The Wahpeton–Breckenridge Twins were a minor league baseball team based in Wahpeton, North Dakota and Breckenridge, Minnesota. In 1921 and 1922, the Twins played as members of the Class D level

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 ...

. The Twins were preceded in minor league play by the 1897 Wahpeton–Breckenridge Methodists.

History

Wahpeton–Breckenridge first hosted minor league baseball in 1897. The Red River Valley League played a partial minor league baseball in 1897 as a Class F level league. The Fargo Divorcees/ Fargo Red Stockings, Grand Forks Black Stockings, Moorhead Barmaids, and Wahpeton–Breckenridge Methodists teams were the league members. The league permanently folded on August 8, 1897 with Wahpeton–Breckenridge in third place in the standings. The Wahpeton–Breckenridge "Twins" began minor league play in 1921 and caused a change in the league name. The South Dakota League changed names to become the "Dakota League", after adding the Wahpeton–Breckenridge Twins franchise, based in neighboring border cities in North Dakota and Minnesota. Baseball play on Sunday had been illegal in North Dakota until the law was repealed in 1920, a positive for early professional teams, who needed the revenue from Sunday crowds to be financially viable. Wahpeton, North Dakota newspaper publisher Robert J. Hughes formed the new Wahpeton–Breckenridge franchise. After forming the franchise and being admitted to the league, Hughes hired

Roy Patterson Roy Lewis Patterson (December 17, 1876 – April 14, 1953) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed "The Boy Wonder," he played for the Chicago White Sox from 1901 to 1907. Patterson started his professional baseball career for the Wes ...

to serve as the Twins' manager. The 1921 Dakota League remained an eight–team Class D level league, with 13–player rosters for each team. The Twins joined the

Aberdeen Grays Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

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,

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) ...

Redfield Red Sox Redfield may refer to: People * Redfield (surname) Places ;United Kingdom * Redfield, Bristol, an area within the City of Bristol ;United States *Mount Redfield, a mountain in Essex County, New York * Redfield, Arkansas, a small city in north ...

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

Watertown Cubs The Watertown Cubs were a minor league baseball team based in Watertown, South Dakota. The unaffiliated Cubs played as members of the Class D level Dakota League in 1921 and 1922 and South Dakota League in 1923. Watertown hosted minor league ...

teams in beginning league play on May 20, 1921. In their first season of play, the Twins ended the season in third place. With a record of 55–43, the Twins finished 10.5 games behind the first place Mitchell Kernels in the final standings. Roy Patterson managed the Twins. The Twins played their final season in 1922. The Dakota League continued play as an eight–team Class D level league, adding the

Fargo Athletics Fargo usually refers to: * Fargo, North Dakota, United States * ''Fargo'' (1996 film), a crime film by the Coen brothers * ''Fargo'' (TV series), an American black comedy–crime drama anthology television series Fargo may also refer to: Othe ...

Jamestown Jimkotans Jamestown often refers to: *Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas Jamestown may also refer to Places Australia * Jamestown, South Australia Barbados *Holetown, Saint James, Barbados; sometimes called its f ...

and

Valley City Hi-Liners A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

as new league franchises. The Wahpeton–Breckenridge Twins, Aberdeen Grays, Mitchell Kernels, Sioux Falls Soos and Watertown Cubs returned as members. With a record of 42–55, playing under returning manager Roy Patterson, the Twins finished in 7th place. Mitchell defended their championship and ended the 1922 season with a 60–37 record to finish 18.0 games ahead of the Twins in the final standings. The Twins did not return to play in 1923, as the Dakota League split into two four–team partner leagues to condense travel. The new 1923 leagues were called the

North Dakota League The North Dakota League was a Minor League Baseball league which operated in five North Dakota cities in . The Class D level league had four teams at the start of its season, with one team relocating in July. The league evolved from the South Da ...

and South Dakota League. Wahpeton–Breckenridge has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

The name and location of the home minor league ballpark for the Wahpeton–Breckenridge Twins is not directly referenced. Chahinkapa Park in Wahpeton was in use in the era, having been purchased from the Federal Government in 1903. Coincidently, the Twins' owner, Robert J. Hughes was the director of the park, which evolved to host a zoo.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

(1921, MGR)

References

External links

Breckenridge - Baseball Reference
Professional baseball teams in North Dakota Defunct baseball teams in North Dakota Baseball teams established in 1921 Baseball teams disestablished in 1922 Defunct baseball teams in Minnesota Wahpeton, North Dakota Wilkin County, Minnesota Dakota League teams {{DEFAULTSORT:Wahpeton-Breckenridge Twins