Central Nebraska League

{{Short description|Minor league baseball league}} {{Infobox sports league | title =Central Nebraska League | current_season =  | current_season2 =  | last_season =  | upcoming_season =  | logo = | pixels =  | caption = | formerly =Southwestern Nebraska Baseball League | sport =Minor League Baseball | replaced = | owner = | ceo = | chief operating officer = | director = | president = | commissioner = | fame =  | motto = | inaugural =1903 | teams =5 | singles = | country =United States of America | venue = | confed =  | folded =1903 | champion = | most_champs ='''1''' <br> Holdrege* (1903)<br>McCook* (1903) | classification =Independent (1903) | qualification = | tv = | sponsor = | related_comps =Nebraska State League | founder = | levels = | promotion = | relegation = | domestic_cup = | website = }}

The '''Central Nebraska League''' was an Independent level minor league baseball league that played in the 1903 season. The five–team Central Nebraska League consisted of franchises based exclusively in Nebraska. The Central Nebraska League played just one season and permanently folded after the 1903 season.

==History== The Central Nebraska League began play as an Independent level minor league in 1903, The five members were the teams based in Giltner, Nebraska,<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1903 Giltner Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> Holdrege, Nebraska,<ref name="auto4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1903 Holdredge Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> McCook, Nebraska,<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1903 McCook Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> Minden, Nebraska<ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1903 Minden Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> and Red Cloud, Nebraska.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1903 Red Cloud Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=3a663489|title=1903 Central Nebraska League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

The league began the season calling itself the '''Southwestern Nebraska Baseball League.''' The first published standings of the league had the Holdrege and McCook teams tied for first place with 4–0 records on June 19, 1903. Giltner was next with a 3–3 record, followed by Red Cloud 1–5 and Minden 0–4.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn94056415/1903-06-19/ed-1/seq-1/|title = The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, June 19, 1903, Image 1|date = 19 June 1903}}</ref>

On June 19, the "S.W. Nebraska League" published standings showed Holdrege in first place with an 8–1 record. McCook was in second place at 7–3, followed by Minden 3–4, Giltner 3–6 and Red Cloud 1–7.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn94056415/1903-06-26/ed-1/seq-1/|title=The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, June 26, 1903, Image 1|first=National Endowment for the|last=Humanities|date=June 26, 1903|via=chroniclingamerica.loc.gov}}</ref>

In standings published on July 3, 1903, the league is called the "Central Nebraska League" for the first time. On that date, Holdrege was in first place with a 10–2 record, followed by McCook at 7–3. Giltner was in third place with a record of 5–8, followed by Minden at 3–7 and Red Cloud 1–11.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn94056415/1903-07-03/ed-1/seq-1/|title=The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, July 03, 1903, Image 1|first=National Endowment for the|last=Humanities|date=July 3, 1903|via=chroniclingamerica.loc.gov}}</ref>

Newspaper records indicate that through July 24, 1903, Holdrege and McCook were tied for first place with 19–7 records. The standings were published shortly before the Minden and Giltner teams both disbanded. When Red Cloud and McCook disbanded shortly after, this left only Holdrege remaining. Holdrege then finished the season as a traveling team.<ref name="auto7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/98701361/|title=24 Jul 1903, Page 1 - The McCook Tribune at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="auto8">{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/726715959/|title=No More League Ball|date=July 29, 1903|publisher=Minden Gazette}}</ref><ref name="auto6">{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/702970395/|title=On The Diamond; Silver Ashes have been doing a few stunts this week|date=July 31, 1903|publisher=Holdrege Weekly Progress}}</ref> The Central Nebraska League permanently folded after the 1903 season.<ref name="auto3"/>

==1903 Central Nebraska League teams== {| class="wikitable" |- !Team name !City represented !Ballpark !Year active |- |'''Giltner''' |Giltner, Nebraska<ref name="auto"/> |Unknown |{{by|1903}} |- |'''Holdrege "Silver Ashes"''' |Holdrege, Nebraska<ref name="auto4"/> |Unknown |{{by|1903}} |- |'''McCook''' |McCook, Nebraska<ref name="auto1"/> |Unknown |{{by|1903}} |- |'''Minden''' |Minden, Nebraska<ref name="auto5"/> |Minden Grounds |{{by|1903}} |- |'''Red Cloud "Indians"''' |Red Cloud, Nebraska<ref name="auto2"/> |Unknown |{{by|1903}} |- |}

==Central Nebraska League standings== ===1903=== The exact team records and standings of the 1903 Central Nebraska League are unknown, as the league folded on July 28, 1903.<ref name="auto3"/> The last known standings were published on July 24, 1903, shortly before Minden and Giltner disbanded. Red Cloud and McCook disbanded shortly thereafter, disbanding the league and leaving Holdrege to continue play as a semi-pro traveling team.<ref name="auto7"/><ref name="auto8"/><ref name="auto6"/> {| class="wikitable" !Team standings!!W!!L!!PCT!!GB!! Managers |- align=center |Holdrege Silver Ashes||19||7||.730||-||NA |- align=center |McCook||19||7||.730||-||NA |- align=center |Giltner||9||18||.333||9½||NA |- align=center |Red Cloud||8||16||.333||10 ||NA |- align=center |Minden||7||15||.318||12 ||NA |- align=center |} ''as of July 24, 1903''

==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== [https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=3a663489 Central Nebraska League - Baseball Reference] {{Professional Baseball}} Category:Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Category:Baseball leagues in Nebraska Category:Defunct professional sports leagues in the United States Category:Sports leagues established in 1903 Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 1903 Category:Baseball in Nebraska