View source for Decatur Commodores

{{Use American English|date=March 2026}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox Minor League Baseball
| name             = Decatur Commodores
| founded          = 1900
| city             = Decatur, Illinois
| misc             = 
| logo             = 
| uniformlogo      = 
| class level      = 
| past class level = Class-A (1963–74) <br />Class-D (1952–1962)<br />Class-B (1902–1909; 1911–15; 1922–1932; 1935; 1937–48)
| current league   = 
| conference       = 
| division         = 
| past league      =  [[Midwest League]] (1956–1974)
 [[Mississippi–Ohio Valley League]] (1952-55)<br /> [[Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League]] (Three-I) (1901–1909; 1911–1915; 1922–1932; 1935; 1937–1942; 1946–50)<br /> [[Northern Association]] (1910)<br /> Central League (1900)<br /> Illinois-Indiana league (1889)<br /> [[Central Interstate League]] (1888)<ref name="baseball-reference.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Decatur&state=IL&country=US&empty=0|title=Decatur, Illinois Encyclopedia}}</ref>
| majorleague      = 
| pastmajorleague  = <br />[[San Francisco Giants]] (1962–1974)<br />[[Detroit Tigers]] (1957–1961; 1932)<br />[[St. Louis Cardinals]] (1955–56; 1946–47; 1937–1942)<br />[[Cincinnati Reds]] (1950)<br />[[Chicago Cubs]] (1948–49)<br /><ref name="baseball-reference.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Decatur&state=IL&country=US&empty=0|title=Decatur, Illinois Encyclopedia}}</ref>
| classnum         =
| classchamps      =
| leaguenum        = 4
| leaguechamps     = 1928; 1952; 1953; 1957
| confnum          =
| conferencechamps =
| divnum           = 
| divisionchamps   = 
| nickname         = Commodores (60 Seasons)
| pastnames        = Decatur Cubs (1949)<br /> Decatur Nomads (1911)<br /> Unknown (1888-89)<ref name="baseball-reference.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Decatur&state=IL&country=US&empty=0|title=Decatur, Illinois Encyclopedia}}</ref>
| colors           =  
| mascot           = 
| ballpark         = 
| pastparks        = [[Fans Field (Decatur)|Fans Field]] (1927–1974)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/park.cgi?id=IL018 |title=Fans Field Minor League History &#124; Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2018-03-26 |archive-date=2016-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160223112933/http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/park.cgi?id=IL018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br /> [[Staley Field]] (1922-1926)<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/park.cgi?id=IL017 |title=Staley Field Minor League History |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301125907/http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/park.cgi?id=IL017 |archive-date=2016-03-01 |url-status=dead |access-date=2022-01-11}}</ref><br /> Downing Racetrack (1911-1915)<ref name="ReferenceB" />
| owner            =  
| manager          = 
| gm               = 
}}

The '''Decatur Commodores''' were a professional [[minor league baseball]] team based in [[Decatur, Illinois]] that played for 64 seasons. The Commodores are the primary ancestor of today's [[Kane County Cougars]]. They played, with sporadic interruptions, from 1900 to 1974 in a variety of minor leagues, but spent the majority of their existence in the [[Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League]] (the "Three-I" League), later joining the [[Mississippi–Ohio Valley League]] (1952–1955) and the [[Midwest League]] (1956–1974). While they spent most of their years as an independent without formal [[major league baseball]] [[farm system|team affiliation]], their primary affiliations were with the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] and later the [[San Francisco Giants]], with isolated affiliations with the [[Detroit Tigers]], [[Chicago Cubs]] and [[Philadelphia Phillies]].

==The ballparks==
The Commodores played home games at [[Fans Field (Decatur)|Fans Field]] (1924–1974). Fans Field had a 5,200-seat grandstand which was demolished when the team moved to [[Wausau, Wisconsin]] in 1974 and became the [[Wausau Timbers]]. The field is still being used as a softball field.

