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The Midwest League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States. Six teams formed the Illinois State League in 1947, but they changed their name to the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League when a team in Paducah, Kentucky was added. In 1956, with the addition of Iowa teams, the league became known as the Midwest League.

The league plays a 140-game schedule that begins in April and ends in early September. Since 2000 it has been divided into an Eastern Division and a Western Division, with four teams from each division (the winners of each half of the season and one or two runners-up) qualifying for the first round of playoffs. The first two rounds of playoffs are best-of-three series; the league championship series is a best-of-five.

1 Current member teams:

• Battle Creek Yankees - Eastern Division
• Beloit Snappers - Western Division
• Burlington Bees - Western Division
• Cedar Rapids Kernels - Western Division
• Clinton LumberKings - Western Division
• Dayton Dragons - Eastern Division
• Fort Wayne Wizards - Eastern Division
• Kane County CougarsThe Kane County Cougars are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Oakland Athletics, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Geneva, Illinois. The Midwest League came to Kane County in 1991 after a franchise th - Western Division
• Lansing LugnutsThe Lansing Lugnuts are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, that plays in the Midwest League. The Midwest League came to Lansing in 1996. The franchise began in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1955; after two seasons it mov - Eastern Division
• Peoria ChiefsThe Peoria Chiefs are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals, from Peoria, Illinois. They play in the Midwest League. The Chiefs joined the Midwest League in 1983 when an Angels farm team relocated here from Danville - Western Division
• Swing of the Quad CitiesThe Swing of the Quad Cities is a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals, that plays in the Midwest League. Its home games are played in Davenport, Iowa. The club became part of the Midwest League in 1960 and was affil - Western Division
• South Bend Silver HawksThe South Bend Silver Hawks are a US Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks, that plays in the Midwest League. South Bend was awarded a Midwest League franchise in 1988. Originally affiliated with the Chicago White So - Eastern Division
• West Michigan WhitecapsThe West Michigan Whitecaps are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Detroit Tigers, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Comstock Park, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids. The Midwest League came to the Gr - Eastern Division
• Wisconsin Timber RattlersThe Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Seattle Mariners, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Grand Chute, Wisconsin. The team began playing in 1962 as the Appleton Foxes. - Western Division