Larned Wheat Kings

The Larned Wheat Kings were a minor league baseball team based in Larned, Kansas. From 1909 to 1911, Larned teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level Kansas State League, playing as the Larned Cowboys in 1909. In 1911, the Kansas State League, Larned included, folded during the season due to drought. Larned hosted home minor league games at City Park.

Larned Wheat Kings
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass D (1909–1911)
LeagueKansas State League (1909–1911)
Major league affiliations
TeamNone
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Team data
NameLarned Cowboys (1909)
Larned Wheat Kings (1910–1911)
BallparkCity Park (1909–1911)

History

Minor league baseball in Larned, Kansas began during the 1909 season with the Larned Cowboys. On July 12, 1909, the Strong City-Cottonwood Falls Twin Cities team relocated and the Larned Cowboys became members of the reformed eight–team Class D level Kansas State League. Larned immediately joined the Arkansas City-Winfield Twins, Great Bend Millers, Hutchinson Salt Packers, Lyons Lions, McPherson Merry Macks, Newton Railroaders and Wellington Dukes as 1909 league members.[1]

completing their first season of play, the Twin Cities/Cowboys team finished last.[2] After compiling a 10–24 record while based in Larned, the team finished with a 32–65 overall record to finish in eighth place. Playing under managers Harry Freese and Farmer Weaver, the Cowboys finished 28.5 games behind the first place Lyons Lions in the final Kansas State League standings.[1][3][4]

Continuing play as members of the 1910 Kansas State League, the Larned team played under the Larned "Wheat Kings" moniker.[5] Larned finished the season with a record of 46–56 to place seventh under returning manager Farmer Weaver and Harry McLear. Weaver resigned with the team on an 11–game losing streak and a record of 15–25 at the time of his departure. The Wheat Kings finished 20.5 games behind the first place Hutchinson Salt Packers in the final 1910 standings.[6][7][8][4]

On August 19, 1910, Harry Watson of Larned threw a no-hitter in a 2–0 victory over the Great Bend Millers.[9]

The Larned use of the "Wheat Kings" nickname corresponds with local agriculture in the era. Today, the Larned area continues as a strong wheat producing region.[10][11]

The 1911 Larned Wheat Kings played their final season as the Kansas League folded during the season.[12][13] The Wheat Kings ended the 1911 season with a record of 23–32, after the league disbanded on July 11, 1911, due to crop failures and drought. When the league ceased play, Larned was in sixth place in the standings. Harry Berte served as manager as the Wheat Kings finished 14.0 games behind the first place Great Bend Millers in the shortened season.[14][15][4]

After serving as an umpire in the 1911 Kansas State League, in 1912, former Larned manager Farmer Weaver was sentenced to 21 years in prison for domestic crimes. He was later released in 1914, with a former teammate serving as his parole clerk.[16][8]

After the Kansas State League folded following the 1911 season, it resumed play in 1913 without a Larned franchise.[17][4] Larned, Kansas has not hosted another minor league team.[18][19][4]

The ballparks

The Larned minor league teams played home games at City Park in Larned.[20] In the era of Sunday laws it was noted that Sunday baseball was allowed to be played in Larned, Kansas.[21]

Larned KS - March 10, 1914

Timeline
Year(s)# Yrs.TeamLevelLeagueBallpark
19091Larned CowboysClass DKansas State LeagueCity Park
1910–19112Larned Wheat Kings

Year–by–year records
YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs/Notes
190932–658thButch Freese / Farmer WeaverStrong City-Cottonwood moved to Larned July 12
10–24 record in Larned
191046–567thFarmer Weaver (15–25) /
Harry McLear (31-31)		No playoffs held
191123–326thHarry BerteLeague folded July 11

[22][7][14]

Notable alumni

See also

Larned Cowboys players
Larned Wheat Kings players

References
  1. "1909 Kansas State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  2. "1909 Strong City-Cottonwood Falls Twins City/Larned Cow Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. "Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew". www.statscrew.com.
  4. Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  5. "1910 Kansas State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. "1910 Larned Wheat Kings Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. "1910 Larned Wheat Kings minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  8. "Farmer Weaver – Society for American Baseball Research".
  9. "1910-08-12". The Hutchinson News. August 13, 1910. p. 3 – via newspapers.com.
  10. Bickel, Amy. "'Everyone goes hungry' as farm economy suffers in Kansas". The Topeka Capital-Journal.
  11. "As loans come due, farmers feel the financial squeeze". March 25, 2019.
  12. "1911 Larned Wheat Kings Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  13. "1911 Kansas State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  14. "1911 Larned Wheat Kings minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  15. "1910 Kansas State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  16. Zink, Adrian (November 11, 2019). Wicked Kansas. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439668504 – via Google Books.
  17. "1910 Kansas State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  18. "Larned, Kansas Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
  19. "1910 Kansas State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  20. "City Park in Larned, KS minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  21. "Larned, Kansas – Legends of Kansas".
  22. "1909 Strong City-Cottonwood Falls Twin Citys/Larned Cowboys minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
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