{{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox Minor League Baseball | name =Marion Indians | firstseason =1947 | lastseason =1948 | allyears = | city =Marion, Illinois | logo = | uniformlogo = | class level =Class D (1947–1948) | league =Illinois State League (1947–1948) | majorleague =Cleveland Indians (1947) | nickname ='''Marion Indians''' (1947) Marion No-Names (1948) | ballpark =Marion City Park (Ray Fosse Park) (1947–1948) | classnum = | classchamps = | leaguenum =0 | leaguechamps =None | confnum = | conferencechamps = | divnum = | divisionchamps = | wildcardnum =1 | wildcardberths =1948 }}
The '''Marion Indians''' were a minor league baseball team based in Marion, Illinois. Marion held membership in the Class D level Illinois State League, which evolved into today's Midwest League. Hosting home games at Marion City Park (called Ray Fosse Park today), the Marion Indians were a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians in 1947. Marion with no affiliation in 1948, and with one team in the league supported by the Cleveland Indians in Mattoon, Illinois. John Rackaway of the Mount Vernon Register-News Newspaper called the Marion team the No-Names in an early meeting in 1948, and the No-Names name stuck.
==History== Minor league baseball began in Marion, Illinois in 1947. The Marion Indians franchise was formed, and the team joined the Belleville Stags, Centralia Cubs, Mattoon White Sox, Mount Vernon Braves, and West Frankfort Cardinals as new franchises and charter members of the Illinois State League.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=1f0770f7|title=1947 Illinois State League|website=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=July 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name="encyc">{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball |editor-first1=Lloyd |editor-last1=Johnson |editor-first2=Miles |editor-last2=Wolff |edition=Third |publisher=Baseball America |date=2007 |isbn=978-1932391176}}</ref>
An Illinois State League franchise was originally awarded to the city of Murphysboro, Illinois. The Murphysboro franchise moved to Marion, Illinois shortly before Illinois State League play began. The Marion Indians were formed as a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mwlguide.com/cities/marion/|title=Baseball in Marion, Illinois|accessdate=July 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mwlguide.com/years/1947/|title=1947 Illinois State League Season | MWLguide.com|website=www.mwlguide.com}}</ref>
In their first season of play, the Illinois State League played a split–season schedule. The Marion Indians placed third in the 1947 overall Illinois State League final standings. With record of 55–56, playing the season under manager Melvin Ivy, the Indians finished 19.5 games behind the champion Belleville Stags. Marion placed fourth in the first–half standings with a 22–30 record and second in the second–half standings with a 33–26 record. Belleville won both half seasons and no playoffs were held as a result.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1947 Marion Indians Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref name="mihp">{{cite web|url=http://www.mihp.org/2013/07/marion-indians-baseball-team-1947-48/|title=Marion Indians Baseball Team 1947-48|date=July 11, 2013|accessdate=July 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name="encyc"/><ref name="auto2"/>
The Marion Indians played their final season in 1948 and qualified for the playoffs. Marion again placed third in the 1948 Illinois State League, with a 53–56 regular season record. In the final standings, Marion finished 31.5 games behind the first place West Frankfort Cardinals, with Melvin Ivy returning as manager. In the first round of the playoffs, the West Frankfort Cardinals defeated Marion 3 games to 1<ref name="mihp"/><ref name="encyc"/><ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1948 Marion Indians Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>
After the 1948 season, the franchise relocated. The Marion franchise moved to Paducah, Kentucky to become the Paducah Chiefs in 1949. After the Marion relocation into the State of Kentucky, the Illinois State League changed its name to the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League in 1949. The Mississippi–Ohio Valley League became known as the Midwest League in 1956.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mwlguide.com/history/overview1950s.html|title=Midwest League History|accessdate=July 3, 2018|archive-date=July 1, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701174116/http://mwlguide.com/history/overview1950s.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="encyc"/>
In 2007, the Southern Illinois Miners became members of the Independent level Frontier League and became the first professional team hosted in Marion since the Indians relocated in 1948, a span of 59 seasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=1cb28f0a|title=2007 Frontier League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://enjoyillinois.com/illinois-200/minor-league-sports/|title=Minor League Sports Teams of Illinois|website=Enjoy Illinois}}</ref>
==The ballpark== thumb|(2007) Marion, Illinois The Marion Indians were noted to have played minor league home games at '''Marion City Park'''. Still in use today, the park is known as '''Ray Fosse Park''', after Marion native and All-Star catcher Ray Fosse. The park has ballfields, a golf course and a municipal swimming pool. Ray Fosse Park is located at 500 East Deyoung Street in Marion, Illinois.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/park.cgi?id=IL024|title=City Park Minor League History|website=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=March 23, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405005931/https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/park.cgi?id=IL024|archivedate=April 5, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mwlguide.com/cities/marion/park.html|title=Marion City Park|accessdate=July 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name=mihp/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/venues/v-1583|title=City Park in Marion, IL minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}</ref>
==Timeline== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" ! Year(s) !! # Yrs. !! Team !! Level !! League!!Affiliate!!Ballpark |- |1947|| 1 ||Marion Indians ||Class D ||Illinois State League||Cleveland Indians||Marion City Park |- |1948 |1 |Marion No-Names |Class D |Illinois State League |None |Marion City Park |}
==Year–by–year records== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Year !! Record !! Finish !!Attendance!! Manager !! Playoffs/Notes |- align=center | 1947|| 55–56 || 3rd ||36,705||Melvin Ivy||No playoffs held |- align=center | 1948|| 53–56 || 3rd ||13,697||Melvin Ivy||Lost 1st round |- align=center |}
==Notable alumni== *Roy Hawes (1947) *Marion Indians players
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.statscrew.com/sports/places/m-4107473 Stats Crew]
{{Midwest League}}
Category:Defunct Midwest League teams Category:Illinois State League Category:Marion, Illinois Category:Defunct minor league baseball teams Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 1947 Category:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1948 Category:1947 establishments in Illinois Category:1948 disestablishments in Illinois Category:Defunct baseball teams in Illinois Category:Professional baseball teams in Illinois Category:Baseball teams established in 1947 Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1948 Category:Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates Category:Illinois State League teams