Show any stuff from short-lived minor league teams

[nolemmings]

My home town of Mankato, Minnesota was a low-level farm club of the New York Mets in 1967 and 1968--the Mankato Mets. It drew fewer than 10K fans in both seasons combined. I have seen a pic of one program, but no regular game tickets, which might be so non-descript as to be incapable of association with the team. No yearbooks, no team photos, scheds, nada. I have a complimentary season pass somewhere, which is so plain it looks like a school lunch ticket (for those of us oldsters who remember them). I remember going to one game, and I vaguely recall that their caps looked like what would become the Montreal Expos logo. Anyway, here is a flyer I won on ebay several years ago about the batter-up Banquet coming to town, with two stapled tickets to such gala. [note Kato Ballroom locale: TRIVIA--Buddy Holly played there about a week before his plane went down]

Anyone else have some obscure minor-league stuff to show?

[Leon]

very cool and thanks for sharing, Todd....How can you go wrong with the Beavers .

[bnorth]

We had a minor league Cubs team here in 1969-70. Picked up this program from a fellow member. Rick Reuschel played his first minor league game for the Huron Cubs in 1970.

[nolemmings]

Ben, your team was in the same Northern League as the Mankato Mets, and played then too. Sweet!

By the way, it looks like you got a Big-League signature along the top of your program-- the late Craig "Mongo" Kusick of the Twins. Nice.

Edited to add: I see sigs of Mike Poepping and Jim Hughes too, who both made it to the Twins. Hughes and Kusick had Topps baseball cards, as did Dan Vossler (1974 Rookies), who also signed your program, even though he never made it.

[slidekellyslide]

Does 6 years qualify as a short tenure? The Lincoln A's were around from 1947-52.

1949-52 Ellensburg Cowboys of the short-lived Cascade League. The last minor league team in town, unless the Ellensburg Bulls get off the ground this summer. Here's the 1950 Cascade champs with firstbaseman Dean Nicholson (second from left, top row), and a very young Stu Hanson (1957-58 Wenatchee Chiefs, middle top row with glasses).

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

Ben, your team was in the same Northern League as the Mankato Mets, and played then too. Sweet!

By the way, it looks like you got a Big-League signature along the top of your program-- the late Craig "Mongo" Kusick of the Twins. Nice.

Edited to add: I see sigs of Mike Poepping and Jim Hughes too, who both made it to the Twins. Hughes and Kusick had Topps baseball cards, as did Dan Vossler (1974 Rookies), who also signed your program, even though he never made it.

Whoever got the autographs got all but 2 of the St Cloud Rox team.

We have had a few minor league teams in our little town.
1920+21 Huron Packers Bill Shipke(has a T206 card) played his last season here in 1920.

1965-1968 Huron Phillies In 1968 we had Larry Cox, Greg Luzinski, and Manny Trillo on the team.

1969+70 Huron Cubs Rick Reuschel played his first year here in 1970.

1994 Huron Heaters

Sadly I never got to see a single one of those games. I was only 1yo when the Cubs left and was working in Missouri in 94.

[Gary Dunaier]

The Queens Kings were a minor league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays who only played for one season, 2000. They played at St. John's University in Jamaica, NY, not very far from Shea Stadium. One of my regrets is that I never attended a game.

I do have a program that I bought on Ebay. Don't remember if there was anything else included in the lot, like a ticket or a schedule.

In 2001, the Kings became an affiliate of the New York Mets, and moved to Coney Island... where they're now known as the Brooklyn Cyclones.

[Nashvol]

I have this program for the AA Nashville Xpress who shared Greer Stadium with the Nashville Sounds for two years, 1993 & 1994. The Southern League club had no home when Charlotte moved up to AAA. We had a game at Greer everyday for both of those years, including visits by the AA Birmingham Barons and Michael Jordan...

[JMEnglish27]

We had a Giants single-A team for 30 years that left after the 1987 season. In their place, for one year only, we got the Fresno Suns. Fantastic fun to watch team...Independent, mostly stocked with Japanese minor leaguers, but a major leaguers looking for a home dropped in too (Dwayne Murphy, Julio Cruz). After the one season in '88, they moved to Salinas and became the Spurs.

[nolemmings]

Great stuff guys. Keep 'em coming!

[MW1]

1949-50 Portland Penguins. One-year wonders playing in the Western Hockey League. Complete with "Mr. Perkins", their mascot, lower right, waddling out of the picture.

[Bumpus Jones]

The Savannah Redlegs were around from 1956-59. Here's a program and team photo from their last year...

[grainsley]

The Vancouver Mounties second run at the PCL lasted from '65 through '69. Great baseball, great stadium.

[MK]

Some time ago I picked this warm-up jacket patch and a program from the Terre Haute Huts who were a Detroit Tiger's minor league team from 1955-56.

[daves_resale_shop]

Not really vintage, but two pieces of pieces that I nearly forgot about...

