Baseball Posts

Part Way to the Majors: The 1970 Duluth Dukes

The 1971 educational film Part Way to the Majors, a documentary produced by ABC News for the Sunday afternoon series Discovery, follows the Duluth-Superior Dukes as they road trip to Sioux Falls, S.D. The film starts and ends at Wade Stadium in Duluth.

Enger Park Little League circa 1963-1975

The Ensign Community Club built and maintained the Enger Park Little League Field at the dead-end of West 13th Street, just below “The Boulevard.” Fans flocked to the games and parked along neighborhood streets and on Skyline Parkway to see games play out below. Along with the field was a basketball court that doubled as a tennis court. The neighborhood built the field and maintained it for about 15 years.

Old Softball Field in Midway Township

On Midway/Becks Road, about a quarter mile south of Interstate 35 and just west of the former Nopeming Sanatorium, sits a softball — or perhaps youth baseball — field that doesn’t appear to have been played on in about 40 years. These photos are from November.

Former Huskies outfielder makes major league debut

Former Duluth Huskies outfielder Cal Stevenson made his Major League Baseball debut for the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 10. He is the 301st former Northwoods League player to reach the majors.

Stevenson played for the Huskies in 2015. He was drafted in the 10th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Blue Jays.

Mystery Photo: 1962 State and Sectional Champs

This photo was acquired at the Ellefson Estate Sale in the Upper Cody part of West Duluth in 2019. It shows a youth baseball team with players wearing different jerseys, suggesting perhaps it’s an all-star squad or the team had multiple sponsors. The sponsor names on the shirts are: Kelley Duluth, City Bottling, YOT (Young Old Timers), Gately’s, West Arrow Chevrolet, Moose 1478 … and one looks like it might be M&J Super Value (the bottom word is blocked by the players forearms). Two jerseys are plain white; those players have an M on their caps while the other players have caps with no lettering.

The writing on the back of the photo gives the biggest clue: “1962 State & Sectional Champs.” But the names of the players and coaches are lost to history unless a nerd or two step up and solve the mysteries.

PDD Quiz: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Step up to the plate for this baseball-themed PDD quiz! For more on Duluth baseball history, check out the Zenith City website and the Minnesota Digital Library.

The next PDD quiz will review the headlines from June 2022; it will be published on June 26. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by June 22.

Duluth Dukes bus for sale on Facebook Marketplace

An interesting ad for a 1956 Flxible Visicoach popped up May 4 on Facebook. The destination sign on the bus reads “Duluth Dukes.” Apparently, it’s a former team bus.

Woodland baseball team of 1921 had grand season

This photo from the May 21, 1921 Duluth Herald shows the baseball team from Duluth’s Woodland neighborhood, which compiled a 7-3 record — a “grand season” by Roaring Twenties standards. According to the photo caption, the team played indoor baseball in the Cobb School gymnasium.

Kresge Girls’ Baseball Team of 1920

From the Aug. 28, 1920 Duluth Herald.

Duluth You & Me: Wade Stadium

Use the link below for a printable PDF for your drawing and coloring pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Wade Stadium

Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.

Duluth Blogs: How to Collect Baseball Cards

Today, I point to another blog by a Duluthian, this time John Boucha. You can tell because his name is the URL.

How much tension is there when the game goes 15 innings?

Friends of mine went to watch the Duluth Huskies play in Thunder Bay … at the Duluth Buffalo Wild Wings, where they are given a screen for away games. (Locally, this minor league baseball team plays at Wade Stadium. They can be heard on both AM and FM radio, too.) It’s super-cool to see our minor-league team play on the TV next to the big guys.

A recent outing lasted 15 innings. Read more about that at northwoodsleague.com. Is there a 14th inning stretch? Maybe you love baseball and you can tell me what it’s like?

Clare Means – “Duluth Song”

Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Clare Means was in Duluth recently for a performance at Wade Stadium. While here she recorded a “Duluth Song” and released this video, set to images of the Western Duluth Little League Intermediate Division District Tournament Team, which defeated Lake Park 15-5 on July 11 to claim the 2017 Minnesota state championship.

Duluth White Sox Team Photos

Duluth White Sox 1909

In a previous post on PDD it was speculated that photos of pitching great Hooks Dauss in a Duluth uniform are “seemingly nonexistent.” Well, there’s ol’ George wearing #4 in the 1909 team photo above. Search completed.

Summer of ’65: Barkulis top MVP entry?

DNTcover30 Aug19655

Fifty years ago — Aug. 30, 1965 — the DNT reports that, “barring a complete letdown” in eight remaining games, Duluth-Superior Dukes third baseman Chris Barkulis “should have the Northern League batting title wrapped up and should also be a shoo-in for the league’s most valuable player award.”

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