Minneapolis Millers

• Location: Minneapolis, MN
• League: Northwestern League 1884, 1886-1887; Western Association 1888-1891; Western League 1894-1899; American League 1900; Western League 1901; American Association 1902-1960; Northern League 1913; Great Central League 1994
• Affiliation: Boston Red Sox 1936-1938; New York Giants 1946-1957; Boston Red Sox 1958-1960; Independent Leagues 1994
• Ballpark: Athletic Park 1894-1896; Nicollet Park 1896-1955; Metropolitan Stadium 1956-1960; Parade Stadium 1994

[edit] Team History

The Minneapolis Millers were the first minor league team based in Minneapolis, MN. They began play in the 1884 Northwestern League and immediately developed a long-standing rivalry with the clubs from St. Paul, MN. They later were mainstays of the Western League from 1894 through 1900. Despite losing one game in 1896 to St. Paul by a 41-8 score, the team won their first Western pennant that year, led by the pitching of Bill Hutchison and the hitting of Perry Werden, a Miller leader of the decade. The team fell drastically, winning less than 35% of its games in both 1897 and 1898. In 1899 they bounced back and led the Western League in wins but lost the pennant, which was decided on the basis of winning percentage.

When the Western League became the American League in 1900, the Millers finished dead last. Werden led the league in doubles, slugging and homers, but he got little support. The team returned to the Western League in 1901.

In 1902 the Millers joined the new American Association and continued to play there through 1960. The Millers were highly successful, winning nine pennants and never finishing last. From 1896 to 1955, the club played its home games in Nicollet Park. In 1913, a second team played in the same park, but in the Northern League; it is known as both the Millers and the Minneapolis Bronchos and was a farm team of the AA's Millers. After one unsuccessful season, that team became the Fargo-Moorhead Graingrowers. In 1956, the team moved to a new ballpark, Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN. The Washington Senators moved to Minnesota for the 1961 season to become the Minnesota Twins, and the Millers ceased operation, as did the neighboring St. Paul Saints. There was a fierce rivalry between the two teams, with a tradition of playing each other in holiday doubleheaders in which the first game would be played in one city in the morning, and the second in the other in the afternoon.

Ted Williams played for the Millers in 1938 winning a Triple Crown, and in 1951, Willie Mays, Hoyt Wilhelm and Ray Dandridge were members of the club. Also appearing for the Millers in their AA period were Rube Waddell, Gavvy Cravath, Zack Wheat, Monte Irvin, Jimmy Collins, Orlando Cepeda and Carl Yastrzemski. Minor league stars to appear after Werden included Joe Hauser, Buzz Arlett, Nick Cullop, Spencer Harris and Dave Altizer.

In 1994 the name was briefly resurrected and used by a professional team in the newly-created Great Central League. Managed by former Boston Red Sox star George Scott, the team played at Parade Stadium within the confines of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Led by outfielders Boo Moore and Ray Moon and pitchers Jeff Gregg, Brian Heil and Eric Lovedahl, the Millers finished the regular season in 3rd place in the team's sole year of existence.

Sources: The Western League by W.C. Madden and Patrick Stewart, The American Association by Bill O'Neal

• http://stewthornley.net/millers_year_by_year.html

[edit] Year-by-Year Record

[edit] Further Reading

• Rex Hamann: "Baseball's Twin Towers in the Twin Cities: The Minneapolis Millers and the St. Paul Saints in the American Association, 1902-1960", in Daniel R. Levitt, ed.: Short but Wondrous Summers: Baseball in the North Star State, The National Pastime, Volume 42 (2012), pp. 29-37.
• Joe O'Connell: "The Saints-Millers Holiday Series", in Daniel R. Levitt, ed.: Short but Wondrous Summers: Baseball in the North Star State, The National Pastime, Volume 42 (2012), pp. 44-46.
• Joel Rippel: "Perry Werden's Record-Setting 1895 Season ant the 1890s Minneapolis Millers", in Daniel R. Levitt, ed.: Short but Wondrous Summers: Baseball in the North Star State, The National Pastime, Volume 42 (2012), pp. 25-28.
• Stew Thornley: On to Nicollet: The Glory and Fame of the Minneapolis Millers, Nodin Press, Minneapolis, MN, 2000.

[edit] Related Sites