Red River Valley League
| Sport | Minor league baseball, Independent |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1897 |
| Ceased | August 8, 1897 |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Country |  United States |
| Most titles | 1 Moorhead Barmaids |
The Red River Valley League was an Independent baseball minor league baseball league that played in the 1897 season. The four–team 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.
History
The Red River Valley League had played several seasons as a semi-pro league before becoming a full minor league in 1897.[1]
The Red River Valley League began play in the 1897 season. Four teams competed in the league: the Moorhead Barmaids, Grand Forks Senators/Grand Forks Black Stockings, Wahpeton-Breckenridge Methodists and Fargo Divorcees/Fargo Red Stockings. The Red River Valley League permanently disbanded on August 8,1897 eight days after the first half of the season had ended. The league Presidents were Chauncey Wheeler and Senator W.A. Gordon.[2][3][4][5]
Longest scoreless tie in history
Notably, the River Valley League's Fargo Red Stockings and Grand Forks Black Stockings played a 25–inning, 0–0 tie on July 18, 1891 in the second game of a doubleheader, a 4 hour and 10 minute game. William Gibbs for the Grand Forks Black Stockings, and George Raymer for the Fargo Red Stockings, each pitched a record 25 scoreless innings in the game. The game is the longest scoreless tie in baseball history. The umpire ended the game after the completion of the 25th inning because the teams had to catch a train. The 25th inning concluded at 8:10 pm. The ballgame was played at neutral site. Grand Forks owner Tom Hill relocated the series to the North Dakota State Militia Training Grounds in Devils Lake, North Dakota hoping for larger attendance.[6][7][1]
1897 standings
1897 Red River Valley League
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moorhead Barmaids | 32 | 13 | .711 | - | Sheriff W.J. Bodkin |
| Grand Forks Senators/Grand Forks Black Stockings | 19 | 21 | .475 | 10.5 | Senator W.A. Gordon |
| Wahpeton-Breckenridge Methodists | 16 | 21 | .432 | 12 | Ted Corbett |
| Fargo Divorcees/Fargo Red Stockings | 17 | 29 | .370 | 15.5 | Reddy Roberts/Ad Leech/George Challis |
Teams
- Fargo Red Stockings or Fargo Divorcees (1897)[8][9]
- Grand Forks Black Stockings or Grand Forks Senators (1897)[10][11]
- Moorhead Barmaids (1897)[12]
- Wahpeton-Breckenridge Methodists (1897)[13]
References
- ^ a b "Eriksmoen: 121 years ago, ND baseball teams set a record that won't be broken". INFORUM.
- ^ a b c "Red River Valley League - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ "1897 Red River Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ a b "1897 Red River Valley League (RRVL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ a b "1897 Red River Valley League (RRVL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ https://sabr.org/latest/hagerty-the-longest-scoreless-game-in-minor-league-history/
- ^ "North Dakota Nothing: The longest scoreless game in history". www.sportingnews.com.
- ^ "Fargo Divorcees - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ "1897 Fargo Red Stockings Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Grand Forks Senators - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ "1897 Grand Forks Black Stockings Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Moorhead Barmaids - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ "Wahpeton-Breckenridge Methodists - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.