{{Unreferenced, date=April 2019
The Prairie League was an independent league of baseball which was based in the prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba and the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The league was original in its naming by choosing not to resurrect a name previously used by a defunct minor league. The professional eight-team league was founded in 1995 following the demise of the
North Central League
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
. Having produced several major league prospects, it ceased operations after the 1997 season due to financial troubles and lack of interest in cities.
Cities Represented
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Aberdeen, SD
Aberdeen (Lakota: ''Ablíla'') is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, located approximately northeast of Pierre. The city population was 28,495 at the 2020 census, making it the third most populous city ...
:
Aberdeen Pheasants
The Aberdeen Pheasants was the primary moniker minor league baseball teams located in Aberdeen, South Dakota between 1920 and 1997. The Pheasants played in the Northern League from 1946 until the league folded in 1971. Aberdeen was the Class C ...
Southern Minny Stars
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express ...
1996–1997
*
Bismarck, ND
Bismarck () is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the state's second-most populous city, after Fargo. The city's population was 73,622 in the 2020 census, while its metropolitan popula ...
:
Dakota Rattlers
Dakota may refer to:
* Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux
** Dakota language, their language
Dakota may also refer to:
Places United States
* Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Dakota, Illinois, a town
* Dakota, Minnesota, a ...
1995–1996
*
Brainerd, MN
Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 14,395 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County. Brainerd straddles the Mississippi River several miles upstream from its confluence with ...
:
Brainerd Bobcats Brainerd may refer to:
Place names in the United States
* Brainerd, a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois
** Brainerd station, a train station in Chicago
* Brainerd, Kansas, an unincorporated community
* Brainerd, Minnesota, a city
** Brainerd Int ...
1997
*
Brandon, MB
Brandon () is the second-largest city in the province of Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the southwestern corner of the province on the banks of the Assiniboine River, approximately west of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and east of the ...
:
Brandon Grey Owls
Brandon may refer to:
Names and people
*Brandon (given name), a male given name
* Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins
Places
Australia
*Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales
*Brandon, Q ...
1995–1996;
West Manitoba Wranglers
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
1997
*
Grand Forks, ND
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...
:
Grand Forks Varmints
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and commu ...
1996–1997
*
Green Bay, WI
Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...
:
Green Bay Sultans {{Unreferenced, date=April 2019
The Prairie League was an independent league of baseball which was based in the prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba and the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The league was or ...
Minneapolis Loons
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
Minot Mallards
The Minot Mallards were a minor league baseball team based in Minot, North Dakota. Earlier Minot teams preceded the Mallards and played as members of the 1917 Northern League and 1923 North Dakota League. Beginning play in 1950, the Mallards ...
1995–1997
*
Moose Jaw, SK
Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians ...
:
Moose Jaw Diamond Dogs
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
1995–1997
*
Regina, SK
Regina () is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 census, Regina had a city population ...
:
Regina Cyclones
Regina (Latin for "queen") may refer to:
Places Canada
* Regina, Saskatchewan, the capital city of the province
** Regina (electoral district)
** Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina
France
* Régina, French Guiana, a commune
United States
* R ...
1995–1997
*
Saskatoon, SK
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
:
Saskatoon Riot
The Saskatoon Riot were a professional baseball team that played at Cairns Field in the North Central League in 1994, in their first season their record was 32-38 under manager Ron Malcolm. The following season the team moved to the Prairie League ...
1995;
Saskatoon Smokin' Guns
The Saskatoon Smokin' Guns, formerly known as the Saskatoon Riot, were a baseball team based out of the Prairie League in 1996. The first half of the inaugural season saw the Guns' challenge for the division league but their first season under th ...
1996;
Saskatoon Stallions
The Saskatoon Stallions, formerly known as the Saskatoon Smokin' Guns, was a minor league baseball team that played in the Prairie League in 1997. They had a record of 38-28, with Keith Smith as manager. The team's attendance for the season was 2 ...
1997
Notable League Alumni
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Chris Coste
Christopher Robert Coste (born February 4, 1973), is an American author and former professional baseball catcher, who first played in Major League Baseball (MLB) at age 33, after twelve seasons of independent and minor league baseball. He was an a ...
Shawn Wooten
William Shawn Wooten (born July 24, 1972) is the assistant major league hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels. He is a former professional baseball player. He played all or parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Anaheim Angels ...
*
Curt Ford
Curtis Glenn Ford (born October 11, 1960), is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, from through .
Career
Ford attended Murrah Hig ...