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Madison Blues
1923–1942 Madison, Wisconsin
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes	Class B
Previous leagues	Wisconsin-Illinois League, Wisconsin State League, Tri-State League, Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League
Major league affiliations
Previous teams	Chicago Cubs (1942)
Minor league titles
League titles	Wisconsin-Illinois League, 1932-1933; Wisconsin State League, 1935-1936; Tri-State League, 1938
Team data
Previous parks	Breese Stevens Field, Kipp Field

The Madison Blues was a semi-professional minor league baseball team in Madison, Wisconsin from 1923 to 1942. Founded by the Madison Athletic Association and captained for nearly all of its years by manager Eddie Lenahan, the Blues began as an independent team without a league. They played their home games at Kipp Field for three years before moving to the newly built Breese Stevens Field in 1926. They joined the Wisconsin-Illinois league that year, and went on to play in the state, Tri-State and Three-I leagues in later years.

Like many semi-pro teams of the era, the Madison Blues struggled to turn a profit. Various fundraising promotions (such as booster days and fan memberships) were launched to help pay the bills, but many seasons ended with the team in the red. In 1931 floodlights were installed at Breese, which turned the team's fortunes around. Attendance tripled, the schedule became more flexible, and team began racking up winning seasons and championships. The Blues final season was in 1942, when the need for men to serve in World War II thinned the ranks of many minor league franchises throughout the country.

History

Founding

In the autumn of 1922 the first meetings were held among Madison businessmen to organize a group that would fund and promote amateur and professional sports in the city. The Madison Athletic Association was formed in February 1923 and they lauched a drive for at least 2,000 members to raise money to start football, baseball and basketball teams, along with development of a new athletic field.

The MAA obtained a state permit to stage fundraising amateur boxing bouts, with the goal of organizing a baseball team the next year. With members canvassing neighborhoods for donations, other benefit events were held, and local businesses also contributed. This fundraising activity put the MAA on course to fielding a ball club in a manner of weeks. Funds were also raised to improve Kipp Field, a diamond located on the east side that was used by the Madison Kipp manufacturing plant's team for several years. A 2,500-seat grandstand was constructed with bleacher seating for 500, and a fence was built around the field.

Local coach Eddie Lenahan was hired as club manager, having played in the Three-I League and having coached in the Dakota League the previous year. Running a club independent of a league, Lenehan assembled a team from local players as well as from the Three-I, South Atlantic, and Western Wisconsin leagues, including a University of Wisconsin player declared ineligible for varsity play by the Big Ten Conference. Lenehan also played third base, and later, first base.

Kipp Field years: 1923-1925

The Blues' first game was held at Kipp Field on May 5, 1923 against the Twin Cities Red Sox of Sauk City and Prairie du Sac. The game was preceded by a parade up State Street and around the capitol square featuring a marching band and many dignitaries and local boosters. Governor John Blaine threw out the first pitch, with Mayor Isaac Kittleson catching it. Despite the ballyhoo, the Blues lost their first game 7-3.

The Blues' record in their premiere season of 64 games was 33-31 (.516). Their opponents were mainly other semi-pro teams from southern Wisconsin, industrial teams, with occasional games against touring Negro League clubs. In the Tri-State League tournament held at Dubuque, Iowa in September, the Blues were eliminated by the eventual champions, the Twin Cities Red Sox. Despite a winning first season, the MAA still owed $900 to some players at year's end, and local boosters stepped in to fill the coffers.

Seeking to build on the previous year's modest success, the MAA re-signed Lenahan to the 1924 team, and also signed up ace pitcher Jimmie Dodge to serve as co-manager (he had managed the rival Twin Cities Red Sox the previous season). In May, Lenahan refused to have the Blues play the Red Sox if their line-up included "Happy" Felsch, who had been banned from baseball after his involvement in the Black Sox Scandal of 1919. The Red Sox benched Felsch. Independent of any league, the Blues racked up so many victories that by mid-August they claimed the state baseball title due to their dominating 36-9-2 record. They finished the season 50-23-5 (.641).

