This 1951 news release contains official statistics for the Western League, a Class A minor league baseball circuit. The release identifies the league's batting, pitching, and fielding leaders, as well as individual player statistics for the Omaha Cardinals. The league's official stats were compiled by Howe News Bureau of Chicago. Willard Schmidt, a native of Hays, Kansas, who pitched for the Omaha Cardinals, led the Western League's pitchers in earned run average (2.11) and strikeouts (202). Schmidt's win-loss record for Omaha was 19-14. Also pitching for the Omaha Cardinals in 1951 was Topekan Harland Coffman; his record was 11-7, with a 2.96 ERA. Raymond Perers of Wichita, Kansas, had the best win-loss percentage among the pitchers at .800. Future Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver was on this team, as was future major leaguer Ken Boyer. Digital reproduction of the news release was accomplished through a joint project sponsored by the Kansas Historical Society and the Shawnee County Baseball Hall of Fame.
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