The Williston Oilers were a minor league baseball team based in Williston, North Dakota. The Oilers played as members of the

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

level Manitoba-Dakota League from 1954 to 1957, winning the 1956 league championship. Williston hosted home minor league games at Ardean Aafeldt Stadium.

History

Minor league baseball began in Williston, North Dakota in 1954, when the Williston "Oilers" began play as members of the four-team, independent level Manitoba-Dakota League, known as the "

Mandak League The Manitoba-Dakota League was an independent baseball league based in Manitoba and North Dakota that was founded in 1950. It became the home for many African-American and Latino players. The league lasted through the 1957 season. It was known inf ...

." The Brandon Greys, Carman Cardinals and

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 ...

teams joined the Oilers in beginning play in the league. The new Williston franchise replaced the Winnipeg Royals in the league. The Williston use of the "Oilers" nickname corresponds to local history and industry in the era. Williston is home to numerous oil fields, first discovered in 1936 and is the namesake of the Williston Basin. WillistonBasin with WillistonCity Location

WillistonBasin with WillistonCity Location

The Mandak League was a professional independent minor league that was not affiliated with the minor league baseball. The Mandak League member teams often paid players better than affiliated minor league teams. Some league players left minor league baseball and played for teams in the Mandak League. In the era, a player in the lower-level minor leagues earned approximately $150 per month, while Mandak League salaries in the era may have started at about $275 per month, with some players earning up to $900 per month. The league was also an integrated league, with many former

negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

players on team rosters. With 2,550 fans in attendance at home on May 29, 1954, Williston defeated the Brandon Greys by the score of 5–4. Williston's John Chalfont hit a sacrifice fly that drove in teammate Ron Martin with the winning run in the 11th inning.

Lloyd Gearhart Lloyd William "Gary" Gearhart (August 10, 1923 – April 2, 2001) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the New York Giants in 1947. Gearhart began his professional career in 1944, playing in the minor leagues until 1946. On April ...

of the Oilers had four hits and a home run in the contest. On August 20, 1954, Oiler player

Dewey Williams Dewey Edgar Williams (February 5, 1916 – March 19, 2000) nicknamed "Dee", was an American professional baseball player. A catcher, he appeared in 193 games played in the Major Leagues between and , and was a member of the 1945 Chicago Cubs, ...

was attacked by two men on the Williston's Main Street and was stabbed in his chest and abdomen, nearly losing his life. Williams was hospitalized under 24–hour police guard and was in serious condition before ultimately recovering. One of the attackers, a laborer drifter named Paul Jackson, was arrested, plead guilty to the assault and was sentenced to one year in the state penitentiary. Williams and Jackson had known each other and had a previous altercation in

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

after Williams had played a minor league game there. Williams played in four Mandak League seasons. A native of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, Williams eventually married and settled in Williston, living the remainder of his life in the community. He worked part time for the Williston Parks and Recreation Board umpiring baseball games, before retiring in 1982. In their first season of play, the Williston Oilers placed third in the Manitoba-Dakota League regular season standings. Managed by

Bert Shepard Bert Robert Shepard (June 28, 1920 – June 16, 2008) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who pitched in one game for the Washington Senators in 1945 after having had his right leg amputated after his fighter plane was sh ...

, the Oilers ended the 1954 regular season with a record of 28–40, finishing 11.5 games behind the first place Minot Mallards. In the four–team playoffs, the Brandon Greys defeated Williston 4 games to 3 in the first round. Oiler manager Bert Shephard was an amputee, and was the first major league amputee player, pitching in one game in 1945. Shephard had his right leg amputated after his fighter plane was shot down during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in May 1944. The left–handed pitcher taught himself to walk and eventually to pitch again with an artificial leg while a prisoner in the German

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

camp ''Stalag IX C(b)'' in

Meiningen Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 25,000 (2021).

. On August 31, 1945, Shepard received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

for his service in World War II in between games of a doubleheader for his Washington Senators. General Omar Bradley presented his medals in the ceremony at Griffith Stadium. In the 1955 season, the Mandak League continued play, with the

Bismarck Barons Bismarck most often refers to: * Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898), Prussian statesman and first Chancellor of Germany * Bismarck, North Dakota, the capital of North Dakota, U.S. * German battleship Bismarck, German battleship ''Bismarck'', a 1939 G ...

and

Dickinson Packers The Dickinson Packers were a minor league baseball team based in Dickinson, North Dakota. The Packers played as members of the Independent baseball league, Independent level Manitoba-Dakota League in 1955 and 1956, reaching the league finals in 1 ...

, teams joining the league, replacing the Brandon and Carman, as the returning Minot Mallards and Williston Oilers remained in the league. In 1955, the Oilers finished the regular season in second place in the four-team Mandak League and lost in the first round of the four-team playoffs. Williston ended the regular season with a record of 41–37, to place second in the Manitoba–Dakota League regular season. Playing under manager

Roy Weatherly Cyril Roy Weatherly (February 25, 1915 – January 19, 1991), nicknamed "Stormy", was an American professional baseball player whose career extended for two decades (1934–1943; 1946–1954; 1958). The native of Tyler County, Texas, an outfielder ...

