St. Paul Saints

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St. Paul Saints Founded in 1993 Saint Paul, Minnesota

Team Logo Cap Insignia

League affiliations

American Association North Division  Northern League (1993-2005)

Name

St. Paul Saints (1993-present)

Team Colors

Black, Blue, Ecru, White (2003 through present) Black, Aubergine, White (1993 through 2002)

Ballpark

Midway Stadium

Championships

League titles: 4 (1993, 1995, 1996, 2004) Division titles: 4 (1997, 2000, 2003, 2006)

Owner(s)/Operated By: Marv Goldklang Mike Veeck Bill Murray

General Manager:

Manager: George Tsamis

Media: '

Website: www.saintsbaseball.com

The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1993 season to the present, the Saints have played their home games at Midway Stadium. Founded in 1993, today's Saints were a Northern League team through 2005. In 2006 the team was a founding member of the modern American Association.

[edit] History

The current inception of the St. Paul Saints were formed in 1993 in the Northern League, one of several independent leagues not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The Saints are known for promotions that are over-the-top even by the standards of minor league baseball. The principal owner, Mike Veeck, is the son of legendary Major League owner Bill Veeck, who was best-known for outrageous promotions as owner of the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox. Comedian and actor Bill Murray is also a part owner.

Despite the considerable naysaying at their inception, the Saints have been one of the most successful teams in the Northern League and all of independent baseball. In 2002-2004, the Saints saw severely reduced attendance, owing partially to renewed interest in the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball, who won the 2002, 2003, and 2004 American League Central Division championships. In spite of an initially cool, if not outright hostile, reception the Saints and their Major League neighbor (less than 10 miles away) have worked together for several years in hopes of increasing support for the sport of baseball.

The Saints have figured prominently in the creation of modern independent baseball. They were featured in a couple books ("Rebel Baseball" by Steve Perlstein, 1993; "Slouching Toward Fargo" by Neal Karlen, 1998) and a cable network series ("Baseball, Minnesota," FX Network, 1996-97). Mike Veeck wrote a book that covered the mantra "Fun is Good" (2005) and describes the business approach he has used for many years.

In a tradition started in the team's first year, the Saints pig brings out game balls and receives a snack between innings.

A major factor in the continued success of the Saints in the face of the Twins' presence is the fact that Midway Stadium, the Saints' home field, is an open-air facility; many Twins fans have bemoaned the unfairness of being forced to go indoors to watch a baseball game on a warm Minnesota summer evening. Another is the love of tailgating by fans in the Twin Cities metropolitan area - the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, situated in the middle of downtown Minneapolis, has little space available for tailgating.

On September 29, 2005, the Saints left the Northern League, along with the Lincoln Saltdogs, Sioux City Explorers, and the Sioux Falls Canaries to start the American Association for the 2006 season.

[edit] St. Paul Saints (1884-1899)

As described in Lee Allen's book, The American League Story (Putnam, 1962), the team began as the Sioux City franchise in a minor league called the Western League. The WL had reorganized itself in November, 1893, with Ban Johnson as President. Johnson, a Cincinnati-based reporter, had been recommended by his friend Charles Comiskey, former major league star with the St. Louis Browns in the 1880s, who was then managing the Cincinnati Reds. After the 1894 season, when Comiskey's contract with the Reds was up, he decided to take his chances at ownership. He bought the Sioux City team and transferred it to St. Paul, where it enjoyed some success over the next 5 seasons.

In 1900, the Western League changed its name to the American League. It was still officially a minor league, a part of the National Agreement and an underling of the National League. The NL actually gave permission to the AL to put a team in Chicago, and on March 21, 1900, Comiskey moved his St. Paul club to the South Side, where they became the Chicago White Sox.

[edit] St. Paul Saints (1915-1960)

Another team called the Saints played minor league baseball in the American Association from 1915 to 1960. The Saints finished first in the American Association nine times, and won the Little World Series in 1924. During this period, the Saints were a farm club of the Chicago White Sox (1936-1942), the Brooklyn Dodgers (1944-1957), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-1960). The Saints played streetcar home and away double headers with its crosstown rival the Minneapolis Millers. Both Twin Cities teams were folded by Major League Baseball when the Minnesota Twins came to town in 1961. Lexington Park served as the Saints' home stadium for most of those years.

