Des Moines Demons

Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (1959-1961)

Tombstone

Born: 1959
Folded: January 7, 1962

Three-I League Championships: None

Stadium

Sec Taylor Stadium
Opened: 1947
Demolished: 1991

Ownership & Affiliation

Owner:

Major League Affiliation: Philadelphia Phillies

Attendance

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Source: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (1st ed.), Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, 1993

Background

The Des Moines Demons were a short-lived Class B farm club of the Philadelphia Phillies in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (typically known as the “Three-I League“) from 1959 to 1961.

Key players included Ray Culp, Pat Corrales and Cal Emery. Culp earned 122 Major League wins for the Phillies and the Boston Red Sox in the 1960’s and early 70’s. Corrales enjoyed a journeyman’s career in the Majors during the 1960’s, but is better known for his managerial career, which included a short stint leading the Phillies in 1982 and 1983. Cal Emery won the Three-I League MVP award with a terrific season in 1959. He later had a cup of coffee with the Phils as a September call-up in 1963 and then became one of the early Americans to play overseas in Japan (Hankyu Braves, 1970).

The Phillies dropped their working agreement with Des Moines in September 1961. The Three-I League folded a few months later on January 7, 1962.

Pro baseball returned to Des Moines in 1969 with the formation of the Iowa Oaks of the American Association.