Aberdeen Pheasants

The Aberdeen Pheasants were a Class C minor league baseball team located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The Pheasants played in the Northern League from 1946 until the league folded in 1971. Aberdeen was the Class C affiliate of the St. Louis Browns until 1953, continuing with the franchise when the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954, with the Pheasants remaining in the Oriole farm system. Abderdeen had a team in the Independent Prairie League from 1995 to 1997, also called the Pheasants.[1]

For the Aberdeen, Washington team also briefly known as the Aberdeen Grays, see Aberdeen Black Cats.
Aberdeen Pheasants
1920–1997
(1920–1923, 1946–1971, 1995–1997)
Aberdeen, South Dakota
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes
  • Independent (1995–1997)
  • Class A- (1966–1971)
  • Class A (1963–1965)
  • Class C (1946–1962)
  • Class D (1920–1923)
LeaguePrairie League (1995–1997)
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles 2 (1949, 1961)
Team data
Previous names
  • Aberdeen Pheasants (1946–1971, 1995–1997)
  • Aberdeen Grays (1921–1923)
  • Aberdeen Boosters (1920)
Previous parks
Municipal Ball Park (1946–1971)

Origins

Aberdeen has always been a baseball town with organized teams playing semi-professional ball as far back as the 1890s. The Dakota League was organized after World War I and offered Aberdeen fans their first taste of professional baseball, as Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Al Simmons played for Aberdeen in 1922. That league folded in 1922. After World War II another professional baseball team, the Aberdeen Pheasants, was organized in Aberdeen as part of the Northern League and had their inaugural season in 1947.

Ben Siebrecht, owner of Siebrecht Florist and Greenhouse, was the president of a five-member board charged with the duties of organizing and operating that early Pheasants team. The board raised $25,000 by selling stock to local investors and were able to establish a working agreement with the St. Louis Browns as a source for players. That agreement survived the Browns' move to Baltimore and became the longest working agreement between major and minor league teams in baseball history lasting 26 years.

Many big name players wore the Aberdeen Pheasants uniform at some time in their careers. Pitcher Don Larsen, famous for pitching a perfect game in the 1956 World Series as a New York Yankee, played for the Pheasants in 1947 and 1948. Bob Turley was a 1949 Pheasant prior to winning the Cy Young Award in 1958 as a New York Yankee. Tito Francona played on the 1953 Pheasants prior to playing on 8 different major league teams. He even married an Aberdeen girl, Roberta Jackson, at home plate prior to a home game. Earl Weaver managed the club for the 1959 season. Jim Palmer pitched for the Pheasants during the 1964 season. Earl Weaver and Jim Palmer are the only former Pheasants to be named to the baseball hall of fame. Dave Leonhard pitched for the 1963 and 1964 Pheasants and pitched for the Baltimore Orioles from 1967–1972. Mark Belanger was also on the 1964 Pheasants and was eventually named the American League all-star shortstop in 1976 as an Oriole. Lou Piniella played for the 1964 team prior to moving to the majors that same season. Cal Ripken, Sr. was a manager of the Pheasants for the 1963–1966 season.

The minor league Pheasants met their demise when the Northern League folded after the 1971 season. The remaining teams, who all folded, were the Aberdeen Pheasants, Sioux Falls Packers, St. Cloud Rox and Watertown Expos.[2]

Ballparks

Games were played at the municipal ball field located on the campus of Northern State University. The original stadium burned down in 1952 and was quickly replaced. Eventually the replacement stadium was torn down to make room for the Barnett Center. Early games during the first season started at 5:30pm because the field wasn't lighted but later during that season, lights were added thanks to contributions from the enthusiastic fans. The Pheasants built a steady fan base drawing crowds of over 3000 by their second season.

Mascot

Not to be forgotten is "Philbert" the cartoon pheasant drawn by Gordon Haug, the advertising artist for Aberdeen's Olwin-Angell department store. Philbert appeared on the front page of the Aberdeen American News the morning after each game with an appropriate comment about the game's outcome.

Significant Events

The biggest game in Pheasant history took place in 1964 when the parent team, the Baltimore Orioles, came to town to play their minor league cohorts. The Orioles posted a 6-3 win in front of a capacity crowd.

The Pheasants' final season was 1971.

In 1995, local baseball enthusiasts re-established the Aberdeen Pheasant team and gave Aberdeen fans three seasons of baseball excitement prior to disbanding the organization at the end of the 1997 season. During the 1995 season, the Pheasants ran over their Prairie League competition, setting an all-time minor-league record for winning percentage by going 56-13 (.812) in the league's regular season.

Historic information and photos provided by the Dacotah Prairie Museum[3]

In 2010, the former Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Canaries team was renamed the Sioux Falls Fighting Pheasants, presumably to give new life to the Pheasants franchise. The move was not without controversy, as discussed in this editorial from the Aberdeen American News[4]

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame Alumni

Notable alumni

Year-by-year record
YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs
194657-535thGus Albright
194782-361stDon HeffnerLost League Finals
194864-594thJimmie CrandallLost League Finals
194971-542ndIrvin HallLeague Champs
195062-575thIrvin Hall
195161-605thJoe King / Jim Post / Bruce Ogrodowski
195263-626thBruce Ogrodowski
195360-634thBarney LutzLost in 1st round
195460-757thBarney Lutz
195570-564thBill Krueger (minors)Lost in 1st round
195664-614thGeorge StallerLost League Finals
195751-707thBill Capps / Barney Lutz
195839-868thBarney Lutz (2-23) / Billy DeMars (37-63)
195969-552ndEarl WeaverLost League Finals
196063-613rdLou FitzgeraldLost in 1st round
196174-542ndLou FitzgeraldLeague Champs
196264-604thBilly DeMarsLost League Finals
196365-552ndCal Ripken, Sr.17-13 3rd*
196480-371stCal Ripken, Sr.19-10 1st*
196527-394thRay Rippelmeyernone
196647-222ndCal Ripken, Sr.none
196734-365thOwen Friendnone
196826-446thBill Werlenone
196928-425thKen Rowenone
197036-333rdKen Rowenone
197135-362ndKen Rowenone

* Baukol Playoffs based on last 30 days of the season

References
  1. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Aberdeen&state=SD&country=US
  2. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?code=NORL&class=Ind
  3. Dacotah Prairie Museum Archived October 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  4. http://www.aberdeennews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100223/OPINION03/2230306/-1/opinion%5B%5D
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