| Fargo-Moorhead Twins | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes | Class-D (1908, 1914–1917, 1922, 1933–1942, 1946–1960) |
Previous leagues | Red River Valley League (1897) Northern League (1908, 1914–1917) Dakota League (1922) Northern League (1933–1942, 1946–1960) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
|
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 6 (1915, 1917, 1934, 1953, 1954, 1958) |
| Team data | |
Previous names | Fargo Divorcees/Fargo Red Stockings(1897) Moorhead Barmaids (1897 Fargo Browns (1908) Fargo-Moorhead Graingrowers (1914–1917) Fargo Athletics (1922) Fargo-Moorhead Twins (1933–1942, 1946–1960) |
Previous parks | Moorhead Ballpark (1933–1935) Barnett Field (1936–1960) |
The Fargo-Moorhead Twins were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1933 to 1942 and from 1946 to 1960, representing the neighboring cities of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. The Twins won six league championships during their seasons of play. Earlier minor league teams had also represented the cities. Baseball Hall of Fame members Dizzy Dean (1941) and Lloyd Waner (1947) are Fargo-Moorhead Twins alumni, as is 2x AL Most Valuable Player Roger Maris.
The Fargo-Moorhead Twins played in the Northern League from 1933–1942 and 1946–1960. The Twins were an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians (1934–1940, 1953–1957), Pittsburgh Pirates (1947–1948) and New York Yankees (1958–1960). [1] [2]
The preceding Fargo-Moorhead area teams were the 1897 Red River Valley League members Fargo Red Stockings and Moorhead Barmaids, who were the first area minor league franchises. Fargo (1902–1905), the Fargo Browns (1908) and Fargo-Moorehead Graingrowers (1914–1917) all played as members of the Northern League and the 1922 Fargo Athletics played in the 1922 Dakota League. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [1]
On May 6, 1953, the Fargo-Moorhead Twins defeated Sioux Falls in their Opening Day game by a score of 12-3. A record crowd of 10,123 fans came to Barnett Field. In the game, Roger Maris got his first professional baseball hit. That season, Twins player Frank Gravino would hit 52 home runs. The Twins would host the Northern League All-Star game and defeat the Northern League All-Stars by a score of 8-4. The Twins finished with a record of 86-39 (improving from their record of 44-80 in 1952) and bested Duluth to win the Northern League championship. Roger Maris would be selected as the 1953 Northern League Rookie of the Year. [7]
Fargo-Moorhead won Northern League Championships in 1915, 1917, 1934, 1953, 1954, 1958, claiming six overall titles. [2] [1]
Baseball would return to Fargo Moorhead in 1996 when the Fargo Moorhead Redhawks joined the new Northern League.
From 1936-1960, the Fargo-Moorhead Twins played their home games at Barnett Field in Fargo, North Dakota. It was located at 19th Avenue and Broadway and was torn down in 1963 to build North High School. [8]
Prior to Barnett Field, in 1933–1935, Fargo-Moorhead played home games at Moorhead Ballpark in Moorhead, Minnesota. [9] [10]
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 30-75 | 8th | Alvin Theis / Ralph Williams | |
| 1934 | 64-53 | 1st | Jack Knight | League Champs |
| 1935 | 72-39 | 2nd | Hal Irelan | Lost League Finals |
| 1936 | 59-61 | 5th | Hal Irelan | Did not qualify |
| 1937 | 70-41 | 2nd | Jack Knight | Lost League Finals |
| 1938 | 60-56 | 5th | Jack Knight | Did not qualify |
| 1939 | 66-48 | 3rd | Jack Knight / Chester Bujaci | Lost in 1st round |
| 1940 | 50-67 | 6th | Chester Bujaci / Wes Griffin | Did not qualify |
| 1941 | 48-69 | 6th | Wes Griffin / Mike Blazo | Did not qualify |
| 1942 | 54-68 | 7th | Mike Blazo / Ben Tincup | Did not qualify |
| 1946 | 63-41 | 2nd | Bruno Haas | Lost League Finals |
| 1947 | 70-49 | 3rd | Bruno Haas | Lost in 1st round |
| 1948 | 41-85 | 8th | Bruno Haas / Ralph DiLullo | Did not qualify |
| 1949 | 56-70 | 7th | Art Doll | Did not qualify |
| 1950 | 49-77 | 8th | Art Doll | Did not qualify |
| 1951 | 59-65 | 6th | Emil Gall | Did not qualify |
| 1952 | 44-80 | 7th | Nick Cullop /< br /> Bob Harmon / Danny Litwhiler | Did not qualify |
| 1953 | 86-39 | 1st | Zeke Bonura / Santo Luberto | League Champs |
| 1954 | 85-55 | 1st | Phil Seghi | League Champs |
| 1955 | 61-64 | 5th | Phil Seghi / Paul O'Dea | Did not qualify |
| 1956 | 49-74 | 8th | Tom Oliver | Did not qualify |
| 1957 | 65-57 | 4th | Frank Tornay / Ken Blackman | Did not qualify |
| 1958 | 72-51 | 2nd | Ken Silvestri | League Champs |
| 1959 | 64-59 | 3rd | Dee Phillips | Lost in 1st round |
| 1960 | 58-66 | 6th | John Fitzpatrick | Did not qualify |
Roger Eugene Maris was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 home runs in 1961. The record remained unbroken until 1998 and remained the American League (AL) record until Aaron Judge broke it in 2022.
