Nebraska Minor League Baseball
Nebraska State League
1959
Nebraska State League
Standings 1959
President: Mike Hollinger
|
| Standings |
Win-- |
Loss-- |
GB--- |
Attendance |
Manager |
|
| McCook Braves (MIL) |
43 |
19 |
- |
19,788 |
Bill Steinecke |
| Holdrege White Sox (CHI) |
39 |
23 |
4 |
11,963 |
Frank Parenti |
| Grand Island A's (KC) |
32 |
30 |
11 |
16,716 |
Art Mazmanian |
| Kearney Yankees (NYY) |
27 |
35 |
16 |
13,141 |
Jimmy Gleeson |
| Hastings Giants (SF) |
23 |
39 |
20 |
10,235 |
Leo Schrall |
| North Platte Indians (CLE) |
22 |
40 |
21 |
14,275 |
Mark Wylie |
|
| BA: Ike Futch, Kearney, .319 |
| Runs: Frank Saia, McCook, 63 |
| Hits: Woody Huyke, Hastings, 71 |
| RBIs: Boyd Coffie, Kearney, 63 |
| HRs: Woody Huyke, Hastings, 12 |
| Wins: Anthony Filicchia, Grand Island,
11 |
| SOs: Dennis Overby, McCook, 136 |
| ERA: Paul Chenger, McCook, 2.13 |
|
|
Phil Niekro
McCook Braves 1959
(1966 Topps card)
|
Although this was to be the last year for the Nebraska State League and
attendance was nothing to write home about in some ways it was the best
year the league ever had. The McCook Braves were a team with a number of
future major league stars and other teams had their quota of future major
league players also. Lexington and Superior were dropped from the league
and the remaining six teams played a 62 game schedule.
McCook under Bill Steinecke was loaded with talent. They split with
Holdrege 6-6 during the year but won every other series. Holdrege also
won every series but a game here and a game there resulted in them winding
up in second place.
With future hall of fame pitcher Phil Niekro, future
major league all star Ron Hunt and future long term
Baltimore catcher
Ellie Hendricks the Braves had quite a team for class
"D". Paul Chenger
led the Braves with a 10-1 record and William Stevens led the team with a
.317 average.
In addition to these future major league stars, McCook had bonus baby Pat
Jordan pitching for the Braves. He is best known for his sports memoir "A
False
Spring", a great baseball book about his experiences in the minor leagues.
Future major league pitcher Bruce Brubaker joined Phil
Niekro on the McCook staff.
Future major league all star Jose Santiago was a 19
year old pitcher with Grand Island in 1959 and Fred "Bubby"
Talbot was a newly signed amateur free agent with the Holdrege
White Sox. He had an 8 year major league career.
Holdrege also had Al Weis who led the NSL in assists in
1959 and made it to the majors with the Sox in 1962. Duke Sims
caught for North Platte in 1959 and was promoted to the parent
Indians in 1964.
The Kearney Yankees had future major league all star Jim
Bouton on their roster. After an injury to his pitching thumb
while with the Auburn Yankees in the NY-Penn League he was assigned to
Kearney to finish the year.
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