After such an impressive record after just two seasons, the Blues were eyed by the Wisconsin State League, while teams in northern Wisconsin wanted to be included on their schedule. Lenahan kept the club independent. The Blues opened their 1925 season against their first Class B opponent, the Bloomington Bloomers of the Three-I League, resulting in a 4-3 loss. A week later they played their first State League team, the Menasha Pails, and fell short 5-4.

Despite starting the season with an announcement that no donations would be needed, Lenahan and Dodge announced that June that they couldn't meet the team payroll while charging only fifty cents admission. Like other semi-pro clubs in the state, the Blues instituted occasional booster days with appeals to fans to support the home team. Mayor Kittleson encouraged businesses to close earlier in the afternoon as to allow people to attend some games. Lenahan also sought to induce a major league team to Madison to play the Blues, but was unsuccessful. In August, Lenahan lamented that the team relied on the larger crowds at away games to meet expenses. On July 4 the team had played in Chicago before 36,000 fans when they beat Gilkerson's Union Giants.

The Blues ended their final season at Kipp Field at 40-32-4 (.526) amidst much speculation that the team would be welcomed into the State League with the imminent completion of the municipal ball park in 1926.

Wisconsin-Illinois League 1926-1927

The Blues began their 1926 season with a new home field, Breese Stevens Field, and in a revived Wisconsin-Illinois League composed of the Kenosha Twin Sixers, the Beloit Fairies, the Racine Eskimos, the Sheboygan Chairmakers, the Logan Squares (Chicago), Niesen's Pyotts (Chicago) and St. Michael's (Chicago). Before the season began manager Lenahan said the Blues had raised $1,400, but needed at least $5,000 for the team to continue. Funds were eventually raised through booster groups and private donations, with special promotional days held throughout the summer. The Blues finished league play 27-32 (.458), landing in fourth place.

The year 1927 began with Lenahan announcing he would sell off his half of his business (a billiard hall he co-owned with Jimmie Dodge) and manage the Blues full time. In light of the the Blues' money woes, there was some doubt about whether they would field a team that summer. An executive committee was formed to examine the club's finances, with an eye to curbing the high pay some of the players were getting. Lenehan was rehired as team manager, and Leonard Schmidt was hired as business manager. Separating from the Madison Athletic Association, the Blues incorporated as a non-profit corporation.

The Blues rejoined the W-I League playing Sheboyan, Kenosha, Beloit, plus the Chicago teams the Logan Squares and the Duffy Florals. In April Lenahan signed former Chicago Cub and University of Iowa coach Otto Vogel. In May the Blues played the University of Wisconsin team at a Red Cross benefit for Mississippi flood relief. A month later Lenahan broke his leg sliding home, and Vogel managed the team in his absence. In August Vogel was batting a team-best .429. The Blues finished the season with a 18-28 record (.391), landing in fourth place again.

Despite the new business manager, the team once again ended the season in the red. Bad weather received some blame for the low gate receipts. At season's end a Mardi Gras-styled fair was held as a fundraiser in nearby Reynolds Field, but it was criticized by some for the presence of exotic dancers and games of chance. The benefit ended up costing the club thousands of dollars.

Wisconsin State League 1928-1931

The Blues started the 1928 season in a new league, the Wisconsin State League, which included the Sheboygan Chairmakers, the Two Rivers Mirros, the Manitowoc Shipbuilders, the Kosciuszko Reds (Milwaukee) and the Union Oils (Milwaukee). Business manager Len Schmidtt took over player manager duties from Lenehan, who continued playing first base. The team was finally able to draw a major league team to Breese Stevens when they played the Chicago White Sox in an exhibition game, which the Blues lost 13-3. The team finished at the bottom of the league at .375, and $4,400 in the red.