Before the 1927 construction of Fans Field, the Commodores played at Racetrack Ballpark (1911-1915) and [[Staley Field]] (1922–1926). They shared Staley Field with the football team for which it was built, the [[Decatur Staleys]]. The Staleys were the early NFL franchise started by [[A.E. Staley]] and headed by [[George Halas]] that relocated from Decatur in 1922 and became the [[Chicago Bears]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://staleymuseum.com/history-of-the-staley-bearschicago-bears/ |title=History of the Decatur Staleys / Chicago Bears}}</ref>

The Commodores began play at Downing Racetrack (now called Hess Park) in 1901. The ball club played at the racetrack until 1915, but a tornado destroyed the grandstand on July 15. The structure was razed, but the Commies continued to play until ceasing operations on August 10.<ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web |title=Downing Racetrack Minor League History |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/park.cgi?id=IL015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007112158/http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/park.cgi?id=IL015 |archive-date=2015-10-07 |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fallstrom |first=Bob |date=2010-08-16 |title=Collecting the Commodores: Retired police officer's hobby inspired by love of team, book |url=https://herald-review.com/lifestyles/article_d0021466-e24a-5d72-b7ac-8ac7ed52d83c.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250310044946/https://herald-review.com/lifestyles/article_d0021466-e24a-5d72-b7ac-8ac7ed52d83c.html |archive-date=2025-03-10 |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Herald-Review.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Commodores nickname==
The nickname Commodores refers to [[Stephen Decatur]], for whom the city is named. The team was often called the "Commies" for short, from a time before that became a slang term for "[[Communism|Communist"]]. In their final years, they wore hand-me-down Giants uniforms, although still called the "Commodores", leading some fans to call them the "Commodore Giants".

==League Championships==
* 1928 – [[Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League]] Champions
* 1952 – [[List of Midwest League champions|Mississippi-Ohio Valley League]] Champions
* 1953 – [[List of Midwest League champions|Mississippi-Ohio Valley League]] Champions
* 1957 – [[List of Midwest League champions|Midwest League]] Champions

==No-hitters==
The following no-hitters were pitched by Decatur pitchers in Midwest League play.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Date
!Pitcher
!Opponent
!Score
!Notes
!Ref
|- 
| May 31, 1952 
| Ed Garrett 
| [[Mount Vernon Kings|Mt. Vernon]]
| 5–1
|
|<ref>{{Cite news |date=1952-06-01 |title=Mount Vernon Defeated by Decatur, 5-1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-mount-vernon-de/167641051/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=13 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|- 
| July 28, 1954 
| John Bumgarner 
| [[Clinton Pirates|Clinton]]
| 1–0
|
|<ref>{{Cite news |date=1954-07-29 |title=No-Hitter for Bumgarner at Clinton |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-no-hitter-for-b/167641478/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=12 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|- 
| August 3, 1958 
| Jerry Fields 
| Clinton 
| 5–0
|
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Millard |first=Howard V. |date=1958-08-04 |title=Jerry Fields in No-Hitter As Commodores Win 5-0 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-jerry-fields-in/167641638/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=6 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|- 
| August 18, 1960 
| [[Bob Sprout]] 
| [[Waterloo Hawks (baseball)|Waterloo]]
| 3–0 
| 22 strikeouts
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kyle |first=Forrest R. |date=1960-08-19 |title=Bob Sprout 'Pretty Nervous' As No-Hitter Neared Reality |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-bob-sprout-pre/167641714/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=9 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|- 
| June 20, 1961 
| Vern Orndorff 
| Clinton 
| 3–0 
| 7 Innings, [[Perfect game (baseball)|Perfect Game]]
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kyle |first=Forrest R. |date=1961-06-21 |title=Vern Orndorff Submits Proof That Baseball Scouts Can Be Wrong |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-vern-orndorff-s/167641803/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=37 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kyle |first=Forrest R. |date=1961-06-21 |title=Perfect Game by Orndorff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-perfect-game-by/167641831/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=37 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|- 
| August 13, 1963 
| Ollie Brown 
| [[Wisconsin Rapids Senators|Wisconsin Rapids]]
| 8–0
|
|<ref>{{Cite news |date=1963-08-14 |title=Ollie Brown Wins 8-0 on No-Hitter |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-ollie-brown-win/167641982/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=14 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|- 
| June 7, 1966 
| Jesse Huggins 
| Wisconsin Rapids 
| 1–0 
| 7 Innings
|<ref>{{Cite news |date=1966-06-08 |title=No-Hitter for Huggins |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-no-hitter-for-h/167642054/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=13 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|- 
| August 15, 1969 
| Gary Lavelle 
| Clinton 
| 4–0 
| 7 Innings
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=McGee |first=Mac |date=1969-08-16 |title=No-Hitter for Lavelle As Decatur Wins Pair |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-no-hitter-for-l/167642090/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=6 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|- 
| May 31, 1972
| Doug Capilla 
| [[Appleton Foxes|Appleton]]
| 1–0 
| 7 Innings
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kyle |first=Forrest R. |date=1972-06-01 |title=Capilla's No-Hitter Gives Decatur Sweep |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-capillas-no-hi/167642142/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=13 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|- 
| June 12, 1974
| Jeff Little
| [[Dubuque Packers|Dubuque]]
| 1–0
| 7 Innings
|<ref>{{Cite news |date=1974-06-13 |title=Little Knew He Was Close |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-little-knew-he/167642193/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |page=13 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|}

