Back in the Rio Grande

[Matt]

Now that I am off the road, I have more time on my hands, and thus, time for a new solo league.

The IHL (Iron Horse League) consists of 24 teams, 2 leagues, 3 divisions of 4 teams each. There are 5 levels of minor leagues. In addition, there is a Japanese league and a Dominican Winter League.

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The Yuma Mayberry's won the first championship in 1900.

[Matt]

As I sim through the many decades to build the history, I'll post the Champions each year.

1900 Yuma Mayberrys
1901 Yuma Mayberrys
1902 Chicago Lawyers
1903 Sante Fe Railkings
1904 Yuma Mayberrys
1905 Reno Mustangs
1906 Mobile Hammers
1907 Mobile Hammers
1908 Yuma Mayberrys
1909 Yuma Mayberrys

The first decade of IHL play complete. Yuma has established a dynasty with 5 Championships in 10 years. The Desert Sun division won 7 of the 10 championships in the decade, and the Freedom League has reigned clearly superior, with 9 of the 10 championships. On to the second decade of IHL play.

[Matt]

Since OOTP doesn't automatically increase stadium sizes when you start a league waaaaay back, I have implemented my own system for increasing stadium sizes every so often. At the end of each decade, every team has their stadium seating increased 20%. Since we are starting with stadiums in the 5000 seat range, this increase wasn't that great in 1910. But there is an added bonus for winning a championship. Each championship won in that decade results in an additional 10% increase in stadium capacity. So as it stands right now, Yuma has the largest stadium in the league at 9,857 in seating capacity. Garden State, Bronx, and Washington are the smallest at 4,920.

[Matt]

The second decade of IHL

1910 Birmingham Ironmen
1911 Yuma Mayberrys
1912 Gotham Giants
1913 Bronx Battery
1914 RGV Ocelots
1915 Birmingham Ironmen
1916 Bronx Battery
1917 Wichita Prairie Dogs
1918 Chicago Lawyers
1919 Chicago Lawyers


Present stadium sizes
Amarillo 6624
Austin 7344
Birmingham 8190
Bronx 7143
Brooklyn 8208
Charlotte 6768
Chattanooga 7344
Chicago 9967
Columbus 8208
Detroit 8500 (Expansion team in 1920!!!)
El Paso 6624
Fort Worth 8208
Garden State 5904
Gotham 7286
Grand Prairie 8208
Los Angeles 10,400 (Expansion team in 1920!!!)
Memphis 7344
Mobile 9757
Reno 8870
Rio Grande Valley 8078
San Antonio 8928
Sante Fe 8870
Tulsa 6624
Washington 5904
Wichita 8870
Yuma 13,011

Expansion comes to the IHL in 1920, an interesting surprise, with Detroit and Los Angeles the chosen cities to join the IHL.

[Matt]

After seeing that the Los Angeles franchise had been put in the Lone Star Division, the franchise was relocated to Sweetwater, Texas to keep some geographic normalcy. Welcome to the Sweetwater Sidewinders.

The Detroit franchise had a totally inappropriate name, (Packers), and were re-christened as the Mobsters, and will play in the Americas Division.

[Matt]

Third decade of IHL

1920 Washington Jackals
1921 Memphis Rockers
1922 Fort Worth Firebrands
1923 Austin Longhorns
1924 Chattanooga Lookouts
1925 Chattanooga Lookouts
1926 Columbus Invaders
1927 Yuma Mayberrys
1928 Birmingham Ironmen
1929 Detroit Mobsters

Present stadium sizes
Amarillo 7949
Austin 9694
Birmingham 10811
Bronx 8572
Brooklyn 9850
Charlotte 8122
Chattanooga 10663
Chicago 11960
Columbus 10835
Detroit 13728
El Paso 7949
Fort Worth 10835
Garden State 7085
Gotham 8743
Grand Prairie 9850
Memphis 9694
Mobile 11708
Reno 10644
Rio Grande Valley 9694
San Antonio 10714
Sante Fe 10644
Sweetwater 10,200
Tulsa 7949
Washington 7794
Wichita 10644
Yuma 17174

[Matt]

The 1930's

1930 Amarillo Armadillos
1931 Gotham Giants
1932 Charlotte Bankers
1933 Charlotte Bankers
1934 El Paso Diablos
1935 El Paso Diablos
1936 Columbus Invaders
1937 Columbus Invaders
1938 El Paso Diablos
1939 Columbus Invaders