, the Oilers finished 4.0 games behind the first place Bismarck Barons. In the Playoffs, the Willison Oilers were defeated by Minot 4 games to 3 in the first round, ending their season. In 1956, Madak League teams also played some games against teams from the

Western Canadian Baseball League The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league based in Saskatchewan and Alberta that descends from leagues dating to 1931. History The league can trace its roots back to 1931, via its predecessors. The South ...

. The Williston Oilers won both the Mandak League regular season pennant and overall league championship in the 1956 season. The Oilers finished in first place with a 49–29 record, playing the season under managers

Dee Moore D. C. Moore (April 6, 1914 – July 2, 1997) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1936 to 1946. In between his playing years, from 1944 to 1945, he served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Born in ...

and Preston Elkins. Williston finished 2.0 games ahead of the second place Bismarck Barons in the regular season standings. In the first round of the four–team playoffs, the Dickinson Packers were defeated by Williston 4 games to 3. In the playoff final, the Oilers defeated Minot in six games to claim the league championship. On September 7, 1956, Willison won game six of the finals to win the Mandak League championship series 4 games to 2. Williston pitcher Jack Sanoff was the winner as Williston defeated Minot 7–3 to capture the Mandak League title in six games. Sanoff pitched a three-hitter and hit a homer run, triple and single, with 5 RBI in the clinching game. 1957 was the final season of the Mandak League, as the Brandon Greys returned to the league, replacing the Dickinson Packers franchise. The Oilers placed third in the Mandak League standings, playing the season under returning manager Preston Elkins. With a 34–37 record, Williston tied with Brandon for third place, 3.5 games behind the first place Bismarck Barons in a close race. The playoffs were not the usual four–team playoffs. Instead, the league president placed Bismarck and Minot, the top two regular season finishers, directly into the finals, which were ended due to poor weather with Minor up 2 games to 1. The Mandak League folded after the 1957 season. Williston continued hosting independent minor league for the next two seasons, with roster, record and league information unknown for both seasons. Willison reportedly played the 1958 season as members of the

Western Canada League The Western Canada League was the name of three different baseball circuits in Minor League Baseball that operated between 1907 and 1921. The first instance of the league was a Class D circuit that played only in 1907 with four teams sponsored b ...

and the 1959 season as members of the Canadian-American League.

The ballpark

The Williston Oilers hosted home minor league games at Ardean Aafedt Stadium. The ballpark is still in use today. The ballpark has undergone numerous upgrades and has hosted three youth baseball

Babe Ruth League The Babe Ruth League is an international youth baseball and softball league based in Hamilton, New Jersey, US named after George Herman "Babe" Ruth. The parent program, Babe Ruth League, Incorporated, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. ...

World Series. Constructed in 1950, Ardean Aafedt Stadium is named for a local baseball founder. Ardean Aafeldt Stadium is located within Davidson Park at 1002 11th Street W in Williston, North Dakota.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

Jerry Adair Kenneth Jerry Adair (December 17, 1936 – May 31, 1987) was an American Major League Baseball second baseman, shortstop and third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals between 1958 and ...

(1957) *

(1954) *

Al Gettel Allen Jones Gettel (September 17, 1917 – April 8, 2005), nicknamed "Two Gun", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, New York Giants, and S ...

(1957) *

Phil Haugstad Philip Donald Haugstad (February 23, 1924 – October 21, 1998) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was born in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Haugstad pitched from 1947 to 1952 with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. External link ...

(1955) *

Bobby Hogue Robert Clinton Hogue (April 5, 1921 – December 22, 1987) was an American professional baseball player, a right-handed relief pitcher who appeared in 172 Major League games over five seasons (–) for the Boston Braves, St. Louis Browns and Ne ...

(1955) * Don Lee (1959) *

Joe Lutz Rollin Joseph Lutz (February 18, 1925 – October 20, 2008) was an American professional baseball player and coach, who was the first Caucasian race, Caucasian to manage a team in Japanese professional baseball. Life Lutz was born on February ...

(1954) *

Al Lyons Albert Harold Lyons (July 18, 1918 – December 20, 1965) was an American professional baseball player. He appeared in 39 Major League Baseball games as a pitcher in and from to with the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston B ...

(1956) *

(1956, MGR) *

(1954, MGR) * Harry Taylor (1954) * Fred Vaughn (1955) *

(1954; 1955, MGR; 1956–1957) *

(1954-1955, 1957)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Williston - Baseball Reference
Professional baseball teams in North Dakota Defunct baseball teams in North Dakota Baseball teams established in 1954 Baseball teams established in 1957 Williston, North Dakota Manitoba-Dakota League teams