Fighting Pheasants

[jackmd]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

Great find for old folks like me. Two guys my age made the majors. Jerry Crider from Sioux Falls who is no longer living. A bit of surprise. Also Dick Green from Mitchell played several years for the Kansas City and later Oakland A's. Apparently Dick was not born in South Dakota. Oh yes I grew up listening to the Sioux Falls Carnies on KSOO, and I know that would be from 1947 to 1952. I believe the Canaries disppeared when the franchise moved to Winnepeg and that would have been about 1953.

Also a flash for Cinncinati Reds, Don Gullet played for Sioux Falls for a spell. The Reds had big hopes for him after one 20 win season, but he started having arm problems and never got back to where he was before the arm surgery.

Lots of good stuff including the Basin League. I once knew a guy from Ainsworth Nebraska who said he played for the Bassett Hounds, Bassett Nebraska and they played in the Basin League. The source here does not list Bassett as ever being in the leagues, so maybe they played some of the Basin teams from time to time and was never in the league itself. Bassett is no bigger than Arlington so he might have been buffing a little on that point.

On the topic of the Basin League, I spent many hours one night in a pub in Boston, MA (smoke free town which is sweet) talking with Dave "Soup" Campbell of ESPN baseball annoncing fame (maybe fame is too strong a word) discussing the Basin league. I was in town for a conference and he was in town announcing a Red Sox game on the network. He sat down near me while I was watching the NBA championship series and we struck up a conversation. He finds out I'm from South Dakota and tells me he played for Winner in the Basin league. We talked in much more detail but I must admit the Guinness and Harp must have affected my memory because I don't remember specifics. I do remember thinking it would have been a very interesting time to be a young baseball player or fan. Dave Campbell is a darn good guy.

[mango4]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

Great find for old folks like me. Two guys my age made the majors. Jerry Crider from Sioux Falls who is no longer living. A bit of surprise. Also Dick Green from Mitchell played several years for the Kansas City and later Oakland A's. Apparently Dick was not born in South Dakota. Oh yes I grew up listening to the Sioux Falls Carnies on KSOO, and I know that would be from 1947 to 1952. I believe the Canaries disppeared when the franchise moved to Winnepeg and that would have been about 1953.

Also a flash for Cinncinati Reds, Don Gullet played for Sioux Falls for a spell. The Reds had big hopes for him after one 20 win season, but he started having arm problems and never got back to where he was before the arm surgery.

Lots of good stuff including the Basin League. I once knew a guy from Ainsworth Nebraska who said he played for the Bassett Hounds, Bassett Nebraska and they played in the Basin League. The source here does not list Bassett as ever being in the leagues, so maybe they played some of the Basin teams from time to time and was never in the league itself. Bassett is no bigger than Arlington so he might have been buffing a little on that point.

Oh man, the Basin League. I really wish I was alive when the Basin League was still around, I would have really loved it. The Basin League was great for South Dakota baseball, too bad it isn't around anymore.

If the Basin League was still around when I was growing up, I would have been at Hyde Stadium in Pierre more than I already (which was A LOT)

[Nidaros]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

One of the "I did not know that" things I found under the Northern League, was that Dallas Green was once part of the Huron team when it was briefly in the Northern League. I keep thinking of of when he was managing the Phillies and Cubs in all those post season appearences and never once did you think he had once been living in Huron. Ironically he probably had to stay at the Pheasant Motel, if it existed then. Also he probably barely ate three square meals a day at that level. I guess you got to start somewhere.
"

[MikeHenriksen]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

Phil Jackson, the basketball coach, also played in the Basin League. He was a pitcher.

[Nidaros]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

Phil Jackson, the basketball coach, also played in the Basin League. He was a pitcher.

Norm Stewart UNI and Missouri coaching fame played for Watertown a long time ago, in fact that part helped him recruit the hot shot whose name I do recall. Jason Jason,,, help me. Was it Sunderland?

