On February 7, 1897, the Evansville Brewers were formed as a charter member of the
Class C Central League. Joining the Brewers in the six-team league were the
Cairo Egyptians,
Nashville Centennials,
Paducah Little Colonels,
Terre Haute Hottentots, and
Washington Browns. Evansville's uniforms were cadet blue with white trimmings. The first game of the season took place on April 28 at Nashville's
Athletic Park. The Brewers defeated the Centennials, 3–2, in front of a crowd of approximately 500 spectators. Severe financial problems throughout the circuit forced the league to disband on July 20. As of July 19, the final day of play, the Brewers were in first place with a 41–30 (.577) record, making them the
de facto league champions. == References ==