[edit] Current roster

[edit] Notable promotions

In an attempt to gain publicity in a metropolitan area that hosts four major pro sports teams and a major college program, the Saints have grabbed headlines numerous times for their unique promotions.^[1]

• In May, 2008, the Saints announced the giveaway of 2,500 bobble foot dolls to celebrate National Tap Dance Day. The dolls, which feature two feet visible beneath the door of a bathroom stall, have been covered in the national news for their reference to Senator Larry Craig, notorious for soliciting sex in a Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport restroom in August of 2007.^[2]
• In August, 2007, the Saints announced that rubber dog toys would be given out as a jab to the federal dogfighting case involving Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick.^[3]
• In April 2006, the Saints announced that rubber boats would be given out during a May 27, 2006 game, ostensibly to honor 30th anniversary of the television show The Love Boat. However, details of the promotion indicate that it is intended as a jab at the 2005 boat scandal involving the Minnesota Vikings, where several members of the team were allegedly involved in illicit behavior on a private cruise. The promotional rubber boats use the same color as the Vikings uniforms (purple and yellow) and are named Minnetonka Queen (a reference to Lake Minnetonka, where the cruise took place).^[1]
• In August 2003, the Saints held "Randy Moss Hood Ornament Night", poking fun at the Viking's wide receiver Randy Moss. Earlier that year, Moss was involved in an incident where he bumped a traffic control officer with his car while he attempted to make a turn.^[1]
• During the 2002 Major League Baseball labor negotiations, the Saints gave away seat cushions with pictures of commissioner Bud Selig on one side and player's association Executive Director Donald Fehr on the other.^[1]
• In 2002, in response to Selig's controversial decision to end the MLB All-Star Game in a 7-7 tie, the Saints gave out neckties (or "ties") with Bud Selig's image.^[1]

[edit] Fast facts

Founded: 1993 (Northern League inaugural team)

Home ballpark: Midway Stadium (formerly: Municipal Stadium)

Cap Logo design: StP script similar to the St. Louis Cardinals

Uniform colors: Home: Cream with blue "Saints" on front with name(black) and #(blue)on back, Away: Grey with blue "ST. PAUL" on front, Alternate/Sunday: Blue jersey with cream "StP" logo on players lower left shoulder and cream number on back.

Uniform design: Saints in script ('93-'02 was similar to original American Association version)

Northern League Champions: 1993, 1995, 1996, 2004

Division Champions (AA North): 2006

Current Mascot: Mudonna

Current Radio Station: 1330 AM WLOL (Relevant Radio)

Current Ball Pig: Boarack Ohama^[4]

[edit] Notable Former Saints Players

• Leon "Bull" Durham (1993-1994, formerly with the Chicago Cubs)
• Minnie Miñoso (1993, 2003, former Negro League player)
• Kevin Millar (1993, formerly with the Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox, and currently playing for the Baltimore Orioles)
• Rey Ordoñez (1993, signed by and played for the New York Mets)
• Darryl Motley (1995, formerly with the Kansas City Royals)
• Darryl Strawberry (1996, formerly with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees)
• Jack Morris (1996, formerly with the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins)
• J. D. Drew (1997-1998, signed by the St. Louis Cardinals currently playing for the Boston Red Sox)
• Matt Nokes (1998, formerly with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees)
• Ila Borders (1997, first woman to pitch in a men's professional baseball league)

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Rovell, Darren (April 17, 2006). Another last laugh for the St. Paul Saints. ESPN.com. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
2. ^ Minn. team's promotional giveaway features 'bobble foot' in toilet stall (2008-05-22). Retrieved on 2008-05-26.
3. ^ Saints Continue to Slide at Home Lose 7-3 (2007-08-20). Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
4. ^ "Boar" ack O"Ham"a Claims St. Paul Saints Pig Name (2008-05-07). Retrieved on 2008-05-21.

[edit] External links

• Official Site
• nlfan.com Saints Guide (Northern League '93-'05)
• aabfan.com Saints Guide (American Association '06-)

[edit] League References

• aabfan.com - yearly league standings & awards (American Association)
• nlfan.com - yearly league standings & awards (Northern League)

	This box: view • talk • edit Sports teams based in Minnesota
Baseball	MLB: Minnesota Twins, AA: St. Paul Saints, NwL: Alexandria Beetles • Brainerd Blue Thunder • Duluth Huskies • Mankato MoonDogs • Rochester Honkers • St. Cloud River Bats
Basketball	NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves, WNBA: Minnesota Lynx
Football	NFL: Minnesota Vikings, NWFA: Minnesota Vixen
Hockey	NHL: Minnesota Wild, NAHL: Albert Lea Thunder • Alexandria Blizzard • Owatonna Express, WWHL: Minnesota Whitecaps
Soccer	USL-1: Minnesota Thunder, WL: Minnesota Lightning, NPSL: St. Paul Twin Stars
Lacrosse	NLL: Minnesota Swarm
College athletics (NCAA Division I)	University of Minnesota, Minnesota State University, Mankato (Hockey), St. Cloud State University (Hockey), University of Minnesota Duluth (Hockey) Bemidji State University(Hockey)