The Southern Illinois League was a Class D level minor league baseball league that played in the 1910 season. The five–team Southern Illinois League consisted of franchises based exclusively in Illinois. The Southern Illinois League permanently folded during the 1910 season, with the McLeansboro Merchants in first place.
History
An Independent minor league named the "Southern Illinois League" played in the 1895 and 1896 seasons. The teams and statistics from the 1895 and 1896 seasons are unknown.[1][2]
After beginning play, the Southern Illinois League lost a team when the Mount Vernon Merchants disbanded on June 30, 1910. After continuing play, the Southern Illinois League permanently folded on July 11, 1910. The McLeansboro Merchants were in first place when the league shut down.[3][4]
In the final 1910 standings, the McLeansboro Merchants had a record of 20–5 when the league folded to finish in first place. McLeansboro finished 6.5 games ahead of Eldorado (14–12), followed by Herrin (8–11), the Mount Vernon Merchants (8–11) and Harrisburg Merchants (6–17).[8][3]
After the Southern Illinois League folded, two of its members, McLeansboro and Harrisburg, joined the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY League) in the middle of the 1910 season.[9]