1-Massachusetts Mad Dogs Game Worn Jersey-Played in the independent Can Am league from 1996-1999. Folded up after 1999 due to issues with their Ballpark in Lynn Mass (Fraser Field). The ownership group came back into the fold 3 years later with the help of Jonathan Fleisig and Moved the Franchise to Pittsfield MA to form the Berkshire Black Bears...

2-Berkshire Black Bears Game Worn Jersey- These guys had minimal success in Pittsfield and relocated the team to New Haven (County Cutters) after just two season. Lack of support and the sun constantly being in the players eyes was surely a contributing factor to their demise...

I had several cutters jerseys, but gave them away thinking that I would come across one again (not the case)...

[Jay Wolt]

Here's about as "short-lived" as you can get.
The Texas City Stars of the Class A Lone Star League lasted 1 season, 1977.
They went 35-41 drawing 12,305 for the season, they were managed by Al Gallagher.

[nolemmings]

Many many thanks guys for the great stuff. Jay, looks like you have more tickets to Stars games than the team actually sold. Daves your Mass. Mad Dogs team reminds me of my local Mankato Moon Dogs team, still in operation in the Northwoods League and one-time employer of current SF Giants SS Brandon Crawford (as well as Curtis Granderson when the team went by its former name of Mashers--both played in the same park as the Mankato Mets from my initial post).

MK, perfect example of what I was thinking with the Mankato Mets--short term Midwest baseball. Now if current hurler Joba Chamberlain was there, they really would have a Joba the Hut. Bumpus and Grainsley, that program-- "Ride Nancy Hanks"-- along with those suggestive Mounties cap logos make me wonder if I took the wrong pill this morning. Michael, nice piece. I'm sure you researched it, but it was nice to see Art Stroble, who not only was an NHLer himself, but the father of Eric Stroble, Miracle on Ice player who I was lucky enough to watch play in high school and college (flowing blond locks and deceptive speed made him stand out).

Really enjoyable stuff.

[MW1]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

Eric Stroble, Miracle on Ice player who I was lucky enough to watch play in high school and college (flowing blond locks and deceptive speed made him stand out).

Greatest upset ever in the history of sports.

But there's another interesting angle to the "Miracle on Ice" story if you haven't already seen it -- http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=ofmiraclesandmen

Edited to add: Full version -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBfYpoz4Ycs

[Den*nis O*Brien]

I will keep the Mounties theme going a little bit. Ernie Fazio and Diego Segui with Mickey Vernon in '68. I am reusing the Pirates ticket from a ticket thread a few years ago. But...they only lasted '47,'48 and '49 and that seems short time. I was able to plead and pay for this stub because my wife was born there. It will be hard to use that ploy, to spend, again.

[Den*nis O*Brien]

The Islanders played 1920-1924 in the Florida State League. I showed the pennant in a pennant thread but they fit in here since they played 1958 to 1961. Really nice "stuff" shown by everyone. That Reds program has really nice eye appeal. I thank the OP for initiating this fun thread!

[effe]

Members of the Western League for only 2 seasons.

[Aquifer]

Responding to the Fresno Suns, who went independent and employed Japanese players. Was fun to see that because when they moved to Salinas, a longtime friend was the G.M. there and continued the trend of Japanese players--apparently no "farm system" over there so it was a lucrative thing for an independent club that had no PDC (player development contract) with a Major League affiliate. Here's a jersey from 1990-91. Jim Eppard, wore this one--he played at Cal (UC Berkeley to you non-SF/Bay Area folk) and later briefly with the Angels after winning a couple of minor league batting titles. At least one, anyway.

[bbpostcards]

Formerly called the Pacific Northwest League, the Pacific National League was renamed in 1903 as a challenge to its new rival, the Pacific Coast League. In 1904, the PNL consisted of the Salt Lake City Elders, Butte Miners, Spokane Indians, and Boise Fruit Pickers.

[Aquifer]

On a bit of a roll now. Here's a 1979 jersey from the Santa Clara Padres, a Cal-League entry for just this one year and again an independent. Brutal uniforms--just brutal. This "away" top looks okay but now add in green pants with a red and white piping and red stirrups. Now...come to the home jersey which was a bright red version of this one, only white script lettering and worn with the same green pants. Looked like a Christmas tree out there. But the team wasn't without notice--it included Rays Manager Joe Maddon and two guys who got a little time in the bigs--Ron Tingley, a catcher for the Angels and John Hobbs who made a couple of appearances with the Twins.

[ksfarmboy]

The Wichita Braves lasted 3 years from 1956-1958. Many of the call ups by the Milwaukee club came from these teams.

[oilersfan9994]

Originally Posted by ksfarmboy

The Wichita Braves lasted 3 years from 1956-1958. Many of the call ups by the Milwaukee club came from these teams.

As a Wichita guy myself, that's awesome. Thanks for sharing...