The Northern League was an independent minor professional baseball league. It was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the organized minor leagues. The league was founded in 1993 and folded after its 2010 season when financial stability became a problem. The three teams remaining in the league when it folded joined with the remaining teams in United League Baseball and the Golden Baseball League to form a new independent organization called the North American League.
The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team based in Kansas City,Kansas. Formerly known as the Kansas City T-Bones,they are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball;which,in 2020,became designated as a Major League Baseball partner league. They have played their home games at Legends Field since 2003,when the team began as a member of the Northern League. In 2011,the team joined the modern American Association. In 2018,the T-Bones won their first-ever American Association championship by defeating the St. Paul Saints. While named the T-Bones,the team's mascot was named Sizzle. On January 21,2021,the team announced a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and a rebranding to the Kansas City Monarchs,one of the founding teams of that league.
Gabor Paul Bako II is an American former professional baseball catcher. He is an example of a baseball "journeyman",having played for 11 different teams during his 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career. During his playing days,he was listed at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and 210 pounds (95 kg).
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a professional minor-league baseball team based in Fargo,North Dakota,in the United States. The RedHawks are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball,an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The RedHawks have played their home games at Newman Outdoor Field since 1996,when the team started as members of the Northern League.
The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada,mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor league affiliates. Joshua Schaub is the league commissioner. League offices are located in Moorhead,Minnesota. Though a separate entity,the league shared a commissioner and director of umpires with the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball during that league's existence. The American Association of Professional Baseball has 501(c)(6) tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. In 2020,as part of MLB's reorganization of the minor leagues,the American Association,together with the Atlantic League and the Frontier League,became an official MLB Partner League.
Luis Bienvenido Pujols Toribio is a Dominican former professional baseball player coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 1977 to 1985,most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where he helped the franchise win its first-ever National League Western Division title and postseason berth in 1980. He also played for the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers. Although Pujols didn't produce impressive offensive statistics,he excelled defensively which enabled him to sustain a nine-year career as a back-up catcher.
John Joseph Mizerock is an American former Major League Baseball backup catcher for the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves. He was the eighth overall pick in the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft. He later served as a coach for the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies. He is currently the hitting coach for the Clearwater Threshers.
Dillon Everett Thomas is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels.
Jason Michael Castro is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros,Minnesota Twins,Los Angeles Angels,and San Diego Padres. After playing college baseball at Stanford University,he was selected by the Astros in the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. Castro made his big league debut with Houston in 2010. He was selected to the 2013 All-Star Game,serving as a reserve catcher,which made him the first Astro All-Star elected to play for the American League.
John Graves Hester is a former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. On August 28,2009,on his major league debut,he hit a two-run homer in his first Major League at-bat in a game against the Houston Astros.
Jacob David Elmore is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks,Houston Astros,Cincinnati Reds,Tampa Bay Rays,Milwaukee Brewers,and Pittsburgh Pirates. While most often a shortstop,Elmore is one of a handful of MLB players who have played pitcher and catcher in the same game. Elmore was also the 14th player in MLB history to play all nine positions throughout a season with the Houston Astros (2013).
Christopher Ryan Herrmann is an American former professional baseball catcher and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins,Arizona Diamondbacks,Seattle Mariners,and Oakland Athletics. He played college baseball at the University of Miami.
Patrick James Schuster is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Bradin Carl Hagens is an American professional baseball pitcher for the TSG Hawks of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and in the CPBL for the Rakuten Monkeys.
Garrett Patrick Stubbs is an American professional baseball catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros. Stubbs attended the University of Southern California (USC),and played college baseball for the USC Trojans. While there,he won the 2015 Johnny Bench Award as the nation's best collegiate catcher.
Matthew Scott Strahm is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals,San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox. As of the 2024 MLB season,Strahm is one of only two MLB players born in North Dakota,with the other being relief pitcher Erik Swanson of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tyler Daschiel Herron was an American right-handed professional baseball pitcher.
Zachary William Penprase is an American-Israeli former professional baseball infielder. He plays for the Israel National Baseball Team. He played for Team Israel at the 2019 European Baseball Championship. He also played for the team at the Africa/Europe 2020 Olympic Qualification tournament in Italy in September 2019,which Israel won to qualify to play baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He played for Team Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the summer of 2021.
Ralph Albert Garza Jr. is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He has previously played for the Houston Astros,Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays. He was drafted by the Astros in the 26th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.
Charlie Samuel Valerio is a Dominican former professional baseball catcher and a former bullpen catcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball. He signed with the Cleveland Indians as an international free agent in 2010 and played in the minor &independent leagues from 2010–2021. Valerio also played for the Dominican Republic national baseball team.