With many of the teams ending the season in debt, in 1929 the league pushed for the cultivation of homegrown talent by limiting clubs' overspending on proven players. With the league expanded to include teams from Kenosha and Racine, the Blues finished last in a field of eight. Nor did the policy lessen the Blues' financial woes.

The year 1930 began with returning doubts as to whether the Blues could remain a viable franchise. Reinstated as manager, Lenahan was able to raise the funds to stay in the league. Attendance was down at early home games, causing Lenahan to announce that if 1,500 local fans didn't turn out for the June 8 game against Racine he had no choice but disband the team. Despite only receiving 1,436 paid admissions, Lenehan said it was sufficient for the Blues to finish out their schedule.

The Madison Blues played in the first night baseball game in Wisconsin, beating the California Owls (who supplied the floodlights) 11-2. The attendance of 3,000 was impressive enough for the city council to vote in favor of installing lights at Breese in 1931. In another night game, game attendance broke records when the Negro League's Kansas City Monarchs drew a record 3,500 fans to Breese. The Blues were defeated 19-8 when the game was called in the ninth inning due to the Monarchs' floodlights catching fire. The team finished the season in third place at .500 in league play.

Despite the 1931 season ending in a mediocre 11-9 record, the year was a turning point for the Blues. Spring began again with doubts about the team making the league, but the installation of floodlights in May proved a boon to the Blues' gate receipts and schedule. In less than a month the Madison Entertainment Corporation (which maintained Breese's lights and booked events there) presented manager Lenahan with a check wiping out the team's debts. Night games were an attraction in themselves, drawing fans from home and away. In two years attendance tripled. The lights also resulted in opening up the Blues' schedule to allow for weeknight and special exhibition games.

Wisconsin-Illinois League 1932-1933

In 1932 the Blues left the State league to rejoin a smaller, re-formed Wisconsin-Illinois League that included the Sheboygan Chairs, Milwaukee Red Sox and three Chicago-based teams: the Logan Squares, Harley Mills and the Duffy Florals.

In cooperation with the Madison Entertainment Corporation, the Blues were able to maximize their schedule to increase gate receipts. Of all 54 games played that season by the team, half of them were night games at home field.

The Blues finished the season with a league record of 21-11 (.656), putting them in second place behind the Harley Mills. In a five-game championship series against the Mills the Blues prevailed 3-2, winning the league championship.

In 1933 the team built on the previous season's success by finishing 34-17 (.667) and beating the Chicago Mills in a title series that won the Blues the league championship outright. The year also proved lucrative, with the team playing 68% of their matches as home night games.

Despite the winning season, Lenahan became dissatisfied in the quality of play in the W-I League, which the Blues now shared with the Milwaukee Red Sox and six Illinois teams. Incensed by "outrageous decisions" by Chicago umpires, Lenahan actually struck one of them during a Harley Mills game. By August he was meeting with Green Bay and other state teams to form an improved State league.

Wisconsin State League 1934-1937

The Blues' return to the State league in 1934 put them up against Sheboygan, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Kaukauna and Wisconsin Rapids, but league play accounted for less than half the team's 64 games. They played at home 80% of the season, 55% in their own night games. Their non-league opponents included the Chicago teams from the defunct W-I League, plus other former rivals and touring teams. The Blues' matches against Negro Leagues teams like the Kansas City Monarchs broke attendance records at Breese. The new season also brought a new way for players to get paid. Instead of getting a guaranteed amount for each game, the players opted to be paid with a percentage of the gate receipts.

The State league had split the season into two halves, with the winners of each playing in a season final title series. The Blues prevailed in 1934's latter half, but they failed to defeat early season champs the Green Bay Green Sox in the 3-game final series.

In 1935 the Blues won the early split-season title, and faced latter half winner Sheboygan in the 3-game championship series, which the Blues won in two games. High profile opponents like the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Negro League's Pittsburgh Crawfords, the Mexican Churros and the Dai-Nippon team known as the Tokyo Giants all drew big crowds to the park. The Blues' winning percentage of .734 (league .750) and championship made 1935 their best season to date.