==Notable alumni==
{{Category see also|Decatur Commodores players}}

=== [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] alumni ===

* [[Carl Hubbell]] (1927) Inducted, 1947

=== Other notable alumni ===

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Morrie Arnovich]] (1949–1950 MGR) MLB AS
* [[Ray Benge]] (1926)
* [[Buddy Blattner]] (1939) Inducted [[Missouri Sports Hall of Fame]] (1980)
* [[Ollie Brown (baseball)|Ollie Brown]] (1962–63)
* [[Don Bryant (baseball)|Don Bryant]] (1961) 
* [[Ron Bryant]] (1966) 1973 NL Wins Leader
* [[Bud Byerly]] (1941)
* [[Charlie Case (baseball)|Charlie Case]] (1908)
* [[Bob Clear]] – 1947
* [[John D'Acquisto]] (1971) 1974 NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year 
* [[Rube Dessau]] (1928–1931 MGR)
* [[Murry Dickson]] (1936–38) MLB All-Star
* [[Ben Dyer]] (1912–13)
* [[Ed Figueroa]] (1970)
* Jim Freeman (1952–54) First Black Decatur player<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fallstrom |first=Bob |date=2006-11-14 |title=Commodores player went on to success as engineer |url=https://herald-review.com/news/opinion/editorial/columnists/fallstrom/article_3b810333-f313-58e7-a847-6a5958594c2a.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250310044327/https://herald-review.com/news/opinion/editorial/columnists/fallstrom/article_3b810333-f313-58e7-a847-6a5958594c2a.html |archive-date=2025-03-10 |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Herald-Review}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.freedomhistory.com/jimfreeman.php |title=Freedom History |access-date=2016-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160831142620/http://freedomhistory.com/jimfreeman.php |archive-date=2016-08-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Tito Fuentes]] (1963) 
* [[Heinie Groh]] (1911) 
* [[Johnny Groth]] (1961, MGR)
* [[Odell Hale]] (1930)
* [[Ed Halicki]] (1972)
* [[Jack Hamilton (baseball)|Jack Hamilton]] (1957)
* [[Grover Hartley]] (1910) 
* [[Bob Hartsfield]] (1974, MGR) 
* [[Beany Jacobson]] (1903, 1908–09)
* [[Oscar Judd]] (1939) MLB All-Star
* [[Eddie Lake]] (1938) 
* [[Gary Lavelle]] (1969) 2 x MLB All-Star 
* [[Johnnie LeMaster]] (1974)
* [[Dutch Leonard (right-handed pitcher)|Dutch Leonard]] (1932) 4 x MLB All-Star
* [[Grover Lowdermilk]] (1909–10) 
* [[Bob Knepper]] (1973) 2 x MLB All-Star
* [[Gary Matthews]] (1969) MLB All-Star; 1973 NL Rookie of the Year
* [[Frank McCormick]] (1935) 8 x MLB All-Star; 1939 NL Runs Batted In Leader; 1940 NL Most Valuable Player
* [[Hal McKain]] (1928)
* [[Butch Metzger]] (1972) 1976 NL Rookie of the Year
* [[John Montefusco]] (1973) MLB All-Star; 1975 NL Rookie of the Year
* [[Skeeter Newsome]] (1932) 
* [[Jim Northrup (baseball)|Jim Northrup]] (1961) 
* [[Tom Oliver]] (1925)
* [[Jimmy Outlaw]] (1935) 
* [[Claude Passeau]] (1932) 3 x MLB All-Star; 1939 AL Strikeouts Leader
* [[Jim Rooker]] (1960) 
* [[Bob Scheffing]] (1938)
* [[Dick Sisler]] (1941) MLB All-Star
* [[Elías Sosa]] (1969)
* [[Denny Sothern]] (1925)
* [[Mickey Stanley]] (1961) 4 x Gold Glove
* [[Max Surkont]] (1940)
* [[Emil Verban]] (1939) 2 x MLB All-Star
* [[Pinky Whitney]] (1925–26) MLB All-Star
{{div col end}}

