This article refers to the modern Northern League. For the original incarnations of the Northern League, which operated between 1902 and 1971, see Northern League (baseball, 1902-71) This article refers to the original incarnations of the Northern League, which operated between 1902 and 1971. ...

Northern League
Sport	Baseball
Founded	1993
No. of teams	8
Country	United States  Canada
Current champions	Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
Official website	www.northernleague.com

The Northern League, based in Chicago, is an independent baseball league which operates in the Northern United States and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Manitoba. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either. Image File history File links NorthernLeague. ... A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium II St. ... See also: 1992 in sports, other events of 1993, 1994 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Athletics February 11 - Irina Privalova sets a new womens 60m indoors world record August 13 - August 22 - World Championships held in Stuttgart Auto Racing Stock car racing: Dale Jarrett won... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (or simply the FM RedHawks) is an independant professional baseball team located in the Fargo-Moorhead (made up of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota) metropolitan area. ... Nickname: The Windy City, The Second City, Chi Town, The City of Big Shoulders The 312 Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in Chicagoland and Illinois Coordinates: Country United States State Illinois County Cook Incorporated March 4, 1837 Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Motto: Fortis et liber (Latin: Strong and free) Official languages English (see below) Flower   Wild rose Tree Lodgepole Pine Bird Great Horned Owl Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 28 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English and French, per mandate of the Constitution Act 1982 Flower Prairie Crocus Tree White Spruce Bird Great Grey Owl Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 14... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A Class A California League game in San Jose, California (1994) Minor baseball leagues are North American professional baseball leagues that compete at a level below that of Major League Baseball. ...

The Northern League exists so that professional baseball players who are not signed by a Major or Minor League organization could have another chance at playing at a higher level. Although the level of Northern League play can be categorized as between A and AA, players in independent baseball are usually not scouted heavily by Major League teams. Many Major League alumni have called Northern League teams home in an effort get back to the Majors. The league also caters to players who are not quite talented enough to play at a higher level higher level. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Modern Northern League

The current incarnation was created in 1993 through the efforts of the first commissioner Miles Wolff. Wolff started the league after many midwestern cities contacted him (through his affiliation with Baseball America) asking how they could get a minor league team. After visiting some of them, most notably Wade Stadium in Duluth, he started contacting potential owners to start the league. Duluths canal connects Lake Superior to the Duluth-Superior harbor and the St. ...

The league started in 1993 with 6 teams: Duluth-Superior Dukes (Duluth, Superior WI), Rochester Aces (Rochester, Minnesota), St. Paul Saints (St. Paul, Minnesota), Sioux Falls Canaries (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), Sioux City Explorers (Sioux City, Iowa) and Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks (Thunder Bay, Ontario). The prospects for the league were originally "cloudy." Many forecasted an early demise especially in St. Paul where competition with the Minnesota Twins lead many local sportswriters to consider it a "beer league." The Kansas City T-Bones minor league baseball team is based out of Kansas City, Kansas and is located near the Kansas Motor Speedway. ... Railyard in the port of Superior Superior is the a city and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin. ... The Winnipeg Goldeyes have been two separate and distinct baseball teams based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada playing in the independent Northern League. ... Location Government Country   State     County United States   Minnesota     Olmsted Founded 1854 Mayor Ardell Brede Geographical characteristics Area     City 103. ... The St. ... State capitol building in Saint Paul Saint Paul is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Minnesota in the United States of America. ... The Sioux Falls Canaries are an independent minor league baseball team in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. From 1993 to 2005, the Canaries were members of the Northern League. ... Sioux Falls (pronounced sue falls) is the largest city in the state of South Dakota. ... The Sioux City Explorers are a Northern League baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The Schaumburg Flyers are a Northern League baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois. ... Motto: {{Unhide = {{{}}}}} Location City Information Established: 1970 (amalgamation between Fort William and Port Arthur) Area: 328 km² Population: City Population 109,016 Population density: 332. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3,6,14,29,34 Name Minnesota Twins (1961–present) Washington Senators or Nationals (1901-1960) *Nickname originally Nationals; alternate nickname Senators gained favor over the years but was not acknowledged on uniforms until 1959...

