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.
| 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) |
History
editThe 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.
Ballparks
editFrom 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]
Notable alumni
editBaseball Hall of Fame alumni
edit- Dizzy Dean (1941) Inducted, 1953
- Lloyd Waner (1947, MGR) Inducted, 1967
Notable alumni
edit- Horace Clarke (1960)
- Mudcat Grant (1954) 2x MLB All-Star
- Steve Gromek (1940) MLB All-Star
- Danny Litwhiler (1952) MLB All-Star
- Ray Mack (1938) MLB All-Star
- Roger Maris (1953) 7x MLB All-Star; 2x AL Most Valuable Player (1960-1961)
- Pete Mikkelsen (1960)
- Joe Pepitone (1959) 3x MLB All-Star
- Jim Perry (1957) 3x MLB All-Star; 1970 AL Cy Young Award
- Dick Stigman (1954) 2x MLB All-Star
- Ron Taylor (1957)
- Ben Tincup (1942)
- Bob Unglaub (1914-1916)
- Bill Zuber (1934)
Year-by-year records
edit| 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 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Lloyd Johnson; Miles Wolff, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
- ^ a b c "Moorhead, Minnesota Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1908 Fargo Browns Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Fargo Statistics and Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Fargo, North Dakota sports teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "1922 Dakota League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero, pp.54-58, Tom Clavin and Danny Peary, Touchstone Books, Published by Simon & Schuster, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4165-8928-0
- ^ "Professional Baseball History". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Barnett Field - Fargo North Dakota - Former Home of the Fargo-Moorhead Twins". www.digitalballparks.com.
- ^ "Barnett Field | Fargo History". library.ndsu.edu.