Nebraska Minor League Baseball
Omaha Buffaloes 1927
Western League Standings 1927
President:
Standings Wins----- Losses--- GB
Tulsa Oilers 101 53 --
Wichita Larks 91 63 10
Des Moines Demons 82 72 19
Denver Bears 77 75 23
Oklahoma City Indians 68 86 33
Amarillo Texans 66 87 34 ½
Omaha Buffaloes 66 88 35
Lincoln Links 63 90 37 ½
BA:Langford, DM, .409
Hits:Joe Rabbitt, Omaha, 251
Runs:Joe Rabbitt, Omaha, 172

The league dropped the rookie rule of 1926. The league went to a 154 game schedule. Amarillo replaced St. Joseph as the St. Joseph moved to the Western Association. This was the first Texas team in the Western League.

Barney Burch continued as the owner of the franchise in 1927. The league was in trouble with Lincoln losing money and the two Oklahoma teams trying to move to the Texas league. With Tulsa running away with the league championship, attendance at the second division teams lagged. The league would try a split season the next year.

Pete Brausen, Barney Burch and Kal Segrist all tried their hand at managing during the course of the season.

At the end of the year Oklahoma City and Tulsa tried to join the Texas League. Their move was denied by a board of arbitration in December.

 

Joe Rabbitt led the league in hits, runs and stolen bases. He tended the garden and averaged .361 in 155 games. The next year he was with Toronto in the International League. He left handed hitter from Kansas had a short major league experience with the Cleveland Indians in 1922. He played in two games, went 1 for three giving him a lifetime .333 major league average. In 1928 and 29 he led the International League in stolen bases with 42 and 46 while playing for Toronto.

Donohue was one of many players who played for two teams during the season. He played first base for both Omaha and Des Moines. For the season he played in 126 games and averaged .329.

Twenty one year old Bernie James played 154 games. The Texan averaged .285 for the year and returned to Omaha in 1928. He played for the Boston Braves in 1929 and 1930.

Kal Segrist roamed the infield for 140 games. He too, played for both Des Moines and Omaha during the season. He averaged .296.

Thirty year old Bill Hollohan played in 137 games for Omaha and Wichita. He averaged .246. He had a cup of coffee with Washington in 1920.

Ed Handley played for Omaha and Amarillo in 1927. The short stop averaged .307 in 145 games.

Luther Harvel played the outfield in 1927. The twenty one year old played in 142 games and averaged .283. He was in Omaha from 1926 through 1928. In 1928 he was picked up by Cleveland where he played in 40 games.

Thirty three year old Art Smith, from Delvan Kansas played in 157 games and averaged .298. He also played for two teams in 1927.

Cecil Davis batted .333 while playing for both Amarillo and Omaha in 1927.

Frank Meyers played in 131 games and averaged .301.

Theodore Thrane played in 54 games and averaged .226.

Twenty two year old Pete Mondino played in 81 games for Omaha and Amarillo and averaged .270.

H. Johnson averaged .265 while playing for two different teams in 1927.

Melvin LeRoy Harder , born in Beemer Nebraska, the 17 year old pitched for Dubuque and Omaha in 1927. He was 4-7 for Omaha and 13-6 for Dubuque. He went on to play 19 years in the majors and in four all star games. After his playing days he was a coach and manager for a number of teams.
Image courtesy
Dan Bretta

Hooper Nebraska native Marty Lang was a 21 year old pitching rookie in 1927. He was 1-1 for Omaha. He had a cup of coffee with Pittsburg in 1930.

Thirty year old Arnold Crandall had an 8-9 record in 1927. The Wadena Indiana native played for Omaha in 1927 and 1928.

Lum Davenport pitched for Omaha and Amarillo in 1927 and had a 0-2 record. The Tucson native played with the White Sox from 1921-1924.

Slim McGrew was 8-9 in 1927. The Texan had a cup of coffee with the Senators in 1922, 1923 and 1924.

Red Roberts had a 12-17 record for Omaha in 1927.

Twenty two year old Max Thomas was 13-16 for Omaha in 1927. The Utah native played in the minor leagues from 1923 through the 1949 season.

George Swartz was 4-5 playing for both Omaha and Amarillo in 1927.

Earl Cash was 3-3, Dick Landrum was 4-3 and Crockett was 5-8.

Pipkin was 4-6 and John Rhodes was 0-3.

J. McGrew was 1-2 and Harriss was 0-1.

Lincoln dropped out of the league at the end of the season. They joined the newly reformed Nebraska State League in 1928.

Western League All Star Team 1927

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