The Hannibal Mules, based in Hannibal, Missouri, played two seasons in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League in 1916 and 1917 before the circuit shut down for World War I. The Mules were part of a geographic expansion that brought the league across the Mississippi into Missouri, one of several non-Illinois/Indiana/Iowa clubs that joined the Three-I as the league's founding-era franchises contracted. The name fit the city's working identity: Hannibal was a Mississippi River port where mule-drawn wagons and teams were a visible part of commerce well into the early twentieth century.
Hannibal had played ball under organized rules before the Mules, carrying the Cannibals name in the Illinois-Missouri League in 1908 and the Central Association from 1909 to 1912. The Mules era was disrupted from the start. The 1916 Three-I season was shortened by the National Association, and neither the 1917 season nor the franchise itself survived the war. When the Three-I resumed in 1919, Hannibal did not return. Professional baseball came back to the city in pieces: the Hannibal Pilots (1947-48), Stags (1952), Cardinals (1953-54), and Citizens (1955) all played in lower-level circuits before organized baseball left for good.
Hannibal is best known as the hometown of Mark Twain, born there in 1835, and the city's association with All-American small-town life extended into baseball fiction. When novelist Douglass Wallop needed a heartland hometown for the protagonist of his 1954 novel "Damn Yankees," he placed Joe Hardy in Hannibal. Hall of Famer Jake Beckley, the first baseman whose major league career ran from 1888 to 1907 and who was inducted into the Hall in 1971, was born in Hannibal.
The Three-I League (also known as the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League) was a Class B circuit that ran from 1901 through 1961, with pauses for World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. Though rooted primarily in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, the league also drew clubs from Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, and Minnesota as its core membership contracted in later years.
Retro Baseball Revival celebrates historic baseball teams with unique apparel, honoring their legacy and bringing history to one-of-a-kind clothing with our old school retro baseball tees from defunct Minor League Baseball teams. All of our high quality apparel is designed, printed, and shipped within the USA. This collection features 100% original designs based on the history and nicknames of historic minor league teams.
Our standard (non-premium) hoodies are classics that anyone is sure to recognize. They are thick, durable Gildan brand hoodies. They are a cotton/poly blend that stands the test of time and feature the 'kangaroo pouch' on the front with a draw string hood.
Size Guide: True to size, roomy
- Brand: Gildan | Product ID: G18500
- Made with a medium-heavy fabric (8.0 oz/yd² (271 g/m²)) that consists of 50% cotton and 50% polyester for that cozy feel and warmth you need in a hoodie.
- The classic fit along with the pouch pocket and the tear-away label make for a highly comfortable, scratch-free wearing experience.
- The color-matched drawcord and the double-lined hood add a stylish flair and durability that tie everything together.
- Made using 100% ethically grown US cotton. Gildan is also a proud member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol ensuring ethical and sustainable means of production. The blank tee's dyes are OEKO-TEX-certified dyes with low environmental impact.
- Tumble dry: medium; Iron, steam or dry: low heat; Do not dryclean; Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Non-chlorine: bleach as needed.