Present stadium sizes
Amarillo 10,493
Austin 11,633
Birmingham 12,973
Bronx 10,286
Brooklyn 11,820
Charlotte 11,793
Chattanooga 12,796
Chicago 14,352
Columbus 17,305
Detroit 16,474
El Paso 12,696
Fort Worth 13,002
Garden State 8502
Gotham 11,541
Grand Prairie 11,820
Memphis 11,633
Mobile 14,050
Reno 12,733
Rio Grande Valley 11,633
San Antonio 12,857
Sante Fe 12,773
Sweetwater 12,240
Tulsa 9539
Washington 9353
Wichita 12773
Yuma 20,609

[Matt]

The 1940's

1940 Columbus Invaders
1941 Reno Mustangs
1942 Washington Jackals
1943 Sante Fe Railkings
1944 Sante Fe Railkings
1945 Gotham Giants
1946 El Paso Diablos
1947 Birmingham Ironmen
1948 Brooklyn Bluebloods
1949 Chicago Lawyers

Present stadium sizes
Amarillo 12,592
Austin 13,960
Birmingham 17,125
Bronx 12,343
Brooklyn 15,602
Charlotte 14,152
Chattanooga 15,355
Chicago 18,944
Columbus 22,843
Detroit 19,769
El Paso 16,759
Fort Worth 15,602
Garden State 10,202
Gotham 15,234
Grand Prairie 14,184
Hollywood 20,900 (Expansion team in 1950)
Houston 21,000 (Expansion team in 1950)
Memphis 13,960
Mobile 16,860
Reno 16,808
Rio Grande Valley 13,960
San Antonio 15,428
Sante Fe 18,489
Sweetwater 14,688
Tulsa 11,447
Washington 12,346
Wichita 15,328
Yuma 24,731


1950 will see two new expansion teams join the IHL, with the Houston Apollos and Hollywood Squares joining the league. This time, the teams were magically put in the proper geographic division, with Houston being placed in the Prairie Division (close enough) and Hollywood being placed in the Desert Sun. The Houston franchise was named the Stripes, but I renamed them to the Apollos. The Hollywood franchise was called the Los Angeles Fire Ants, hated it. Now the Hollywood Squares.

On to the 1950's.

[Matt]

1950 Wichita Prairie Dogs
1951 Mobile Hammers
1952 Sante Fe Railkings
1953 Austin Longhorns
1954 Gotham Giants
1955 Gotham Giants
1956 Sweetwater Sidewinders
1957 Chattanooga Lookouts
1958 Brooklyn Bluebloods
1959 Fort Worth Firebrands


Present stadium sizes
Amarillo 15,110
Austin 18,427
Birmingham 20,550
Bronx 14,812
Brooklyn 20,594
Charlotte 16,982
Chattanooga 20,269
Chicago 22,733
Columbus 27,412
Detroit 23,723
El Paso 20,111
Fort Worth 18,722
Garden State 12,242
Gotham 22,120
Grand Prairie 17,021
Hollywood 25,080
Houston 25,200
Memphis 16,752
Mobile 22,255
Reno 20,170
Rio Grande Valley 16,752
San Antonio 18,514
Sante Fe 24,409
Sweetwater 19,389
Tulsa 13,736
Washington 14,815
Wichita 20,233
Yuma 29,677

[Matt]

I had to highlight this player.

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[John]

Holy mackerel! Flores is a beast! Four straight seasons of 50 or more homers? 171 RBI in '61? The '60s weren't a time of huge offensive stat inflation in MLB, were they?

[Matt]

Flores updated

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[Borealis]

What happened in '62? missed 10 games... Not only is he a beast, he's a durable beast!!! He could have set the consecutive game mark - something he'd never do playing in 'Everyone gets rest' Aurora...

[Matt]

What happened in '62? missed 10 games... Not only is he a beast, he's a durable beast!!! He could have set the consecutive game mark - something he'd never do playing in 'Everyone gets rest' Aurora...

Yeah, that wouldn't happen in San Antonio either. We also believe in getting everyone their rest. It was actually quite interesting, as I watched the season sim out there were two other Fort Worth players leading the league in HR and Flores wasn't showing up. So I halted the sim and checked, and he was on the DL for two weeks at the beginning of the season. Once he came back, that was one hell of a powerful lineup to have to pitch to.

I'll have an update on Flores shortly, his career completed, the all-time IHL HR champ.

[Matt]

Actually, Flores career isn't actually over. It is *possible* a team picks him for 1976. We'll see.

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