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)

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. It consisted of 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—Superior's 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	Wally Gilbert
Duluth Dukes	9	10	.474	2½	Bud McPherson
Duluth Heralds	5	10	.333	4½	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]

References

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

1. Ray Luurs. "Wally Gilbert". SABR BioProject.
2. "1943 Twin Ports League". Baseball-Reference.com.
3. 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