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August 10, 2021

Iowa’s Real Field of Dreams

Riverview Stadium, Clinton, Iowa–built 1937.

 

CLINTON, IA..—The Clinton LumberKings hosted the Burlington Bees on Aug. 3 in their final home game of the 2021 Prospect League season. Both Iowa teams landed in the Prospect League, a collegiate wood bat league after Major League Baseball kicked them out of the affiliated minor leagues. Both teams have storied histories.

The Bees were members of the now-defunct Midwest League from 1962 until 2020. Their home field was built in 1947. The LumberKings were also members of the Midwest League from 1956 until 2020. They play in the historic Riverview [...]

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July 15, 2021

The Hits Keep Coming in Downtown Beloit, Wisconsin

 

Long foul balls from this new Wisconsin stadium could land in Illinois.

 

BELOIT, WIS.—Minor league baseball is about coming and going.

No one wants to stay put.

But after the ABC Supply Stadium opens on Aug. 3 with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers taking on the Beloit Snappers in downtown Beloit, the ballpark will be there for years to come. Fans will walk through the centerfield gates along the bed of the timeless Rock River. Located on the Illinois-Wisconsin border, long foul balls hit over the first base facade could land in the Illinois zip code. Hopefully, they won’t get super [...]

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June 17, 2021

The New Kansas City Monarchs

The late Buck O’Neil visits his Monarchs with a rainbow on opening day 2021 (Courtesy of Kansas City Monarchs.)

 

KANSAS CITY, KS.—The Kansas City Monarchs were the royalty of baseball’s Negro Leagues. They played in Kansas City, Mo. between 1920 and 1961 and their graduates included Hall of Famers Jackie  Robinson (1945), Ernie Banks (1950-53), and Satchel Paige (1934 and 1940-47). The team produced more major league players than any other Negro League franchise.

The Monarchs have taken a new flight as a member of the American Association.

These Monarchs play at Legends Field in Kansas [...]

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April 7, 2021

The lost Bill Veeck files

Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Veeck thought outside the box.

One of the best ways to understand Veeck’s brilliant mind is to go inside a large plastic storage box of treasured clippings, notes, paperwork, and pictures covering Veeck’s years of owning the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and St. Louis Browns.

It is a remarkable archive that has never been made public.

Mary Frances, Bill Veeck, and midget files.

There’s files and files and files: “How Veeck Got the Sox–1975.” “Scoreboard.” “Buys Browns 1951.” “Veeck-Cuba” “Disco Demolition.” “Amputation,” “Veeck in High School (Hinsdale Central). [...]

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