Madison Muskies

Last updated
Madison Muskies
1982 1993
Madison, Wisconsin
Muskies.jpg
Team logo
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesClass A
League Midwest League
DivisionNorth Division
Major league affiliations
Previous teams Oakland Athletics
Minor league titles
Division titles 1982, 1986, 1991
Team data
Previous names
Madison Muskies
Previous parks
Breese Stevens Field, Warner Park
Breese Stevens Field Breese Stevens Field.jpg
Breese Stevens Field

The Madison Muskies were a Class A minor league baseball team that played in the Midwest League from 1982 to 1993 in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1993, the team relocated to Comstock Park, Michigan and became today's West Michigan Whitecaps. The Muskies were an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. The team, which was founded by former Rochester Red Wing GM and announcer of professional baseball's longest game Bob Drew and Linda Drew played at Breese Stevens Field and Warner Park.

The debut Muskies team had a league-best 87-52 record, [1] 6.5 games ahead of the Appleton Foxes in the North Division, [2] however, they lost the Midwest League championship to the Foxes 2 games to 1. Romano, a Muskies outfielder, was the Midwest League Most Valuable Player in 1982. In 1991, they made their second and last championship appearance, this time losing to the Clinton Giants 3 games to 0. [3]

The Muskies played their last home game in Madison against the Foxes in 1993. In a driving rainstorm, with Appleton leading 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Foxes' pitcher slipped on the mound and his manager requested that the game be called. After a second slip, the umpire called the game, ending the Muskies' Madison tenure in anticlimactic fashion: Madison's final home game ended with one out in the bottom of the ninth, with the potential tying run coming to bat.

They finished their 12-year run in Madison with an 860-786 record, .522 winning percentage, including three division titles and four second-place finishes. [4]

Notable Madison alumni

Tommy John, 2008 Tommy John 2008 bronx.jpg
Tommy John, 2008

Related Research Articles

Midwest League American Minor League baseball league

The Midwest League was a Minor League Baseball league, established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. It was classified as a Class A league.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels are Minor League Baseball team of the High-A Central and the High-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and play their home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Kernels are owned by Cedar Rapids Ball Club, Inc..

The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the High-A Central and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa, one of the Quad Cities.

The Beloit Snappers are a Minor League Baseball team of the High-A Central and the High-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and play their home games at Harry C. Pohlman Field, which was built in 1982.

Burlington Bees American Minor League baseball team

The Burlington Bees are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Burlington, Iowa, and have played their home games at Community Field since 1947. Founded in 1889, the Bees played in Minor League Baseball's Midwest League from 1962 to 2020. With Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, Burlington was not selected to continue in affiliated baseball.

The Clinton LumberKings are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Clinton, Iowa, and play their home games at NelsonCorp Field. From 1956 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest League. With Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, Clinton was not selected to continue in affiliated baseball.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars are a baseball team located in Geneva, Illinois and are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. They play their home games at Northwestern Medicine Field. From 1991 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest League.

The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the High-A Central and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and were named for the Peoria Indian tribe for which the city was named. In 2005, the team replaced the indigenous imagery associated with the Chiefs name and moved to a logo of a Dalmatian depicted as a fire chief stating "The team was proactive in understanding and respecting Indian culture."The team plays its home games at Dozer Park which opened in 2002. The Chiefs previously played at Vonachen Stadium near Bradley University from 1983 through 2001.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a Minor League Baseball team of the High-A Central and the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, a town on the outskirts of Appleton in the Fox Cities, and are named for the timber rattlesnake, which is more commonly found in southwest Wisconsin. The team plays their home games at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium, which opened in 1995. They previously played at Goodland Field from their founding in 1958 until the end of the 1994 season.

Several different minor league baseball teams have called the city of Orlando, Florida home from 1919–2003. Most have played in the Florida State League.

The San Jose Giants are a minor league baseball team of the Low-A West and are the Low-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark.

The Modesto Nuts are a Minor League Baseball are aligned in the Low-A West North Division as an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Modesto, California, and are named for the several types of nuts grown in the region. They play their home games at John Thurman Field, which opened in 1955.

The Oneonta Tigers were a minor league baseball team located in Oneonta, New York. They were members of the New York–Penn League. The Tigers were the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, and played their home games at Damaschke Field. The team was relocated to Norwich, Connecticut, for the 2010 season and became known as the Connecticut Tigers.

The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are members of the High-A East and the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They play their home games at First National Bank Field, which opened in 2005 and seats 7,499 fans.

The Idaho Falls Chukars are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and play their home games at Melaleuca Field.

The Madison Hatters were a minor-league baseball team based in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1994. A Class A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, they were a member of the Midwest League. The team played its home games at Warner Park.

The St. Petersburg Saints were a minor league baseball team that operated out of St. Petersburg, Florida. The team began as a semi-pro team and as early as October 1908, the semi-pro Saints played the Cincinnati Reds in a post-season exhibition game. By 1914, the Saints were receiving regular coverage in the local press. They played in the Florida State League from 1920–1928 and then folded operations. A second team, also called the St.Petersburg Saints played in the Florida International League from 1947–1954 and the Florida State League from 1955–1965. The team won four championships and were owned by R. Vernon and Irene C. Eckert from 1951–1954.

The Springfield Cardinals were a minor league baseball team located in Springfield, Illinois. The Springfield Cardinals played in the Midwest League from 1982 to 1993 and were an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team played in Lanphier Park on the northside of Springfield.

The Wisconsin Rapids Twins were a Class A minor league baseball team that existed from 1963 to 1983, playing in the Midwest League. Affiliated with the Washington Senators (1963) and the Minnesota Twins (1964-1983), they were located in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, United States. They played their home games at Witter Field. The franchise evolved from the Wisconsin Rapids White Sox of the Wisconsin State League. For the 1984 season, the franchise became the Kenosha Twins, moving to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The Kenosha Twins began play in the Midwest League in 1984 when the Wisconsin Rapids Twins relocated. The team played their home games at Simmons Field in Kenosha. The Twins won two Midwest League Championships, in 1985 and 1987, and were Northern Division champions for the first half of the 1988 season. In 1992, the team was sold, and the following the 1992 season, they moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana and became the Fort Wayne Wizards.

References

  1. "1982 Madison Muskies Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  2. "1982 Midwest League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. "Fighting Fish - Madison Baseball History and the Madison Muskies". Madison Mallards. June 22, 2006.
  4. "Madison, Wisconsin Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.