The Madison Blues, based in Madison, Wisconsin, were founded in 1923 by the Madison Athletic Association and spent nearly two decades working their way up through Wisconsin's minor league ladder. They started as an independent club, joined the Wisconsin-Illinois League in 1926, moved to the Wisconsin State League (1928-31 and 1934-37), and won the Tri-State League championship in 1938 over the Sheboygan Chairmakers. In 1940 they stepped up to the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League, the highest level the franchise ever reached.
Their Three-I seasons were played out against the backdrop of wartime. The Blues went 61-62 in 1940 (sixth place), 52-71 in 1941 (seventh place), and 55-62 in 1942 as a Chicago Cubs affiliate, that final season making the playoffs before losing to the Cedar Rapids Cubs 3-0 in the finals. All three seasons were played at Breese Stevens Field, a brick grandstand on Madison's east side that had become the first sports facility in Wisconsin with electric lights when floodlights were installed in 1931. Warren Spahn, later the Hall of Fame left-hander and winner of 363 major league games, pitched against the Blues in 1941 as a member of the visiting Evansville Bees. Jesse Owens, the four-time gold medalist from the 1936 Berlin Olympics, ran exhibition races at the field in 1938 during a Blues home game.
The 1942 season was the Blues' last. Wartime demands on players and resources depleted the league's rosters, and Madison did not return. When the Three-I reorganized for 1946, the Davenport Cubs took the slot Madison had vacated, and the Blues identity never came back.
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 premium lightweight shirts are the hugely popular Bella+Canvas brand 3001 tees. They are much lighter and thinner feeling than a traditional heavyweight tee. They also are more form fitting and feel more snug. These are generally 90% to 100% cotton, although please note that heather colors in this item are 52% cotton.
Size Guide: Fit is true to size or a little snug. Considering ordering one size up if you are normally between sizes.
Brand: Bella Canvas | Product ID: 3001
- Made with 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²)) that is easy to layer, breathable. Perfect for active and leisure wear.
- The retail fit that is perfect for casual and semi-formal settings. The crew neckline adds a classic, neat style that's perfect for accessorizing.
- Bella+Canvas manufactures all its products in the US and internationally in humane, no-sweat-shop, sustainable way and is part of the Fair Labor Association as well as Platinum WRAP certified.
- The tear-away label minimizes skin irritations.
- Fabric blends: Ash and Heather Prism colors - 99% cotton, 1% polyester; Heather and Solid Blend colors - 52% cotton, 48% polyester; Athletic Heather and Black Heather - 90% cotton, 10% polyester.