==Memorable games==
* May 30, 1909 – The Commodores win a 26-inning, 5-hour marathon over the [[Bloomington Bloomers]] 2–1. The 26 innings stays the record for the most innings in a completed professional game in the United States for 57 years.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Marathon Game: Endless Baseball, its Prelude, and its Aftermath in the 1909 Three-I League|url=http://sabr.org/research/marathon-game-endless-baseball-its-prelude-and-its-aftermath-1909-three-i-league|work=baseball-almanac.com|access-date=7 July 2012}}.</ref>
* August 18, 1960 – 18-year-old, left-handed pitcher [[Bob Sprout]] of the Commodores pitched a no hitter against the Waterloo Hawks. In that game, Sprout struck out 22 hitters, which stands as the [[Midwest League|MWL]] single-game strikeout record.<ref name="Sprout emerged as strikeout king in 1960">{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-434153|title=Sprout emerged as strikeout king in 1960|publisher=[[Minor League Baseball]]|access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> The Commies won by a 3–0 score.

==In fiction==
The Commodores appear in [[Harry Turtledove]]'s [[Worldwar]] series, an [[alternate history]] in which aliens invade Earth in 1942 and the Second World War turns into an interplanetary war. Members of the team are on a train which the aliens attack at the beginning of the invasion. One ball player is kidnapped by the invaders and is eventually taken by them to China, while another player and the team's manager escape and join the forces fighting the invasion. A considerable part of the series is described from these three characters' points of view, in which their baseball background plays a significant role in a number of ways.

==See also==
* [[Fans Field (Decatur)|Fans Field]] - Home of the Commodores

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.mwlguide.com/cities/decatur/index.html The Decatur Commodores in the Midwest League]
* [https://www.jstor.org/stable/40193612?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents One Glorious Season: How Baseball Helped to Integrate Decatur, Illinois]

{{Midwest League}}

[[Category:Defunct minor league baseball teams]]
[[Category:Defunct Midwest League teams]]
[[Category:Defunct baseball teams in Illinois]]
[[Category:Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League teams]]
[[Category:Mississippi-Ohio Valley League]]
[[Category:Professional baseball teams in Illinois]]
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Decatur, Illinois|Commodores]]
[[Category:Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Detroit Tigers minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:San Francisco Giants minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:1900 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Baseball teams established in 1900]]
[[Category:1974 disestablishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1974]]
[[Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1974]]
[[Category:Northern Association teams]]