Northern League (baseball, 1902–71)
Sport | Baseball |
---|---|
Founded | 1902 |
Countries | United States Canada |
Continent | North America |
Most titles | 10 Duluth/Duluth-Superior |
The Northern League was a name used by several minor league baseball organizations that operated off and on between 1902 and 1971 in the upper midwestern United States and Manitoba, Canada. The name was later used by the independent Northern League from 1993 to 2010.
Incarnations
The Northern League name represented four leagues in this time frame:
- First Northern League: 1902–1905
- Northern-Copper Country League 1906–1907
- Second Northern League: 1908
- Minnesota–Wisconsin League 1909–1911
- Central International League 1912
- Third Northern League: 1913–1917
- Fourth Northern League: 1933–1971 (suspended operations 1943–1945 due to World War II)
Historical overview
The first Northern League operated between 1902 and 1905. Charter members were the
In 1906, the league merged with the Copper Country Soo League to become the Northern-Copper Country League (1906–1907). A second Northern League was attempted in 1908, but did not finish its first season. The third Northern League appeared when the Central International League of 1912 expanded and changed its name in 1913. This third Northern League would last until 1917, when it was forced to disband due to a lack of players as a result of World War I.
The league did not re-emerge until 1933, when it began play with the Brainerd Muskies, Brandon Grays,
The league did not operate between 1943 and 1945 because of a lack of manpower during World War II, and finally folded again in 1971.While the Northern League in its various incarnations began as an independent loop in 1902, it was Class D (1903–1905, 1908, 1917, 1933–1940) and Class C (1913–1916, 1941–1942, 1946–1962) under the antiquated classification system for
League Champions
- 1902 Winnipeg Maroons
- 1903 Winnipeg Maroons
- 1904 Duluth White Sox
- 1905 Duluth White Sox
- 1906 Calumet Aristocrats (NCCL)
- 1907 Winnipeg Maroons (NCCL)
- 1908 Brandon Angels
- 1909 Duluth White Sox (MWL)
- 1910 Eau Claire Commissioners (MWL)
- 1911 Superior Red Sox (MWL)
- 1912 Duluth White Sox (CIL)
- 1913 Winona Pirates
- 1914 Duluth White Sox
- 1915 Fargo-Moorhead Graingrowers
- 1916 Winnipeg Maroons
- 1917 Fargo-Moorhead Graingrowers
- 1918–1932 league did not operate
- 1933 Superior Blues
- 1934 Fargo-Moorhead Twins
- 1935 Winnipeg Maroons
- 1936 Eau Claire Bears
- 1937 Duluth Dukes
- 1938 Duluth Dukes
- 1939 Winnipeg Maroons
- 1940 Grand Forks Chiefs
- 1941 Eau Claire Bears
- 1942 Winnipeg Maroons
- 1943–1945 league did not operate
- 1946 St. Cloud Rox
- 1947 Sioux Falls Canaries
- 1948 Grand Forks Chiefs
- 1949 Aberdeen Pheasants
- 1950 Sioux Falls Canaries
- 1951 Grand Forks Chiefs
- 1952 Superior Blues
- 1953 Fargo-Moorhead Twins
- 1954 Fargo-Moorhead Twins
- 1955 St. Cloud Rox
- 1956 Duluth-Superior White Sox
- 1957 Winnipeg Goldeyes
- 1958 Fargo-Moorhead Twins
- 1959 Winnipeg Goldeyes
- 1960 Winnipeg Goldeyes
- 1961 Aberdeen Pheasants
- 1962 Eau Claire Braves
- 1963 Grand Forks Chiefs
- 1964 Aberdeen Pheasants
- 1965 St. Cloud Rox
- 1966 St. Cloud Rox
- 1967 St. Cloud Rox
- 1968 St. Cloud Rox
- 1969 Duluth-Superior Dukes
- 1970 Duluth-Superior Dukes
- 1971 St. Cloud Rox
Source: [5]
Cities represented
1902–1905
- Cavalier, ND: Cavalier 1902 ** Disbanded on July 21, 1902.
- Crookston Crooks1902–1905
- Devils Lake, ND: Devil's Lake 1902 ** Disbanded on July 21, 1902.
- Duluth, MN: Duluth White Sox1903–1905
- Fargo, ND: Fargo 1902–1905
- Grand Forks Forkers1902–1905
- Brainerd, MN: St. Cloud-Brainerd 1905 ** Moved to Superior on June 25, 1905.
- Superior Longshoremen1903–1905 ** The first Longshoremen team disbanded August 8, 1903. The third Longshoremen was the relocated St. Cloud-Brainerd franchise, which moved on June 25, 1905.
- Winnipeg, MB: Winnipeg Maroons1902–1905
1908
- Brandon, MB: Brandon Angels1908
- Duluth, MN: Duluth White Sox1908
- Fargo Browns1908
- Winnipeg, MB: Winnipeg Maroons1908
1913–1917
- Duluth, MN: Duluth White Sox1913–1916
- Fargo-Moorhead Graingrowers1914–1917
- Fort William, Ontario: Fort William Canadians 1914–1915
- Fort William, Ontario & Port Arthur, Ontario: Fort William-Port Arthur Canadians 1916 ** Withdrew July 10, 1916.
- Grand Forks Flickertails1913–1915
- The team withdrew from the league on July 5, 1915.
- LaCrosse Colts1913 ** Moved from St. Paul July 23, 1913.
- Minneapolis, MN: Minneapolis Millers1913
- Minot, ND: Minot Why Nots1917
- St. Boniface, MB: St. Boniface Bonnies1915
- St. Paul, MN: St. Paul Colts1913 ** Moved to LaCrosse July 23, 1913.
- Superior, WI: Superior Red Sox1913–1915 ** Withdrew July 5, 1915.
- Virginia, MN: Virginia Ore Diggers1913–1916 ** Withdrew July 10, 1916.
- Warren, MN: Warren Wanderers1917
- Winnipeg, MB: Winnipeg Maroons1913–1917
- Winona, MN: Winona Pirates1913–1914
1932–1971
- Aberdeen, SD: Aberdeen Pheasants1946–1971
- Mandan, ND: Bismarck-Mandan Pards1962–64; Bismarck-Mandan Pards 1966
- Brainerd Blues1935
- Brandon, MB: Brandon Grays1933
- Crookston, MN: Crookston Pirates1933–1941
- Duluth, MN: Duluth White Sox 1934 Duluth Dukes1935–1942, 1946–1955
- Duluth-Superior Dukes1960–1970
- East Grand Forks, MN: East Grand Forks Colts1933
- Eau Claire Braves1954–1962
- Moorhead, MN: Fargo-Moorhead Twins1933–1942, 1946–1960
- Grand Forks Dodgers1964
- Huron Cubs1969–1970
- Jamestown, ND: Jamestown Jimmies1936–1937
- Mankato, MN: Mankato Mets1967–1968
- Minot, ND: Minot Mallards1958–1960; Minot Mallards 1962
- St. Cloud, MN: St. Cloud Rox1946–1971
- Sioux Falls Packers1966–1971
- Superior, WI: Superior Blues1933–1942, 1946–1955
- Watertown, SD: Watertown Expos1970–1971
- Wausau Timberjacks1940–1942; Wausau Lumberjacks 1956–1957
- Winnipeg, MB: Winnipeg Maroons 1933–1942; Winnipeg Goldeyes1954–1964; Winnipeg Goldeyes 1969
References
- ^ "1902 Northern League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1933 Northern League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Northern League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Northern League (Independent) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ a b c d e "Northern League 1933-1971".