In fact the league was, overall, quite a success with only one franchise, Rochester, failing to attract significant crowds. The ailing Aces franchise was sold to an owner in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Sam Katz) and renamed the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Location City Information Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge), 1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... Samuel (Sam) Michael Katz, OM , BA (born Rehovot, Israel, 1951) is the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. ... The Winnipeg Goldeyes have been two separate and distinct baseball teams based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada playing in the independent Northern League. ...

Part of the success of the league is the structure of the teams with both salary caps and roster rules. Teams are permitted no more than 4 veterans (5+ years professional experience) and required to have at least as many rookies. The rest of the rosters are made up of players with various years of experience (listed as LS-1 to LS-5 for "limited service).

The league expanded from six to eight teams with the addition of franchises of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (Fargo, North Dakota) and Madison Black Wolf (Madison, Wisconsin). After the 1998 season the Whiskey Jacks, originally with the second best attendance in the league, was sold and became the Schaumburg Flyers (Schaumburg, Illinois) in 1999. The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (or simply the FM RedHawks) is an independant professional baseball team located in the Fargo-Moorhead (made up of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota) metropolitan area. ... Location in North Dakota Coordinates: Country United States State North Dakota County Cass County Founded 1871 Mayor Dennis Walaker Area    - City 98. ... The Madison Black Wolf was a Northern League baseball club located in Madison, Wisconsin from 1996 to 2000. ... Nickname: Mad Town or Mad City Location of Madison in Dane County, Wisconsin Municipality City Incorporated 1848 Mayor Dave Cieslewicz Area    - City 136. ... The Schaumburg Flyers are a Northern League baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois. ... Schaumburg is a village in Cook County and DuPage County, Illinois. ...

In 1999 its eight teams merged with the Northeast League, which had begun in 1995. During these years the original Northern League franchises made up the Northern League Central and the Northeast League teams became the Northern League East. Despite becoming one league, the 2 divisions only played each other during the league championship series. In 2002 expansion in the Central added the Joliet JackHammers (Joliet, Illinois) and Gary SouthShore RailCats (Gary, Indiana). The Canadian-American Association or Can-Am League is an independent minor league baseball league which operates in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Québec. ... The Joliet JackHammers are a Minor league baseball team in the Northern League based in Joliet, Illinois. ... The city of Joliet is located 40 miles southwest of Chicago. ... The Gary SouthShore Railcats are a Minor league baseball team in the Northern League based in Gary, Indiana. ... This article is about the city in Indiana, for other uses of Gary, see Gary (disambiguation). ...

When the four-year agreement ended at the conclusion of the 2002 season, the relationship between the 2 leagues was ended. The Northeast League was reestablished as a separate league (which later reformed as the Can-Am League). It was the final year that Miles Wolff remained associated with his creation. Mike Stone replaced him as league commissioner. The Canadian-American Association or Can-Am League is an independent minor league baseball league which operates in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Québec. ...

During this same period two more teams struggling with attendance and difficult stadiums relocated. In 2001, the Madison Black Wolf became the Lincoln Saltdogs (Lincoln, Nebraska) while in 2003 the Duluth-Superior Dukes became the Kansas City T-Bones (Kansas City, Kansas). The Lincoln Saltdogs are a Northern League baseball team based in Lincoln, Nebraska. ... Nickname: Star City Location in Nebraska Coordinates: Country   State     County United States   Nebraska     Lancaster Founded[1]   Renamed   Incorporated 1856   July 29, 1867   April 1, 1869 Mayor Coleen Seng Area    - City 195. ... The Kansas City T-Bones minor league baseball team is based out of Kansas City, Kansas and play in CommunityAmerica Ballpark near the Kansas Speedway. ... Kansas City is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County; it is part of the Unified Government [1] which also includes the cities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville. ...

In 2004 expansion to Alberta was announced, which created the Calgary Vipers (Calgary) and Edmonton Cracker-Cats (Edmonton) doubling the size of the league over 12 years. Motto: Fortis et liber (Latin: Strong and free) Official languages English (see below) Flower   Wild rose Tree Lodgepole Pine Bird Great Horned Owl Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 28 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total... The Calgary Vipers are an independent minor league baseball team in the Northern League. ... Calgary is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. ... The Edmonton Cracker-Cats are an independent minor league baseball team in the Northern League. ... Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, situated in the north central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farm land on the prairies. ...

