Any Minneapolis baseball historians out there?

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

I recently picked up a paper lot off of ebay because it contained a few baseball items...in it were a "base ball" ticket stub for St Olaf v Luther with a followup game against Burr Oak. A quick google search leads me to believe these teams are from Minnesota. Also in the lot were the two tickets to a benefit for Athletic Park in 1896. I have also found through a google search that "Athletic Park" was in Minneapolis and that 1896 was the final year the Millers played there. Does anyone know if there was some benefit to try and save the park? I know that they moved to Nicollet Park in the middle of that 1896 season and Athletic Park was sold... so I'm wondering if these tickets are at all related to the Minneapolis club.



Thanks for any help.

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

St Olaf and Martin Luther are colleges near Minneapolis.

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

Thanks David...I knew they were from Minnesota, but I didn't know they were close to Minneapolis.

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

I asked a Minneapolis native where they were, and quoted what he said.

Besides, Minnesota's not that big, they can't be that far away.

[Archive]

Posted By: Michael Steele

St. Olaf is in Northfield, Minnesota. Northfield is located about 30-35 miles south of Minneapolis.


It just so happens I work across the street from St. Olaf but that is about the extent of my Minneapolis history having lived in the State for only about 6 years.

Edited for spelling and to say that St. Olaf is a d-2 school and along with Carleton College in Northfield form two very expensive private schools. Also, Northfield is famous for "The Defeat of Jesse James" and is celebrated each September with the "The Defeat of Jesse James Days".

[Archive]

Posted By: jim sexton

If you are looking for a Mpls baseball historian Stew Thornley will be your best bet. Stew wrote a history of Nicollet Ball Park and would probably have some knowledge of earlier ball parks. He can be reached at stew@stewthornley.net.

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

Carleton and St Olaf are both well regarded as liberal arts colleges. Carleton is regularly ranked as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country, often ranked above East Coast traditionals like Vassar and Smith.

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

Hey, thanks Jim!

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan

St. Olaf is a college in Northfield, Minnesota. It is a D-3 school and part of the MIAC conference. There head football coach was just hired this past year to coach for the Washington Redskins. He is a friend of mine. Luther is a college in Decorah, Iowa. This is also a D-3 school. Hope this helps.

[Archive]

Posted By: Todd Schultz

The previous poster is right--Luther is Iowa, and St. Olaf is a Division III school that my alma mater St. John's plays every year. Burr Oak is in Iowa, so the game stub is from IA, not MN.

Interesting question about the Athletic Park benefit referenced on the Opera House Tickets. It is my understanding that the Millers were evicted from the park in May '96, which led to the rather hurried construction of Nicollet Park. I suspect the land was sold for more profitable use and the tenant booted rather than there being a default in any rent, but I don't know. It seems quite possible the team was attempting to outbid the other suitor and needed to generate funds to purchase the land and save the park; thus, the benefit(s) before the season. Or, instead, maybe the team had trouble making rent and was trying to stay through the '96 season, in which case the funds generated were for operating expenses. This second scenario seems less likely to me, since the new landlord at Nicollet park would be leery of building a new grandstand and park for a club that couldn't make rent at the old one.

Keep us posted if you find out anything else.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Try rose_nylund@goldengirls.com. Sorry, couldn't resist!

Thank you for being a friend!

Seriously, though, good luck in your search, Dan.

[Archive]

Posted By: William

Jodi - thank you for sparing those of us who understand that joke the embarrassment of having to make it. Sadly, I can still hear the music playing in my head at the scene break.