The Peoria Distillers were a historic team that played in various leagues across the late 1800s and early 1900s. The team started play in 1891 and bounced around leagues such as the Western Association and Central League until it settled into the Three-I League (the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League) in 1904.
The Three-I League (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. In the late 1800s and first half of the 1900s, teams existed in thousands of small towns across the United States, as Americans looked for recreational activities and entertainment in the era before TV.
The team played in the Three-I from 1905 until the franchise folded after the 1917 season, winning the league twice, first in 1911 and again in 1916. In between they were managed by "Pants" Rowland in 1913, who went on to win the 1917 World Series with the Chicago White Sox, two years before the Black Sox scandal. The story goes that Rowland's nickname came from running the bases in overalls as a kid during his father's baseball games.
The Distillers had another interesting piece of baseball history in Hall of Famer Joe McGinnity, nicknamed "Iron Man" both because he worked off-seasons in an iron foundry and for his longevity on the diamond. In 1898 he pitched the entirety of a 21-inning game for the Distillers. McGinnity played minor league ball until age 54 in 1925 and spent his later seasons around the Three-I as player-manager of teams such as the Danville Veterans and Springfield Senators.
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.
