From 1908 to 1910 Macomb was the home of a professional, minor league baseball team. Local enthusiasts and fans raised the money to hire the manager and players.
At a meeting of the supporters on March 24, 1908, Harry Grigsby suggested the name, Potters, for the team which referenced one of the larger trades in Macomb at the time. From that time on, the team is referred to in the local newspaper, The Macomb Journal, as the Macomb Potters.
The Macomb Potters baseball team was one team in the newly formed Illinois-Missouri Class D League. All six towns were launching their first minor league teams.
The 1908 season ended with the Macomb Potters finishing in second place (66-53), managed by Albert Butts Wagner, who had played third base one year in the major leagues. The Hannibal Cannibals finished first (68-49), and then withdrew from the league to play in the American Association. The only team from Missouri was replaced in 1909 by the Beardstown Infants, and the Havana Perfectors folded and was replaced by the Pekin Celestials.
On June 18, 1909, the Potters played an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs. Three thousand people saw the Potters get beat 6-0. In 1910, the Cubs won 5-0.
The 1909 season ended with Macomb Potters in fourth place (63-67), managed by Barney Wolfe, who played three years in the majors.
In 1910, Joseph “Ace” Stewart, who played one year in the majors, managed the team to a 50-43 record before the finances dried up and the team folded on August 17, 1910. That ended professional baseball in Macomb.
Of all the different teams that were members of the Illinois-Missouri League during its life, the Macomb Potters team was unique in choosing a name that reflected the hometown’s industry.