Worthington Cardinals

The Worthington Cardinals were a minor league baseball team based in Worthington, Minnesota from 1939–1940. Worthington played as a member of the Class D level Western League.

Worthington Cardinals
(1939–1940)
Worthington, Minnesota
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesClass D (1939–1940)
Previous leagues
Western League (1939–1940)
Major league affiliations
Previous teamsSt. Louis Cardinals (1939–1940)
Minor league titles
League titles None
Division titles None
Team data
Previous names
Worthington Cardinals (1939–1940)
Previous parks
Fairgrounds Park (1939–1940)

The Worthington Cardinals were an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

History

Minor league baseball began in Worthington, Minnesota with the 1939 Worthington Cardinals. The Worthington Cardinals joined the 14–team 1939 Class D level Western League as an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.[1][2][3]

The year before gaining a minor league franchise, Baseball Hall of Fame member Ted Williams played in an exhibition game in Worthington, hitting a long home run in front of a capacity crowd.[4]

The Western League expanded in 1939, adding Worthington as an expansion franchise. In their first season of play, the 1939 Worthington Cardinals finished with a regular season record of 36–81. Worthington was last in the 14–team Western League regular season standings under Managers Joe McDermott, George Stine and Gerald Burmeister. Worthington was an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.[5][3][2][6]

Worthington Cardinals played their final minor league season in 1940. The Cardinals finished with a 50–59 record, 8th place in the 12–team Western League. The 1940 Managers were Ray W. Martin and George Payne.[7][8][6]

The Worthington Cardinals franchise permanently folded after the 1940 season. Worthington has not hosted another minor league team.[9]

Baseball Hall of Fame member Branch Rickey was the General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and had created their extensive system of "farm teams." Rickey visited Worthington games on multiple occasions, scouting and greeting fans.[10]

The ballpark

The Worthington Cardinals played at Fairgrounds Park. Fairgrounds Park had a capacity of 2,000 (1939) and Dimensions of (Left, Center, Right) 340-400-340 (1939). The Nobles County Fairgrounds are still in use today. The address is Stower Drive Worthington, Minnesota, 56187.[11][12][13]

Timeline
Year(s)# Yrs.TeamLevelLeagueAffiliate
1938–19402Worthington CardinalsClass DWestern LeagueSt. Louis Cardinals

Season-by-season

(from Baseball Reference)

Year Record Manager Finish Playoffs/Notes
193936–81Joe McDermott/George Stine/Gerald Burmeister14thNone
194050–59Ray Martin/George Payne8thNone

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Western League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  2. "1939 Western League (WL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  3. "Western League - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
  4. "ESPN.com: MLB - Teammates remember young, crazy Williams". www.espn.com.
  5. "1939 Worthington Cardinals Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  6. "Worthington Cardinals - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
  7. "1940 Worthington Cardinals Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  8. "1940 Western League (WL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  9. "Worthington, MN - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
  10. Apr 6th 2018 - 10pm, Ray Crippen. "Column: Worthington and Lismore had brushes with Hall of Fame". The Globe.
  11. "Fairgrounds Park in Worthington, MN history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  12. "Nobles County Fairgrounds – Nobles County Minnesota". www.co.nobles.mn.us.
  13. "St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Stadium History - Major & Minor League Baseball Parks for the St. Louis Cardinals and their Minor League teams and franchises". digitalballparks.com.

External references

Baseball Reference Bullpen

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