The Blues' winning ways continued in 1936, when they won both halves of the split season, making a final championship series unnecessary. They went on to defeat title-holder Two Rivers of the Northern League. With fewer teams in the State league, the Blues filled out their schedule with games against the major league St. Louis Browns, Negro league teams like the Monarchs, the Cincinnati Tigers, the American Giants plus long-running rivals from Chicago such as the Harley Mills. They also faced the Mexican Aztecas.

By the 1937 season the Blues were proven powerhouses on the diamond, and again won the title of the season's first half by defeating Sheboygan. They were tied with the Chairs for title of the season's second half, but the Blues lost the third tilt of the final series in a contentious game that broke out into fights. Manager Lenahan refused to field his team for the final inning until they were paid their share of the gate. The Blues ended up losing 13-6. Lenahan then insisted that the year's title should be decided in one championship game instead of a series. League managers disagreed, and declared the Blues had not only forfeited the 1937 championship to Sheboygan, but had forfeited their membership in the league.

Tri-State League 1938-1939

The Blues began 1938 in the newly formed independent Tri-State League, organized in Chicago by team managers from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. The league featured familiar Chicago teams (Harley Mills, Spencer Coals, Duffy Florals), the Elgin Stars, and new opponents the South Bend Studebakers and the Fort Wayne Harvesters. After the Blues' arch rivals Sheboygan expressed a desire to leave the State league and follow Madison to the Tri-State, the Chairmakers were added. The Blues and Chairs dominated the league, and once again faced off for the season championship, which the Blues won in a best of three series.

The 1939 season began with the league reduced to four teams, and ended with the Blues having their first losing season in ten years. The season was marked by errors, a few furious arguments with umpires from Lenahan, and ejections from games. They still played many touring club favorites, continuing a fourth year of playing at least one third of their games against African-American or other ethnically defined teams. The season closed with news that the Blues would be graduating the next year to Class B baseball in the Three-I League.

Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (1940-1942)

The Blues' entrance into the Three-I League brought much anticipation from local fans and sportswriters who hailed the move to Class B ball as the restoration of "real baseball" to the city, last played by the Madison Senators in 1914. It also brought major changes to the Blues' corporate structure while doubling their schedule to 120 games. The Blues would become a farm team for the Milwaukee Brewers (a struggling Class AA team in the American Association), replacing their previous farm team from Bloomington, Illinois. Mervyn "Bud" Connally became the Blues' new manager, and Lenahan became the team's business manager (also the league's treasurer). The Blues' new league opponents were the Decatur Commodores (IL), the Moline Plows (IL), the Springfield Brown Sox (IL), the Evansville Bees (IN), the Clinton Giants (IA), the Cedar Rapids Red Raiders (IA) and the Waterloo White Hawks (IA). The packed schedule crowded out non-league games, with none against popular touring clubs of previous seasons. Due to a weak bullpen, the Blues barely eked out a winning season, finishing sixth place in a field of eight.

The 1941 season began with further reorganization of the franchise. The Madison Baseball Corp. was formed (including future Wisconsin governor Oscar Rennebohm and Capital Times editor William T. Evjue as directors) and successfully transferred ownership of the Blues from Milwaukee to Madison by selling stock in the team to local fans at $5 a share. Their $10,000 goal was quickly met, and Ivy Griffin of Eau Claire became the new manager (Lenahan stayed on as business manager). At mid-season the Brewers franchise itself would be bought by the Chicago Cubs as a farm team while still retaining the Blues as Milwaukee's farm team. A month later the Cubs beat the Blues 7-5 at Breese in what had become a rare exhibition game.

The Blues finished 27 games behind, in seventh place. Sportswriters referred to the quality of play as "listless" and "going through the motions." Despite an increase of 500 in season attendance since the previous year, the team ended the season $12,000 in the red (due to "an uninteresting team and bad weather"), requiring a financial reckoning with the city. In a sign of things to come, players were beginning to get drafted or take defense jobs.

