Midwest League
From SABR Encyclopedia
The Midwest League is a class A (class D before 1963) minor league which has operated since 1956. The MWL currently has teams in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio; in 2010 the league will add a Kentucky team. Historically the MWL and its predecessors were centered in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin; the eastward expansion began in 1988. The Midwest League is the successor to the Illinois State League and the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League.
Current major leaguers Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Johan Santana, Jake Peavy, and Josh Beckett all played in the Midwest League, as did recent retiree Greg Maddux. Hall of Fame players Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal, Carlton Fisk, Goose Gossage, Bruce Sutter, and Paul Molitor are all alumni of the Midwest League or its predecessors. Earl Weaver, elected to the Hall as a manager, also played in the MWL predecessor Illinois State League. Two Hall of Fame players have managed MWL teams: Travis Jackson and Ryne Sandberg.
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