The Hopkinsville Hoppers were a baseball team based in Hopkinsville, Kentucky between 1904 and 1954. The team initially played as the "Browns" in 1904, before adopting the "Hoppers" moniker.[1]
Hopkinsville teams played as exclusively as members of the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League in 1904–1905, 1910–1914, 1916, 1922–1923, 1935–1942, 1946–1954.[2]
Hopkinsville was affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers (AA) from 1937 to 1939; Chicago Cubs 1946; Philadelphia A's 1953–1954.
Today, the "Hoppers" team moniker has been adopted by the summer collegiate baseball wood-bat team that plays as a member of the Ohio Valley League, after the current team was founded in 2012. In 2012, Hopkinsville had the highest attendance in the league.[3]
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | 52–68 | 5th | John Ferrell | none |
| 1905 | 31–44 | -- | Team withdrew July 18 | |
| 1910 | 50–68 | 4th | Dave Anderson (minors) / John Ray | cancelled |
| 1911 | 78–46 | 1st | John Nairn | Co-Champs |
| 1912 | 44–54 | 5th | Dudley Lewis / Nig Langdon / Tom Atkins | none |
| 1913 | 73–53 | 3rd | George Kalkhoff | none |
| 1914 | 20–45 | -- | George Kalkhoff | Team disbanded July 10 |
| 1916 | 22–56 | 6th | William Schwartz | League disbanded August 4 |
| 1922 | 62–51 | 2nd | Bill Catton / Art Nilson | |
| 1923 | 52–51 | 5th | Ben Smith | |
| 1935 | 46–45 | 3rd | John Suther | no champions |
| 1936 | 46–72 | 7th | Ralph McKnight / Jesse Petty / Budd Adams / Lyle Judy | |
| 1937 | 71–50 | 2nd | Red Smith | Lost in 1st round |
| 1938 | 76–53 | 1st | Red Smith | Lost League Finals |
| 1939 | 57–68 | 5th | Harry Griswold | |
| 1940 | 35–89 | 8th | Dutch Welch | |
| 1941 | 69–57 | 2nd | Chet Wilburn | Lost League Finals |
| 1942 | 23–23 | 4th | Melvin Ivy | League disbanded June 19 |
| 1946 | 73–53 | 2nd | Calvin Chapman | Lost in 1st round |
| 1947 | 69–56 | 3rd | Frank Scalzi | League Champs |
| 1948 | 85–41 | 1st | Vito Tamulis | Lost in 1st round |
| 1949 | 68–56 | 3rd | John Mueller | Lost in 1st round |
| 1950 | 60–60 | 6th | Joe DeMasi | |
| 1951 | 41–78 | 8th | Steve Carter (minors) / Vito Tamulis | |
| 1952 | 50–70 | 6th | Larry Brunke | |
| 1953 | 59–60 | 4th | Norman Wilson / Ed Wright | Lost in 1st round |
| 1954 | 58–59 | 6th | Ed Wright / Bearl Brooks / Richards Ramsey |