The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa, one of the Quad Cities.
The Visalia Rawhide are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Visalia, California, and have played their home games at Valley Strong Ballpark since their inception in 1946.
Newman Outdoor Field is a baseball stadium in Fargo, North Dakota. It is located on the campus of North Dakota State University and is the home of the independent American Association's Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and the North Dakota State Bison baseball team.
The Beaumont Exporters was the predominant name of a minor league baseball team located in Beaumont, Texas that played between 1920 and 1957 in the Texas League and the Big State League. Beaumont rejoined the Class AA Texas League (1983-1986) and evolved into today's Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
The 1953 Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the American League with a record of 92–62, 8½ games behind the New York Yankees.
The Aberdeen Pheasants was the primary moniker minor league baseball teams located in Aberdeen, South Dakota between 1920 and 1997. The Pheasants played in the Northern League from 1946 until the league folded in 1971. Aberdeen was the Class C affiliate of the St. Louis Browns until 1953, continuing with the franchise when the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954, with the Pheasants remaining in the Oriole farm system. Aberdeen had a team in the Independent Prairie League from 1995 to 1997, also called the Pheasants.
The Wytheville Cubs were a minor league baseball team located in Wytheville, Virginia, between 1948 and 1989 that played under several monikers. An affiliate of the Chicago Cubs from 1985 to 1989, the Wytheville Cubs were members of the Rookie level Appalachian League. Previous Wytheville teams played as members of the Blue Ridge League (1948–1949) and Appalachian League.
The St. Cloud Rox were a professional minor league baseball team that existed from 1946 to 1971 in St Cloud, Minnesota, playing in the Northern League for the duration of the franchise.
The Roanoke Red Sox was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Roanoke, Virginia. Between 1894 and 1953, Roanoke teams played as members of the Virginia League and Piedmont League (1943–1953), winning five league championships and one pennant. Roanoke teams were a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians in 1940 and Boston Red Sox from 1943 to 1953. Baseball Hall of Fame members Jack Chesbro (1896) and Heinie Manush (1943) played for Roanoke.
The Mitchell Kernels were a minor league baseball team based in Mitchell, South Dakota. The Kernels played as members of the South Dakota League (1920), Dakota League (1921–1922), South Dakota League (1923), Nebraska State League (1936–1937) and Western League (1939–1940), winning four league championships. The Mitchell Kernels were a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1936 and 1937.
The Red River Valley League was a minor league baseball league that played in the 1897 season. The four–team, Class F level Red River Valley League consisted of teams based in North Dakota and Minnesota. The Red River Valley League played just the 1897 season, before permanently folding. The Moorhead Barmaids were league champions.
The Minot Mallards were a minor league baseball team based in Minot, North Dakota. Earlier Minot teams preceded the Mallards and played as members of the 1917 Northern League and 1923 North Dakota League. Beginning play in 1950, the Mallards played as members of the Manitoba-Dakota League (1950–1957), Northern League and Prairie League (1995–1997), winning seven league championships in their history. The Mallards hosted minor league home games at Corbett Field and were a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians from 1958 to 1960 and Kansas City Athletics in 1962.
The South Dakota League was a Class D level minor league baseball league that played from 1920 to 1923. The South Dakota League changed its name to the shortened Dakota League for the 1921 and 1922 seasons. The South Dakota League consisted of teams based in South Dakota. Franchises from Minnesota and North Dakota were added during the two Dakota League seasons. For the 1923 season, the league was divided into two four–team Class D partner entities, the South Dakota League and the North Dakota League.
The East Grand Forks Colts were a minor league baseball team based in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. In 1933, the Colts played the season as members of the Class D level Northern League, finishing the season in sixth place. East Grand Forks hosted minor league home games at East Side Park in their only season of play. The franchise evolved to become the neighboring Grand Forks Chiefs in 1934, after a new ballpark was constructed in Grand Forks.
The Warren Wanderers were a minor league baseball team based in Warren, Minnesota. In 1917, the Wanderers played as members of the Class C level Northern League, finishing in fourth place in their only season of play.
Minor league baseball teams were based in Lexington, North Carolina between 1937 and 1967. Lexington teams played as members of the Carolina League in 1936, North Carolina State League from 1937 to 1942 and 1945 to 1952, Tar Heel League in 1953 Western Carolina League from 1960 to 1961 and Western Carolinas League from 1963 to 1967. Lexington won two league championships.
Minor league baseball teams were based in Lafayette, Louisiana between 1907 and 2000. Lafayette teams played as members of the 1907 Gulf Coast League 1920 Louisiana State League and Evangeline League. Lafayette teams won four league championships and one pennant in the era. The early Lafayette teams preceded the 1975 and 1976 Lafayette Drillers, who played as members of the Texas League and the 1998 to 2000 Bayou Bullfrogs of the Texas-Louisiana League.
The Wahpeton–Breckenridge Methodists were a minor league baseball team based in Wahpeton, North Dakota in partnership with Breckenridge, Minnesota. In 1897, the Methodists played as members of the Class F level Red River Valley League in their only season of play, preceding the 1921 Wahpeton-Breckenridge Twins.
The Wahpeton–Breckenridge Twins were a minor league baseball team based in Wahpeton, North Dakota and Breckenridge, Minnesota. In 1921 and 1922, the Twins played as members of the Class D level Dakota League. The Twins were preceded in minor league play by the 1897 Wahpeton–Breckenridge Methodists.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)