Minor league baseball began in Muscatine, Iowa when the 1910
Muscatine Pearl Finders became charter members of the
Class D level
Northern Association. The Muscatine Pearl Finders formed the Northern Association along with the
Clinton Teddies,
Decatur Commodores,
Elgin Kittens,
Freeport Pretzels,
Jacksonville Jacks,
Joliet Jolly-ites and
Kankakee Kays as fellow charter members, beginning league play on May 10, 1910. In their first season of play, the Muscatine Pearl Finders finished in second place as the Northern Association folded during the 1910 season. On July 19, 1910, Muscatine was in second place with a 37–21 record under manager Lou "Roxey" Walters when the Northern Association permanently folded. However, first place Elgin had folded on July 11, 1910, along with the Kanakee Kays. The 1911
Muscatine Camels placed seventh in the eight–team Central Association. Muscatine finished with a 48–80 record, in the final regular season standings under managers Ed Coleman and Lou Walters. The Camels finished the 1911 season 39.0 games behind the first place
Ottumwa Speedboys. Other 1911 Central Association members were the
Burlington Cow Boys,
Galesburg Pavers,
Hannibal Cannibals,
Keokuk Indians,
Kewanee Boilermakers and
Monmouth Browns.
Baseball Hall of Fame inductee
Sam Rice played for the 1912 Muscatine Wallopers, hitting .194 in 62 at bats. Rice's wife, two children, both of his parents and two sisters were killed by a tornado on
April 21, 1912. Rice had begun the season with the Galesburg Pavers, but left the team after the tragedy. The 1913 Muscatine Wallopers finished second in the Central Association. With a 68–54 record under manager Frank Boyle, Muscatine finished 2.0 games behind the
Ottumwa Packers in the final standings. Continuing play in the Central Association, the 1914
Muscatine Buttonmakers placed third in the Central Association with a record of 72–53. Playing under returning manager Frank Boyle, the Buttonmakers finished 4.0 games behind the first place
Waterloo Jays in the final eight–team standings. The "Buttonmakers" moniker was a reference to buttonmakers, a Muscatine industry, which had a local strike in 1911 and 1912. On June 26, 1914,
Al Gould of the Muscatine Buttonmakers threw a
no-hitter against the
Cedar Rapids Bunnies as Muscatine won the game 7–0. The Muscatine Muskies finished second in the 1915 Central Association standings. With a 63–57 record under managers Ned Egan and Jesse Runser, the Muskies finished 18.0 games behind the first place
Burlington Pathfinders in the final standings. On May 26, 1915, Muscatine Muskies pitcher Sidney Ross threw a no–hitter in a 5–0 win over the
Cedar Rapids Rabbits. In their final season, the 1916 Muscatine Muskies played the season amid controversy. While the Muskies finished in third place with a 45–44 record under manager Ned Egan, but the franchise forfeited 34 of the wins after the season was concluded. The Muscatine franchise did not return to the 1917 Central Association and the league folded after the 1917 season. Muscatine, Iowa has not hosted another minor league franchise. ==The ballpark==