McLeansboro Miners

McLeansboro, Illinois, has a brief but real history of minor league baseball. In 1910, the McLeansboro Merchants joined the start-up Southern Illinois league, which was a Class D circuit. Unfortunately that league didn't last long, and the Merchants and the league were out of business in July 1910.

The KITTY League quickly moved in, putting a franchise in McLeansboro called the Billikens. The KITTY League was a Class D league as well, and consistent of teams from Kentucky, Illinois, and Tennessee, giving it the "Kitty" moniker. The Billikens won the second half title, going 40-18. For the 1911 season, the franchise was renamed the McLeansboro Miners, although they didn't last very long. The Miners would move to Henderson, Kentucky, in late June as McLeansboro did not permit Sunday baseball at the time. There, the team would be renamed the Henderson Hens.