With the onset of U.S. participation in World War II, the Blues' 1942 season began with a long search for a new manager. The Cubs organization eventually decided on playing manager Walter Millies, a former catcher for the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies.

Season records

Season	League	Wins	Losses	Ties	Pct.	League Record and Rank
1923	independent	33	31	0	.516	n/a
1924	independent	52	19	5	.684	n/a
1925	independent	41	31	4	.539	n/a
1926	Wisconsin-Illinois	37	40	1	.474	27-31 (.466), 4th place
1927	Wisconsin-Illinois	33	36	1	.465	18-28 (.391), 4th place
1928	Wisconsin State	16	24	0	.400	8-18 (.308), 6th place (last)
1929	Wisconsin State	11	20	0	.355	8-18 (.308), 8th place (last)
1930	Wisconsin State	19	16	0	.543	13-13 (.500), 3rd place
1931	Wisconsin State	24	14	1	.615	11-9 (.550), 3rd place
1932	Wisconsin-Illinois	37	17	0	.679	21-10 (.677), 2nd place, won league championship series
1933	Wisconsin-Illinois	43	19	0	.694	34-17 (.667), 1st place, won league championship series
1934	Wisconsin State	39	21	0	.650	Combined 19-7 (.731), champions of 2nd half of season, lost final season title series
1935	Wisconsin State	47	17	0	.734	Combined 18-7 (.720), champions of 1st half of season, won final season title series
1936	Wisconsin State	44	16	1	.721	Combined 18-3-1 (.818), league champions after winning both halves of season
1937	Wisconsin State	46	21	0	.687	Combined 22-7 (.759), champions of 1st half of season, forfeited season title series
1938	Tri-State	42	21	0	.667	Combined 23-8 (.742), 1st place, won season championship
1939	Tri-State	34	33	0	.507	12-21 (.364), 4th place (last)
1940	Illinois–Indiana–Iowa	64	61	0	.512	61-60 (.504), 6th place (of 8)
1941	Illinois–Indiana–Iowa	54	72	1	.423	52-71-1 (.423), 7th place (of 8)

Notable alumni

• Dave Koslo (1940) 1949 NL ERA Title

• Johnny Schmitz (1940) 2 x MLB All-Star

External links

• Baseball Reference

Category:Defunct minor league baseball teams Category:Baseball teams established in 1940 Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1942 Category:Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League teams Category:Professional baseball teams in Wisconsin Category:Sports in Madison, Wisconsin Category:Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates Category:1940 establishments in Wisconsin Category:1942 disestablishments in Wisconsin

The first night baseball game in Wisconsin was held at the field on July 7, 1930, resulting in a defeat of the California Owls, a team that toured with its own floodlights. Attendance was impressive enough that a trio of electrical contractors headed by Otto Harloff formed the Madison Entertainment Corporation. After the city council approved their plan, the group purchased and installed 90 Crouse-Hinds floodlights on ten 90-foot towers at Breese for $29,100. Sparing the city the cost, the group recouped its outlay with a percentage of the gate receipts until the cost was met, with ownership of the lights then transferring to the city. A $4,000 General Electric loud speaker was also installed, as well as a lunchroom underneath the grandstand, serving coffee, soft drinks, sandwiches and candy. The lights' official debut was a Madison Blues baseball game on May 15, 1931.

The ability to hold events at night multiplied the use of the facility. The lights were hailed as the salvation of scholastic sports when high schools began collecting one third of the gate receipts from night games. The lights also proved a boon to Madison Blues baseball, drawing fans from home and away. The team received 50% of the gate, and their schedule became more flexible to host more exhibition games. The Madison Entertainment Corporation became the promoter of nearly all night events.

The Madison Entertainment Corporation's contract with the city stated that the company would receive 45% of the gate receipts, the city would earn 5% for providing the electrical current, and the remaining 50% going to program costs.

