West Frankfort Cardinals |

Posted by tbrooks on Oct 25, 2011

Who Knew?

What does a little office on Emma Street in West Frankfort and the Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown have in common?

Posted by tbrooks on Oct 10, 2011

After 16 days in the searing Georgia heat, the 1948 West Frankfort Cardinals began a tough 800 mile bus trip home with five exhibition games thrown in for good measure-- all with manager Hal Contini at the wheel.

Posted by tbrooks on Oct 7, 2011

The Furniture Capital of Southern Illinois

While the loss of the coal industry has certainly been felt in West Frankfort and the surrounding area, it has meant opportunity for a few enterprising local residents

Posted by tbrooks on Oct 6, 2011

Black Thursday

While at the time it seemed like most any other day, Thursday November 15th, 1990 marks the date of what would become the pending death sentence to the fragile southern Illinois coal economy.

Posted by tbrooks on Oct 5, 2011

Memorial Memories

She was once considered among the finest in the nation. Sadly, in just a few short years, nothing but memories and two aging photographs remain.

Posted by tbrooks on Oct 1, 2011

The Town

Just ten miles to the north of Marion, a quiet, quaint spot in the road sits comfortably in the rolling hills of southern Illinois, just a stone’s throw away from US Interstate 57. The town of West Frankfort, home to some 8,000 residents, enjoys a rich history and has literally risen and fallen with the tumultuous and often misunderstood bituminous coal industry.

Posted by tbrooks on Jun 20, 2010

The Team

West Frankfort residents in the first half of the 19th century had needs. They needed shelter and protection. They needed commerce and industry. But more than that, they needed something to get their minds off of the stresses and strains of the harsh realities of life in a coal-mining town. What they needed was a baseball team.

Posted by tbrooks on May 20, 2010

The Book

Season of Change: Baseball, Coal Mining, and a Small Town's Struggle to Beat the Odds

Who Knew?

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What does a little office on Emma Street in West Frankfort and the Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown have in common?

Author Toby Brooks’ book recounts history of West Frankfort Cardinals

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While working with the Southern Illinois Miners during their inaugural season in 2007, Toby Brooks had the opportunity to speak to the team. During his talk, Brooks made one incorrect comment that has ended up sending him on a five-year journey full of work, research, interviews and learning.