The Redfield Reds were a minor league baseball team based in

Redfield, South Dakota Redfield is a city in and the county seat of Spink County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The city was named for J. B. Redfield, a railroad official. Geography Redfield is located at . According to th ...

. In 1920 and 1921, the Reds played as members of the

South Dakota League The South Dakota League was a Class D level minor league baseball league that played from 1920 to 1923. The South Dakota League changed its name to the shortened Dakota League for the 1921 and 1922 seasons. The South Dakota League consisted of ...

in 1920 and

Dakota League 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, Minnesot ...

in 1921. Redfield hosted home minor league games at College Park, also playing select Sunday games at Armandale Park.

History

In 1920, Redfield "Reds" began minor league play as members of the

, which formed as an eight–team Class D level league, with all franchises based in

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

. The league was the first professional baseball in South Dakota since a Sioux Falls team had played in the 1902–1903 Iowa-South Dakota League. Joining Redfield in the 1920 South Dakota League as charter franchises were the Aberdeen Boosters,

Huron Packers Huron may refer to: People * Wyandot people (or Wendat), indigenous to North America * Wyandot language, spoken by them * Huron-Wendat Nation, a Huron-Wendat First Nation with a community in Wendake, Quebec * Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi ...

, Madison Greys, Miller Climbers,

Mitchell Kernels The Mitchell Kernels were a minor league baseball team based in Mitchell, South Dakota. The Kernels played as members of the South Dakota League (1920), Dakota League (1921–1922), South Dakota League (1923), Nebraska State League (1936–1937) ...

Sioux Falls Soos The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...

and

Wessington Springs Saints The Wessington Springs Saints were a minor league baseball team based in Wessington Springs, South Dakota. In 1920, the Saints briefly played as members of the Class D level South Dakota League, hosting home minor league games at the Wessington ...

teams. In their first season of play, the 1920 Redfield Reds finished in fifth place in the South Dakota League. Playing under managers

Ollie Pickering Oliver Daniel Pickering (April 9, 1870 – January 20, 1952) was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in a 30-year career that spanned from the 1892 Houston Mudcats to the 1922 Paducah Indians. He played for a number of Maj ...

and Harry Halstead, Redfield finished 14.0 games behind the first place

, who won their first of three consecutive championships. Redfield had a 46–49 record. In 1921, the Redfield Reds continued play as the league changed names to the

, renaming after adding the Wahpeton-Breckenridge Twins, based in

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

and

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. Baseball play on Sunday had been illegal in North Dakota until the law was repealed in 1920, a positive for early professional teams, who needed the revenue from large Sunday crowds to remain financially viable. The Dakota league remained an eight–team Class D level league, with 13–player rosters. The 1921 league members joining Redfield in Dakota League play were the Aberdeen Grays, Huron Packers, Madison Greys, Mitchell Kernels, Sioux Falls Soos, Wahpeton-Breckenridge Twins and Watertown Cubs. In their final season of play, the Redfield Reds placed fourth in the 1921 Dakota League final standings. Redfield ended the season with a 47–46 record, playing under managers Henry Wingfield and Harry Halstead and finished 15.5 games behind the first place Mitchell Kernels in the league standings. Redfield folded following the 1921 season and did not return to the 1922 Dakota League. Redfield, South Dakota has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballparks

The Redfield Reds were noted to have played home games at College Park. The ballpark was located at 502 East 2nd Street in Redfield, South Dakota, at the site of the former Redfield College, which also offered high school courses and closed in 1932. Redfield was referenced to have played select Sunday minor league home games at Armandale Park. Still in use today as a public park, the ballpark was located at 391st Avenue & 151st Street in

Mellette, South Dakota Mellette is a city in Spink County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 199 at the 2020 census. Mellette was laid out in 1881, and named in honor of Governor Arthur C. Mellette. Geography According to the United States Census Burea ...

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

Harry LaRoss Harry Raymond "Spike" LaRoss (January 2, 1888 – March 22, 1954) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Ma ...

(1921) *

(1920, MGR)

References

{{Reflist

External links

Redfield - Baseball Reference
Defunct baseball teams in South Dakota Baseball teams established in 1920 Baseball teams disestablished in 1921 South Dakota League teams Dakota League teams Spink County, South Dakota