After the 2005 season, the St. Paul Saints, Sioux Falls Canaries, Lincoln Saltdogs, and Sioux City Explorers left the Northern League to establish their own independent minor league, called the American Association. The Northern League played the 2006 season as a two-division, eight-team league. The following are the baseball events of the year 2005 throughout the world. ... The American Association (formally, the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball) is an independent minor league. ...

Over 12 seasons over two dozen players have been signed from the Northern League to play in major league baseball. These include players such as J. D. Drew, Kevin Millar, Jeff Zimmerman, and Rey Ordoñez. Several former MLB players have played in the league including Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd, Darryl Strawberry, Jack Morris, Pedro Guerrero, and Leon "Bull" Durham. Former MLB players and coaches have also coached or managed in the Northern League including Terry Bevington, Hal Lanier, Wayne Terwilliger, Matt Nokes, and "Dirty" Al Gallagher. David Jonathan Drew (commonly known as J.D., born November 20, 1975 in Valdosta, Georgia, USA) is a Major League Baseball right fielder who is under contract for the Boston Red Sox. ... Kevin Charles Millar (born September 24, 1971 in Los Angeles, California) is a Major League Baseball outfielder/first baseman who plays for the Baltimore Orioles. ... Jeff Zimmerman (born August 9, 1972 in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada) was a pitcher for the Texas Rangers. ... Rey Ordóñez (born November 11, 1971 in Havana, Cuba) was a Major League Baseball shortstop who played for the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Chicago Cubs. ... Dennis Ray Oil Can Boyd (born on October 6, 1959 in Meridian, Mississippi) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. ... Darryl Eugene Strawberry (born March 12, 1962) is a former baseball player who is well known both for his play in the baseball field and for his controversial behavior outside of it. ... John Scott Jack Morris (born May 16, 1955 in St. ... Pedro Guerrero (born June 29, 1956 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic) is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his career (1978-1992) with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. ... Leon Durham (born July 31, 1957 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a former first baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 10 seasons. ... Terry Bevington (born July 7, 1956) is a former manager of the Chicago White Sox. ... Harold Clifton Lanier (born July 4, 1942 in Denton, North Carolina) is a former infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. ... Willard Wayne Terwilliger (born June 27, 1925 in Clare, Michigan) is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. ... Matthew Dodge Nokes (born October 31, 1963 San Diego, California - ) was a utility player with an 11 year career from 1985 to 1995. ...

Member teams

The Calgary Vipers are an independent minor league baseball team in the Northern League. ... Calgary is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. ... Motto: Fortis et liber (Latin: Strong and free) Official languages English (see below) Flower   Wild rose Tree Lodgepole Pine Bird Great Horned Owl Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 28 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total... Foothills Stadium, formerly Burns Stadium, is a stadium in Calgary, Alberta. ... The Edmonton Cracker-Cats are an independent minor league baseball team in the Northern League. ... Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, situated in the north central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farm land on the prairies. ... Motto: Fortis et liber (Latin: Strong and free) Official languages English (see below) Flower   Wild rose Tree Lodgepole Pine Bird Great Horned Owl Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 28 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total... Telus Field is the home of the Edmonton Cracker-Cats of the independent Northern League and former home of the defunted Edmonton Trappers, a minor-league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League that moved to Round Rock, Texas and became the Round Rock Express after the 2004 season. ... The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (or simply the FM RedHawks) is an independant professional baseball team located in the Fargo-Moorhead (made up of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota) metropolitan area. ... Location in North Dakota Coordinates: Country United States State North Dakota County Cass County Founded 1871 Mayor Dennis Walaker Area    - City 98. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  Ranked 19th  - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 340 miles (545 km)  - % water 2. ... Newman Outdoor Field is a baseball stadium located in Fargo, North Dakota. ... The Winnipeg Goldeyes have been two separate and distinct baseball teams based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada playing in the independent Northern League. ... Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Location City Information Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge), 1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English and French, per mandate of the Constitution Act 1982 Flower Prairie Crocus Tree White Spruce Bird Great Grey Owl Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 14... Canwest Global Park is the home of the Winnipeg Goldeyes Northern League baseball team in Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... The Gary SouthShore Railcats are a Minor league baseball team in the Northern League based in Gary, Indiana. ... This article is about the city in Indiana, for other uses of Gary, see Gary (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... U.S. Steel Yard is a baseball field located in Gary, Indiana. ... The Joliet JackHammers are a Minor league baseball team in the Northern League based in Joliet, Illinois. ... The city of Joliet is located 40 miles southwest of Chicago. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 0 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Silver Cross Field is a baseball field located in Joliet, Illinois. ... The Kansas City T-Bones minor league baseball team is based out of Kansas City, Kansas and play in CommunityAmerica Ballpark near the Kansas Speedway. ... Kansas City is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County; it is part of the Unified Government [1] which also includes the cities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... CommunityAmerica Park is a stadium in Kansas City, Kansas. ... The Schaumburg Flyers are a Northern League baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois. ... Schaumburg is a village in Cook County and DuPage County, Illinois. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 0 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Alexian Field is a stadium in Schaumburg, Illinois. ...

