Baseball in Minnesota

by Thornley, Stew

• ISBN13: 9780873515511
• ISBN10: 087351551X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-03-01
• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Pr

Summary

Beginning with the sunny August afternoon in 1857 when Minnesota's first ball club was organized in Nininger and continuing through the Twins' latest season, Baseball in Minnesota is the first comprehensive history of America's Pastime in the North Star State. Encompassing the rich heritage of minor league baseball, town teams, the Minnesota Gophers, the Saint Paul Saints, and the Minnesota Twins, this encyclopedic volume delivers exceptionally detailed stories of the games, the ball parks, and the larger-than-life personalities, all woven with carefully researched statistics, eyewitness accounts, and vintage photos. Stew Thornley, considered "the most recognizable and respected local baseball historian and writer" (City Pages), presents this exhaustively researched volume of elusive information and obscure facts, such as team names and players, leagues and venues, dates and stats. Thornley's eye for detail is equal to his skill in recounting stories chock-full of unusual anecdotes and player interviews that will surprise and delight both new and hardcore fans. Meticulously crafted accounts include the stories of lone black player W. W. Fisher and the Winona town team of 1875, the national championships won by the Minnesota Gophers, and the World Series titles of the Minnesota Twins.

Author Biography

Stew Thornley is a sports historian and author of more than thirty-five books, including the award-winning On to Nicollet: The Glory and Fame of the Minneapolis Millers and Six Feet Under: A Graveyard Guide to Minnesota (MHS Press).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
Baseball Takes Hold in Minnesota	p. 3
Early Professional Baseball in Minnesota	p. 17
Early Twin Cities Ball Parks	p. 33
Saints and Millers	p. 38
Nicollet and Lexington (and Midway)	p. 99
Other Minnesota Professional Teams	p. 111
The Town Teams: Amateur & Semiprofessional Baseball	p. 124
The Rise of the Minnesota Gophers	p. 143
Black Ball and Base Belles	p. 151
The Minnesota Twins	p. 173
Metropolitan Stadium and the Metrodome	p. 219
Essay on Sources	p. 229
Index	p. 249
Photo Credits	p. 259
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