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

Norm Stewart UNI and Missouri coaching fame played for Watertown a long time ago, in fact that part helped him recruit the hot shot whose name I do recall. Jason Jason,,, help me. Was it Sunderland?

Sutherland.

[goon]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

I think the point the guy on the radio was trying to make was that there isn't much of a season ticket fan base to cater to, I would guess a couple hundred.

"KCHGGKGH"

According to the new owner on the radio, season tickets are down 65% from the mid 90's. Say there were 1000 season ticket holders back then. Would that mean there are 350 season ticket holders now? Not a lot of people to piss off. And not that hard to find 350 new fans in a town the size of Sioux Falls.

I don't really have an opinion of the new name, other than I think it was a brilliant marketing move that got people talking about the team in the offseason. I've been to about 5 Canaries games in the 10 years we've lived here, so I admit I'm probably not the best person to talk for the hardcore fans though.

The canaries worked very hard it seemed at trying to grow its fan base which is a pretty obvious move. Maybe there are only a certain number of fans who no matter the team here would be the core of season ticket holders. Maybe individual tickets could go up but I would guess that if you were a big baseball fan of minor league baseball you probably already had season tickets or couldnt afford them. Maybe I am under estimating the new owners too much. To make changes to keep growing interest in the sports scene around here is not a bad thing.

I feel that they just did not do it correctly. I know some here feel its a great marketing idea to get people talking SF baseball in Feb, but have then had an increase for ticket calls yet? Prolly not, most people will either go cuz they like baseball regardless of the team or colors and others will still not know we have a minor league sports team.

I like the Canaries name because its fun and different, not many baseball teams have intimidating mascots or team names, I understand the regional idea of pheasants, but Dodgers in LA? Cardinals and Blue Jay the baltimore Orieals (SP) thats not even close to spelled right but Im at work and to lazy to look it up. Maybe they are areas that have those birds in close proximity to the area, but should baltimore change its name because they are perinial losers? Cubs fans should be wanting a new team and logo becuase well we know how much they have won there. No I do not think its different because they are major league and the Canaries were minor league. Either way my point is, if they want to change it fine, but maybe make it so there is community involvement, I know usually that is not the case but what better way to really get fans thinking and involved with the team in winter months they involve them in somthing like this. Maybe fans could submit a team name or mascot idea. I would want something more strange or wierd for a name then an animal of regional importance. People know we have pheasants here in the state, thats why they come here to shoot them. If people dont know that changing this team name is not going to change much. Are people thinking then, I wonder, with a team name like pheasants, do they have a lot of them in SD? Also no I do not have season tickets, I only attend a few games a year, so dont think I am a homer for the canaries, thats not the case.

Why not meadow Larks, we have those in the state or Woodchucks, I dont think we have any around here but I sure like there beer which you could have gotten before, not sure about the new changes but I was surely a fan of that.

Over and out.

"KCHGKGHFK"

"you dont have the make the KCJGHKRH sound it already does that!"

What movie is that from, bonus points for the person to get it.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

Saving Silverman. Cominaw-yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh!

[goon]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

well done. Sorry we watched that with friends over the weekend so Im running movie qoutes through my mind today.

[90Jackrabbit]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

Here is a web page dedicated to the history of The Basin League: http://www.usfamily.net/web/trombleyd/BasinHistory.htm

[jackmd]

Re: Fighting Pheasants

Here is a web page dedicated to the history of The Basin League: http://www.usfamily.net/web/trombleyd/BasinHistory.htm

I stand corrected and I recall the story a bit better now. Mr. Campbell played for Sturgis. He was speaking about Jim Palmer pitching in Winner and just how tough it was to see the ball. It would have been awesome to live in a community where Basin League ball was played. I spent almost every Wednesday and Sunday night in my youth watching amateur baseball and considered August the best month of the year. District tourneys and then on to the state tourney in Mitchell. Great memories for me.