After a Blues ballgame and the annual city playground pageant were scheduled for the same night, the game went on as scheduled, but in future children's events would take precedent over commercial sporting events.

1931 gross receipts: $23,000 payment to city: $966 (cost of electricity thru Oct. 1 was actually $1,205, due to lights being used for high school team practices and other free admission events) paid on contract: $3,200 (should've been $9000) $4,500 lost on rodeo

The first boxing match was on September 15, and the first night football game was held the next night, between the Chicago Cards and the Harley Mills.

At the end of the 1931 season the contract was revisited, with Harloff begging off the corporation's role in promoting the field. He suggested the city should do its part to promote events at Breese, such as a national skating tournament. The city questioned the right to make taxpayers liable for possible losses.

Twenty teams competed in the state hockey championships that February.

The Until the mid-1960s, the field was the only city park with floodlights.

The Krueger incident

Occurring on September 18, 1918 in northwestern Wisconsin, the Krueger incident began as an attempt to arrest members of the Krueger family for evading the draft during World War I. Following an alleged warning shot by one of the Krueger sons, a hastily organized posse grew to more than 150 men, resulting in a shootout and a fire, with three men wounded and one dead. Despite being surrounded, two of the Krueger brothers were able to escape, triggering a manhunt.

The Depression

Governor Phillip La Follette led a Republican legislature to pass progressive programs that gave relief to those suffering during the Depression, making Wisconsin the first state to offer unemployment compensation. His agenda was anathema to the conservatives in the party. They were set back further by the landslide election of Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt as president in 1932. The sweep returned a Democrat to the Wisconsin governorship for the first since 1892. The La Follette brothers each sought re-election in 1934, but rather than again battle the stalwarts within their party, they formed a new Progressive Party in the state. Phil won back the governor's office and Bob Jr. was re-elected as senator on the new ticket, with more victories down the ballot. This effectively ceded control of the state Republican party to conservatives.

The head of the anti-progressive Republicans was Thomas E. Coleman, the president of Madison-Kipp Corporation and head of the finance committee of the RVC. Coleman devised strategy, raised funds and later became state party chairman from 1943-1947. In 1938 the party was swept back into power with the election of Milwaukee industrialist Julius Heil as governor, defeating La Follette and other Progessives down the ballot. The Republicans would dominate state government for the next 20 years, enjoying large majorities in the legislature.

Founding

A newspaper ad promoting the Majestic's vaudeville acts during its opening week in 1906.

Isthmus was founded by Vincent P. O'Hern and Fred M. Milverstedt in 1976.

O'Hern had written sports stories as a stringer for the Associated Press, United Press International and the Chicago City News Bureau while attending the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Upon graduation he began two years of service in the Peace Corps, where he taught history and journalism to West African high school boys. Originally from Detroit, MI, O'Hern located to Madison after first seeing it six months earlier as a Peace Corps recruiter.

Fred M. Milverstedt was born and raised in Madison, graduating from Madison West High School in 1960. After a stint in the Navy, Milverstedt attended the University of Wisconsin from 1963-1969, earning degrees in Journalism and Political Science. After working for the Associated Press he became a sports columnist and feature writer for Madison's afternoon daily the Capital Times.

Non-sporting events

All-city Amateur Night talent competition, Aug. 18, 1936

Zor Shrine Circus in Aug. 26-29, 1943

Zor Shrine public concert on October 13, 1945.

Knights Templar 79th annual state conclave, exhibition drills

American Indian Days pageant, July 2, 1960

VFW sponsored "Pageant of Music" featuring over 20 drum and bugle corps and drill teams (Incl. Madison competing at home for first time) June 25, 1960

11th annual Drums On Parade, July 13, 1963

Jimmy Demetral's 41st annual Kiddie Camp Wrestling Show

YMCA Youth Outreach sponsors rock concert feat. Myrkwoode, Joshua and Wrak in 1971