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Fargo-Moorhead Twins

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Fargo-Moorhead Twins
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesClass-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)

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.

History

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The 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

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From 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]

1961 Roger Maris hits HR #58. He hit 61 Home runs in 1961

Notable alumni

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Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

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Notable alumni

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Year-by-year records

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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

[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Lloyd Johnson; Miles Wolff, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  2. ^ a b c "Moorhead, Minnesota Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. ^ "1908 Fargo Browns Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  4. ^ "Fargo Statistics and Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  5. ^ "Fargo, North Dakota sports teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  6. ^ "1922 Dakota League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ "Professional Baseball History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  9. ^ "Barnett Field - Fargo North Dakota - Former Home of the Fargo-Moorhead Twins". www.digitalballparks.com.
  10. ^ "Barnett Field | Fargo History". library.ndsu.edu.
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