Introducing the Quad Cities River Bandits

Our weekly preview of the Midwest League features a team the Hot Rods meet for just one series in 2010. Located in Davenport, Iowa, the Quad Cities River Bandits trace their roots back to the 1800's on the shores of the Mississippi River. With numerous affiliates to go along with numerous name changes, the River Bandits are one of the oldest teams in the Midwest League.

TEAM: Quad Cities River Bandits

MLB AFFILIATE: St. Louis Cardinals (2005)

LOCATION: Davenport, Iowa

FIRST SEASON: 1960 in the MWL; 1879 in Davenport

STADIUM (CAPACITY): Modern Woodmen Park (6,266)

2009 RECORD: 61-78, 6th place, Western Division

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1968, 1971, 1979, 1990 (22 postseason appearances)

NOTABLE MLB ALUMNI: 239 players; Davenport Tigers: Jim Bunning (1951); Braves: Rico Carty (1960); Angels: Frank Tanana (1972); Cubs: Shawon Dunston (1983); Astros: Billy Wagner (1994); Twins: Joe Mauer (2002); Cardinals (Rick Ankiel)

Quad Cities is one of six teams in the Midwest League named after a geographic region instead of a particular city, a group that includes Great Lakes, Kane County, Lake County, West Michigan, and Wisconsin. Quad Cities is actually a bit of a misnomer for the region as there are five cities that make up the Quad Cities: Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline, Illinois. The River Bandits are located in Davenport, Iowa, and play their games in renovated Modern Woodmen Park, formerly Municipal Stadium and John O'Donnell Stadium.

Baseball in Davenport goes back to 1879 when the Davenport Brown Stockings first began play in the city. Over the next 80 years baseball would come and go from Davenport yielding teams in the Illinois-Iowa-Indiana League and the Western League. It wasn't until 1960 Davenport fielded a team in the Midwest League, their home for the last 50 years.

The first season in the MWL happened to produce one of the more well-known players in franchise history as catcher Rico Carty donned a jersey for the Davenport Braves. Carty would go on to play 15 years in the big leagues, compiling a .299 career average with 204 home runs.

In addition to Carty, the Davenport Braves produced Dennis Ribant in 1961. While his major league career was undistinguished, he threw a nine inning perfect game in '61, the only one of its kind until Clinton's Scott Dunn accomplished the feat in 2000. One of Ribant's teammates also shared a big league career, as Sandy Alomar Sr. played 15 years in The Show. His legacy extended beyond his playing days, however, as his sons Roberto and Sandy Jr. each were marquee MLB names during the nineties.

After two years with the Milwaukee Braves, Davenport developed an alliance with the Los Angeles/California Angels, their primary affiliate for the next 30 years. With the Angels, the team ditched Davenport from its name and switched to the Quad City Angels. In their first decade with the Halos, the team was led by manager Chuck Tanner for two seasons. He would go on to guide the Pittsburgh Pirates to the 1979 World Series. Quad City also produced another famous father as pitcher Dave LaRoche went on to play 14 major league seasons, producing a 3.53 ERA and two sons, Adam and Andy, who are big leaguers themselves.

In 1968, Quad City won its first league title, beating Decatur two-games-to-one in the championship. That victory spawned their most successful decade as the club made the playoffs seven times over that span and won championships in 1971 and 1979. Their 1971 title was notable as they beat Appleton, a team that featured Hall of Famer Goose Gossage, in the championship round. All told in the 70's, the team won 694 games while producing LHP Frank Tanana (240 MLB wins), 3B Carney Lansford, and 2B Jerry Remy, who set the current franchise record with a .335 batting average in 1973.

The 1979 championship came in the team's first year of affiliation with the Chicago Cubs, a relationship that lasted through 1984. While the Cubs teams didn't win much, they yielded 18-year major league veteran infielder Shawon Dunston, who was named Quad City's All-Century shortstop in 2000 after hitting .310 with 58 stolen bases in 1983. Two years later the Angels returned, turning the team back into a winner with its fourth championship in 1990.

After the 1991 season, the team undertook a new identity, holding a Name the Team contest that yielded the Quad City River Bandits. The name stuck around for the next 12 years, fielding players from the Angels, Houston Astros (1993-98), and Minnesota Twins. Before the final year with the Twins in 2004, the team rebranded itself again to The Swing of the Quad Cities. The St. Louis Cardinals came aboard for 2005, after which Quad Cities ownership had another change of heart. Following the 2007 season, they held another naming contest that yielded an old favorite, the Quad Cities River Bandits.

In total, 239 players have worn a big league uniform after playing for Davenport/Quad City/Quad Cities. The Angels hold bragging rights for the majority of those players, including Dante Bichette (1985), Chuck Finley (1986), Jim Edmonds (1989), and Garrett Anderson (1991). The Astros lay claim to players such as Billy Wagner, who struck 204 batters in 153 innings in 1994. A total of eight players from that '94 team advanced to the big leagues with Wagner, including Richard Hidalgo, John Halama, and Scott Elarton.

When the Twins took over in 1999 their alumni list was just as strong with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Nick Punto. The team even had Mets' ace Johan Santana, albeit for two unimpressive games.

As for the Cardinals, their biggest claim to fame so far is current outfielder Rick Ankiel. The former pitcher began his transition to the outfield by smacking 11 home runs in 51 games with the Swing in 2005.

Now, as we do every week, we tie the story into Kentucky and the Tampa Bay Rays. In 1999, current Rays' reliever Grant Balfour donned a River Bandits uniform as a member of the Twins organization. But perhaps the most famous alum from Davenport never actually played in the Midwest League. In 1951, Southgate, Kentucky, native Jim Bunning pitched for the Davenport Tigers. He was 8-10 with a 2.88 that season, sparking a career that eventually landed him in the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in 1996. Bunning finished his big league career with 224 wins and a 3.27 ERA with the Tigers, Dodgers, Phillies, and Pirates. Upon retiring after the '71 season, he was second all-time on the strikeout list, trailing only Walter Johnson. That's when Senator Bunning began his new career in politics. He is currently serving his second term as United States Senator for Kentucky.

NEXT WEEK: Kane County Cougars