Rock Island Islanders

In 1901, the "Rock Island Islanders" began play as charter members of the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League, along with the Bloomington Blues, Cedar Rapids Rabbits, Davenport River Rats, Decatur Commodores, Evansville River Rats, Rockford Red Sox and Terre Haute Hottentots.

A fourth area minor league team, the nearby Kewanee Boilermakers were members of the Central Association from 1908 to 1913 and 1948 to 1949.

[13][14] Rock Island was in fourth place (36–25) when the Three-I League halted play on July 8, 1917.

[15] The league did not return in 1918, with the nation invested in World War I, but resumed in 1919 without Rock Island.

[2][5] Rock Island joined the 1922 Mississippi Valley League as a charter member, joining the league along with the Cedar Rapids Bunnies, Dubuque Climbers, Marshalltown Ansons, Ottumwa Cardinals and Waterloo Hawks teams.

[5][18] In 1922, the Islanders were managed by Pro Football Hall of Fame member Jimmy Conzelman, who also played for the 1922 team.

Conzelman was a player on the Rock Island Independents pro football team, which also played at Browning Field.

Davenport defeated the Islanders to win the 1933 Championship in the final season of the Mississippi Valley League.

[24] In 1936, the Omaha Robin Hoods of the Western League moved to Rock Island on August 18, 1936 after their ballpark was destroyed by fire.

[5] Rock Island teams, until 1917, played home minor league games at the 12th Street Grounds.

The ballpark was located on the North end of 12th street, near the railroad tracks in Rock Island, Illinois.

Notably, Douglas Park also was the site of the first National Football League game on September 26, 1920, hosted by the Rock Island Independents.