Former teams (1993-2005)

• Rochester Aces (became Winnipeg Goldeyes 1994)
• Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks (became Schaumburg Flyers 1999)
• Madison Black Wolf (became Lincoln Saltdogs 2001)
• Duluth-Superior Dukes (became Kansas City T-Bones 2003)
• St. Paul Saints (2005 left to create American Association)
• Lincoln Saltdogs (2005 left to create American Association)
• Sioux Falls Canaries (2005 left to create American Association)
• Sioux City Explorers (2005 left to create American Association)
• Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs

The Winnipeg Goldeyes have been two separate and distinct baseball teams based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada playing in the independent Northern League. ... The Schaumburg Flyers are a Northern League baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois. ... The Lincoln Saltdogs are a Northern League baseball team based in Lincoln, Nebraska. ... The Kansas City T-Bones minor league baseball team is based out of Kansas City, Kansas and play in CommunityAmerica Ballpark near the Kansas Speedway. ... The St. ... The American Association (formally, the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball) is an independent minor league. ... The Lincoln Saltdogs are a Northern League baseball team based in Lincoln, Nebraska. ... The American Association (formally, the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball) is an independent minor league. ... The Sioux Falls Canaries are an independent minor league baseball team in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. From 1993 to 2005, the Canaries were members of the Northern League. ... The American Association (formally, the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball) is an independent minor league. ... The Sioux City Explorers are a Northern League baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa. ... The American Association (formally, the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball) is an independent minor league. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

League structure

The Northern League plays a 96 game split season schedule from late May until early September. The division winners in each half qualify for the post-season, though if a team wins both halves, the team with the best overall record, regardless of division, qualifies as a wild card. Both the league semi-finals and Championship Series are best of five.

Rosters

During the season, rosters are limited to 22 players, broken into seven classes based on a players years of service. One year of service is defined as one National Association (affiliated) season, or two independent league seasons.

• Rookie: A player with less than one year service. Each team must carry a minimum of five Rookies.
• LS-1: "Limited Service", a player with less than two years.
• LS-2: A player with less than three years.
• LS-3: A player with less than four years.
• LS-4: A player with less than five years. Only four players may be LS-4's.
• LS-5: A player with less than six years.
• Veteran: A player with six or more years. A maximum of four players may be veterans.

Champions

• 1993 St. Paul Saints
• 1994 Winnipeg Goldeyes
• 1995 St. Paul Saints
• 1996 St. Paul Saints
• 1997 Duluth-Superior Dukes
• 1998 Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
• 1999 Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs
• 2000 Adirondack Lumberjacks
• 2001 New Jersey Jackals
• 2002 New Jersey Jackals
• 2003 Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
• 2004 St. Paul Saints
• 2005 Gary SouthShore Railcats
• 2006 Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks

1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The St. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... The Winnipeg Goldeyes have been two separate and distinct baseball teams based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada playing in the independent Northern League. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Kansas City T-Bones minor league baseball team is based out of Kansas City, Kansas and is located near the Kansas Motor Speedway. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (or simply the FM RedHawks) is an independant professional baseball team located in the Fargo-Moorhead (made up of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota) metropolitan area. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... The Adirondack Lumberjacks were a baseball team based in Glens Falls, New York. ... This article is about the year 2001. ... The New Jersey Jackals are a baseball team in the independent Can-Am League. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Gary SouthShore Railcats are a Minor league baseball team in the Northern League based in Gary, Indiana. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Northern League
• nlfan.com - Northern League Fan's Guide
• Calgary Vipers 2006 Program