St. Cloud Rox (minor league baseball)

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St. Cloud Rox
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes Class C (1946–1962)
Class-A (1963–1964)
Class A Short Season (1965–1971)
Previous leagues
Northern League (1946-1971)
Major league affiliations
Previous teams Minnesota Twins (1965–1971)
Chicago Cubs (1960–1964)
San Francisco Giants (1958–1959)
New York Giants (1946–1957)
Minor league titles
League titles 7 1946, 1955, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971
Team data
NameSt. Cloud Rox
Ballpark Rox Park 1948–1971

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.

Contents

The St. Cloud Rox were an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins (1965–1971), Chicago Cubs (1960–1964), San Francisco Giants (1958–1959) and New York Giants (1946–1957).

Baseball Hall of Fame members Dave Bancroft (1947), Lou Brock (1961), Orlando Cepeda (1956) and Gaylord Perry (1958) are St. Cloud Rox alumni.

History

Located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the team played its entire existence in the Northern League. The Rox were affiliates of the New York Giants from 1946 to 1957, the San Francisco Giants from 1958 to 1959, the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1964 and the Minnesota Twins from 1965 to 1971. [1]

The original Rox ceased playing after the 1971 season when the old Northern League folded. Hall of Fame players to play for the Rox include Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord Perry. Hall of Famer Dave Bancroft managed the team in 1947.

The franchise nickname returned in new form in 2012 replacing the St. Cloud Riverbats in the Northwoods League, a wooden bat collegiate summer baseball league. In 1997, collegiate summer baseball returned organized baseball to St. Cloud when the Dubuque Mud Puppies of the Northwoods League relocated and became the "St. Cloud River Bats". [2] [3]

Ballpark

The Rox played at Rox Park, also known as Municipal Stadium, located at Division Street and 25th Avenue. It opened in 1948 and was demolished in 1971. The park capacity fluctuated from 5,000 in 1947 to 3,600 in 1949. [4] The played their final season at the newly constructed Municipal Stadium (now Dick Putz Field). [5]

Year-by-year records

YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs
194673–311stWalter KoppLeague Champs
194748–717th Dave Bancroft
194878–402nd Charlie Fox Lost in 1st round
194965–593rd Charlie Fox Lost in 1st round
195072–511st Charlie Fox Lost in 1st round
195164–552nd Harold Kollar Lost in 1st round
195260–646th Charlie Fox
195366–593rd Charlie Fox Lost in 1st round
195476–542nd Charlie Fox Lost in 1st round
195578–472nd Charlie Fox League Champs
195661–646th Charlie Fox
195759–635th Pete Pavlick
195872–501st Richard Klaus Lost League Finals
195943–808th Richard Klaus
196049–748th Fred Martin
196173–543rd Joe Macko Lost League Finals
196261–635th George Freese
196351–696th Walt Dixon 4th 16-14*
196454–685th Walt Dixon 4th 15-18*
196573–231st Jim Rantz League Champs
196649–181st Ken Staples League Champs
196744–261st Ken Staples League Champs
196843–271st Carroll Hardy League Champs
196933–373rdJim Merricknone
197031–395thJim Merricknone
197142–281st Ken Staples League Champs

[6]

Notable alumni

References

  1. "History of the Rox". St. Cloud Rox. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  2. "Pointstreak Sites | Northwoods League | History". Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  3. "The Rox Name Returns for New St. Cloud Franchise". News. St. Cloud Rox. February 28, 2012. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2012. This team name had been in use previously by a team who was part of the Northern League. They were in operation from the mid 1940s until 1971 and even featured Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock. The Rox lead the North Division in attendance in 2012 with over 55,000 fans attending Rox games.
  4. Division Street and 25th Avenue.
  5. "Shopping mall sits on the old home of the Rox".
  6. Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN   978-1932391176.