Fargo-Moorhead Twins

The Fargo-Moorhead Twins were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1933 to 1942 and from 1946 to 1960, representing the neighboring cities of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. Earlier teams had also represented the cities. Baseball Hall of Fame members Dizzy Dean (1941) and Lloyd Waner (1947) are Fargo-Moorhead Twins alumni, as is 2x AL Most Valuable Player Roger Maris.

History[]

The Fargo-Moorhead Twins played in the Northern League from 1933–1942 and 1946–1960. The Twins were an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians (1934–1940, 1953–1957), Pittsburgh Pirates (1947–1948) and New York Yankees (1958–1960).^[1]

The preceding Fargo-Moorhead area teams, were the 1897 Red River Valley League members Fargo Red Stockings and Moorhead Barmaids, who were the first area minor league franchises. Fargo (1902–1905), the Fargo Trolley Dodgers (1906), Fargo Browns (1908) and Fargo-Moorehead Graingrowers (1914–1917) all played as members of the Northern League and the 1922 Fargo Athletics played in the 1922 Dakota League.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]}

On May 6, 1953, the Fargo-Moorhead Twins defeated Sioux Falls in their Opening Day game by a score of 12–3. A record crowd of 10,123 fans came to Barnett Field. In the game, Roger Maris got his first professional baseball hit. That season, Twins player Frank Gravino would hit 52 home runs. The Twins would host the Northern League All–Star game and defeat the Northern League All–Stars by a score of 8–4. The Twins finished with a record of 86-39 (improving from their record of 44-80 in 1952) and bested Duluth to win the Northern League championship. Roger Maris would be selected as the 1953 Northern League Rookie of the Year.^[8]

Fargo-Moorhead won Northern League Championships in 1915, 1917, 1934, 1953, 1954, 1958, claiming six overall titles.^[2]

Ballparks[]

From 1936 to 1960, the Fargo–Moorhead Twins played home minor league home games at Barnett Field.. It was located at 19th Avenue and Broadway, Fargo, North Dakota. The ballpark was torn down in 1963 to build Fargo North High School.^[9]

Prior to Barnett Field, from 1933 to 1935, Fargo–Moorhead teams played home games at Moorhead Ballpark in Moorhead, Minnesota. ^[10][11]

1961 Roger Maris hits HR #58. He hit 61 Home runs in 1961

Notable alumni[]

Year-by-year record[]

(from Baseball Reference Bullpen)

References[]