Michigan State League 1895, 1897, 1902 Lansing first hosted minor league baseball in 1889 when the Lansing "Farmers" played the season as members of the
Class B level
Michigan State League under manager Walter Mumbry. "Lansing" continued play in the 1890 Michigan State League before the league folded on June 13, 1890. The
Adrian Reformers,
Battle Creek Adventists,
Jackson Jaxons,
Kalamazoo Celery Eaters,
Owosso Colts and
Port Huron Marines teams joined with Lansing in beginning league play. The "Senators" nickname corresponds to Lansing serving as the Michigan State Capitol. When they began play, the Senators were owned by R.N. Parshall and hosted home games at Parshall Park, also called State Lot, which was located next to the Michigan State Capitol Building. member
Bud Fowler. Fowler played for the Lansing Senators in 1895. Fowler hit .331 on the season and broke the league color barrier The Senators ended the season with a record of 56–36 to place second in the Michigan State League, playing the season under managers C.A. Briggs and
Al Mannassau. Bud Fowler played for Lansing during the 1895 season after being acquired from Adrian, with Fowler breaking the
color barrier in the league. Playing at age 47, Fowler was the only black player in the minor leagues in 1895. Overall, Fowler hit .331 in the Michigan State League playing for Adrian and Lansing. After ending the season with Lansing, Fowler did not play again in organized minor league baseball, due to the evolution of the color barrier. Fowler said, "My skin is against me. If I had not been quite so black, I might have caught on as a Spaniard or something of that kind. The race prejudice is so strong that my black skin barred me." On July 27, 1897, Lansing folded with a record of 41–31, as Thomas Robinson served as the manager of the Senators. On August 16, 1897, the Michigan State League folded, with the Bay City team in first place. On August 20, 1902, the Lansing Senators team folded causing the entire league to fold on that date. The
Grand Rapids Colts team had folded earlier in the season. The Senators ended the shortened season with a record of 35–62 and in fourth place, finishing 24.5 games behind the first place
Battle Creek Cero Frutos. In 1907, the Lansing Senators resumed play in the new League. The Southern Michigan League expanded to become an eight-team league, adding the Lansing Senators and
Flint Vehicles as expansion teams. With a record of 46–57, Lansing played the partial season under manager
Jack Morrissey. A Lansing native, Morrissey was a former major league player who had played for the 1895 Lansing Senators. Morrissey managed the Senators for their eight seasons of Central League play. Lansing ended the season 19.0 games behind the first place Tecumseh Indians. Tecumseh won the league championship after the league played the remainder of the season with seven teams after Jackson folded during the season. The Lansing Senators continued play in the 1908 Southern Michigan League. The Senators ended the season with a record of 60–65 and in sixth place. Led by manager Jack Morrissey, the Senators finished the season 12.5 games behind the first place
Saginaw Wa-was, as the league held no playoffs. Lansing player/manager John Morrissey led the Southern Michigan with 141 total hits, while teammate
George Pierce had 295 strikeouts to lead the league pitchers. Lansing ended the season with a final record of 55–69 to place sixth, playing under returning manager Jack Morrissey. The Senators ended the season 17.5 games behind the first place Saginaw Wa-was. The 1910 Lansing Senators won the league pennant as the team tied for first place in the eight-team Southern Michigan League. Playing under continuing manager Jack Morrissey, the Senators finished with a final record of 87-52 and ended the season in a first-place tie with the
Kalamazoo Kazoos, who had an identical record. The two first place teams ended the Southern Michigan League season 4.0 games ahead of the third place
Adrian Yeggs. Due to the tie in the standings, a playoff series was held, and Kalamazoo beat Lansing 4 games to 2 in the finals. Lansing's
Vic Saier led the league with 175 total hits and pitcher Homer Warner led the Southern Michigan League with 23 wins. With a record of 79–55 under manager Jack Morrissey, Lansing finished 6.5 games behind the first place
Kalamazoo Celery Pickers (88-51). Pitcher
Ed Warner of Lansing led Michigan State League with both 26 wins and 231 strikeouts. Lansing ended the season with a record of 63–62, placing fourth, as Jack Morrissey continued as manager. The Senators finished 15.0 games behind first place
Adrian Lions. Albert "Bull" Durham, who spilt the season between Bay City and Lansing, led the league with 25 home runs. Lansing finished the season near the bottom of the eight-team Southern Michigan League, with a 54-68 record. Jack Morrissey continued as manager as the Senators ended the season 22.5 games behind first place Battle Creek Crickets. Lansing's T.H. McNellis led the Southern Michigan League with 146 total hits. The league expanded to a ten-team league to begin the season. In the final season of the league, the 1915 six-team Southern Michigan League folded on July 7, 1915, without the Mount Clemens Bathers or Lansing Senators returning to play. The onset of
World War I greatly affected minor leagues as many leagues and teams folded. The league expanded from a four team to a six-team league in 1921, adding the Lansing Senators and
Jackson Mayors teams to the league. The
Grand Rapids Joshers,
Kalamazoo Celery Pickers,
Ludington Mariners,
Muskegon Muskies and Jackson Mayors teams joined Lansing in 1921 league play. The new ballpark was called Community Park. Fred Balding was the president of the Lansing Central League franchise in 1921. The Senators franchise was awarded a trophy by the Central League for having the league's largest opening day attendance. The Lansing Senators had a record of 65–63 and finished in third place in the final Central League standings. The 1921 managers were
Newt Hunter and
Jesse Altenburg, as the Senators finished 21.5 games behind the first place Ludington Mariners in the six-team league. Lansing ended the season 15.5 games behind the first place Ludington Mariners. The Senators did not qualify for the playoff, where the
Grand Rapids Billbobs defeated Ludington to win the league title. The 1940 Lansing "Lancers" became members of the Michigan State League before the "Senators" nickname returned in 1941. The Senators finished in last place in the 1941, ending the season with a record of 35–78. The Senators finished in sixth place in the six-team league.
Danny Taylor and Russ Wein managed Lansing as the Senators ended the season 37.5 games behind the first place
Flint Indians. No playoffs were held in the final season of the league. ==The ballparks==