Davenport River Rats 1901 to 1904 Minor league baseball began in Davenport, Iowa in 1879, when the
Davenport Brown Stockings played the season as charter members of the four-team independent
Northwestern League. The Davenport River Rats were immediately preceded in minor league play by the 1891
Davenport Pilgrims, who played the season played as members of the
Illinois-Iowa League. On January 30, 1901, a meeting was held in
Peoria, Illinois to form a new minor league. Local businessman Max Ochs represented Davenport at the meeting, where a new league was formed with a Davenport franchise included. The
Bloomington Blues,
Cedar Rapids Rabbitts,
Decatur Commodores,
Evansville River Rats,
Rock Island Islanders,
Rockford Red Sox and
Terre Haute Hottentots teams joined Davenport as the league's charter teams. The Bloomington, Decatur and Terre Haute teams joined the new league from the
Central League and merged with new franchises in Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Evansville, Rockford and Rock Island to form the league, nicknamed the "Three I League." The new River Rats baseball franchise was organized and run by J.T Hayes. In their first season of play in the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League, Davenport placed fifth in the final standings, as the league held no playoffs. The River Rats ended the season with a record of 51–61 and were managed by Billy Smith. Davenport finished 9.5 games behind the first place Terre Haute Hottentots. In its second season, the 1902 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League became classified as a
Class B level league, a classification it retained for the next 59 seasons of league operation. League president Michael Sexton led efforts to form the
National Association among minor league owners, which was created at meetings in
Chicago, Illinois. The National Association would grow from 15 member leagues in 1902 to 52 leagues in 1910 and a created common roster, salary, classification and development practices among baseball's minor leagues. Davenport ended the season with a record of 65–53, finishing 6.5 games behind the first place
Bloomington Bloomers, as Jim Hayes returned as manager. Davenport's Dutch Hines won the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League batting championship, batting .339 for the season. The Prodigals ended the season in third place in their return to the league. With a final record of 77–59, Davenport was managed by Charlie Shaffer, finishing 12.0 games behind the first place Rock Island Islanders, who finished with a 90–48 record. With Charlie Shaffer returning as manager, Davenport ended the season with a 59–80 record, finishing 31.0 games behind the first place
Springfield Senators team. With a record of 69–69, Davenport ended the season in fifth place, finishing 9.5 games behind the first place
Peoria Distillers. The Prodigals ended the season with a 75–60 record, as Dan O'Leary continued as manager. Davenport finished 15.5 games behind the first place Springfield Senators, who compiled a 90–45 record in winning the championship ahead of runner up Davenport. Today, Davenport continues to host minor league play as home to the
Quad Cities River Bandits of the
Class A level
Midwest League. ==The ballparks==