Nebraska Minor League Baseball
Omaha Nebraska
Western League

omaha baseball team 1910

western Baseball league logo The list below includes participation in the class "A" Western League from 1900 to 1937 and from 1947 to 1958. The class "D" Western League from 1939-1941 is included elsewhere. The Western League/Western Association statistics pre 1900 will also be in a different location.

Classifications: Class "A" was the highest classification of minor league from 1902 until 1907. For the 1908 season the Eastern League and the Pacific Coast League moved to the newly established "AA" classification. The Western League chose to stay a class "A" league.
Class A1 was added in 1936 between "A" and "AA". The Southern Association and the Texas League had this classification. This put the Western League on the third tier of minor leagues.
In 1946 class A1 was dropped and class "AAA" was added, leaving the Western League on the third tier of leagues.


Lincoln: Lincoln participated in the Western League from 1906-1917, 1924-1927 and from 1947-1958. They moved to the Three I league in 1959.
Omaha: Omaha participated in the Western League from 1900 to mid 1936. They moved to Council Bluffs for part of the 1935 season. In 1936 a storm damaged the ballpark (League Park or Rourke Park) on Vinton Street on July 21 necessitating a move to Lincoln for a while. A fire destroyed the park in August and the club moved to Rock Island.
The Omaha team started up again in 1947 as a Cardinal farm club. They played in Council Bluffs until their new ballpark (Municipal Stadium now called Rosenblatt Stadium) was complete. Omaha acquired a "AAA" franchise in 1955 and then played in the American Association. 		Western League Baseball circa 1920
Photo courtesy
Eliza Portrait Design
Photography Studio

Omaha Western League 1900-1937
The Rourke Years: Owner manager Pa Rourke owned the club from 1900-1920.
His ability to spot talent was legendary.
1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920
The Burch years: From 1921 through 1932 Barney Burch owned the team.
Although he made money early on, the depression and general drop in minor league
attendance led to his ultimate demise.
1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930 1931 1932
From 1933 through 1936 the Omaha franchise was on thin ice. In 1933 Pug Griffin was
named manager by the court. In 1934-35, Dutch Wetzel and Mrs. E. C. Braconier
of St. Louis owned the club. In 1936, Lincoln insurance man Larry Harlan owned the
franchise. He was making a go of it until a fire at the Vinton Street park ended
baseball in Omaha until after the war.
1933 1934 1935 1936

Jackie Brandt Baseball Card Omaha Western League 1947-1958
After the war the Western League started up again with Omaha as a
farm club of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1955, Omaha moved to the
"AAA" American Association.

Left
Jackie Brandt was an Omaha Native who played for most of the 1954 season with Columbus in the Sally League. He also played 21 games for the Omaha Cardinals and averaged .313. He made his major league debut in 1956. He had an 11 year major league career and was a major league all star in 1961.

1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954

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