D, won by my hometown Belleville Stags in 1947, a farm club of the Browns). The League ultimately added Paducah and became the Mississippi – Ohio Valley League and then the Midwest League. The Illinois State League is included in Baseball-Reference.com