Twin Ports League

Twin Ports League
Classification	Class E (1943)
Sport	Minor League Baseball
Founder	Frank Wade
First season	1943
Ceased	July 14, 1943
President	Frank Wade (1943)
No. of teams	4
Country	United States of America
Most titles	1; Superior Bays (1943)

Last updated May 15, 2024

The Twin Ports League was an American minor baseball league that existed for six weeks (May 30 through July 13) during the wartime 1943 season. Comprising four teams based in Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin.

History

The Twin Ports League was the only league to be designated Class E—one level below the previously lowest minor league level, Class D—by the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (the formal name of Minor League Baseball).

According to Baseball America s Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, many of the players in the Twin Ports League were employed in the Twin Ports' war factories, dockyards and shipyards. The teams included the Duluth Dukes, Duluth Heralds, Duluth Marine Iron, and the Superior Bays. The Superior club was in first place when the league disbanded on July 13, 1943.

Only one player in the Twin Ports League eventually reached Major League Baseball—Ernie Rudolph, who pitched in seven games for the 1945 Brooklyn Dodgers.

Former major league player Wally Gilbert managed the Marine Iron team.^[1]

Cities represented

Duluth, MN: Duluth Dukes 1943; Duluth Heralds 1943; Duluth Marine Iron 1943
Superior, WI: Superior Bays 1943

Standings and statistics

1943 Twin Ports League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Superior Bays	11	7	.611	-	Red Treadwell / John Schroeder
Duluth Marine Iron	9	7	.563	1.0	Wally Gilbert
Duluth Dukes	9	10	.474	2.5	Bud McPherson
Duluth Heralds	5	10	.333	4.5	Frank Summers

The league disbanded July 13.^[2]^[3]

**Player statistics**
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Wally Gilbert	Marine Iron	BA	.456	Ed Anderson	Marine Iron	W	4
John Schroeder	Superior	Runs	21	Bob Connolly	Superior	W	4
John Schroeder	Superior	Hits	27	Verl Westergard	Superior	SO	56
John Schroeder	Superior	RBI	23	Verl Westergard	Superior	ERA	2.25
John Norlander	Dukes	HR	1	R.A. Ryan	Dukes	PCT	1.000 3-0
Joe Shonts	Heralds	HR	1

^[3]

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References

Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, eds., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997, page 339

↑ Ray Luurs. "Wally Gilbert". SABR BioProject.
↑ "1943 Twin Ports League". Baseball-Reference.com.
1 2 Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.

External links

1943 Twin Ports League page at Baseball Reference

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[1] Ray Luurs. "Wally Gilbert". SABR BioProject.

[2] "1943 Twin Ports League". Baseball-Reference.com.

[encyc-3] 1 2 Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.

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