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Prior Lake Veterans Field at Memorial Park

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HISTORY Prior Lake was a Village from 1891 to June 1, 1921, when the City was formally incorporated.   For over 60 years, the Prior Lake community has supported amateur baseball, the Prior Lake Lakers.  The Lakers comprised older members.  In the 1960s, a new team (The J’s) was created for younger members.  It was named J’s as it was primarily juniors from the local high school team.  Home Juice Company sponsored them.  The J’s growth included a greater variety of ages, and the name was changed to the “Jays.” They were highly successful yet disbanded in 1976. Eleven years later, a small group of baseball enthusiasts and several local businesspeople partnered to sponsor amateur baseball.  The “new” Prior Lake Jays were supported by over 70 initial sponsors.  The formation resulted in the “Jay” bird logo.  They were a Class B team.  In 1991, the Prior Lake Mudcats were created to provide a Class C team and provide playing opportunities for more players.   A search found that in addition
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Harold Doffing Memorial Park - Hampton, MN

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  HISTORY There was no history on the field or for the team online, and little history is available at the field, either.    So, I went to the City of Hampton and drove the streets to get a feel for the town.  I have driven past many times but have yet to go into the City.  I found an  emblem that the Hampton Cardinals were established in 1936.  I unsuccessfully tried looking for something on Harold Doffing, but I assume he must be a descendant of M. Doffing, whose name is on the existing building below. M. Doffing building - 1897 The first settler to claim land in the area now known as Hampton was John M.  Bell in the fall of 1854.  The Bell family quickly made a home for themselves in Hampton Township.  Later on, in 1854, Stephen D. Bell, brother of John Bell, toured the area and later moved his family to the Township.   Other area settlers included German immigrants such as Conrad, Peter, Nicholas Doffing, John J. Fox, Joseph Stumpf, and Nicholas Kranz.   A post office was opened
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Bell Field - Fairbault Lakers

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  HISTORY Shattuck Baseball Team 1886 Faribault, MN, has a long baseball tradition, with the popularity of the Shattuck High School team.  After the Great Depression, townball excitement commenced. Hadley P.  Bell was Faribault’s mayor, and he and the city council voted to purchase 40 acres of the George Caron Farm located just south of the Rice County Fairgrounds for a public park.  The public, however, was none too pleased.  Still battling through the Great Depression, the citizenry took affront to the purchase, and in the next election, every council member except Maypor Bell and one council member was defeated.  But Alexander Faribault Park survived and was constructed.  Driveways were constructed, picnic benches and tables were installed, and playground equipment was purchased.  Bell Field State Tournament 1969 The city was funding the field—to be constructed in the Northwest corner of the park—with liquor and cigarette taxes.  The lights cost $13,000, the grandstand $20,000, and
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Memorial Park - Dundas Dukes

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HISTORY Park Entrance Statue Memorial Park is on the Cannon River in Dundas, Minnesota.  The ballpark hosts over 60 games annually, including the Dukes ( Class B team with the Minnesota Baseball Association) , Northfield Legion, Northfield High School, Dukes over-35 team, the Milltown Outlaws  with the Federal League Class A, and the Minnesota State High School League Section Playoffs.   The Dundas Baseball Association, the Dukes' parent organization, maintains and funds the ballpark.  The Dukes rely on a network of dedicated volunteers and a small seasonal staff to manicure the four-acre complex.  The 2024 season was challenging as the Cannon River experienced significant flooding.  Once the flood receded , the volunteers quickly cleaned the field for play. The park underwent a roughly $100,000 renovation in 2021, which included updating the main grandstand, a 500-square-foot press box, and a new audio system.  Memorial Park co-hosted the 2022 Minnesota Baseball Association Clas
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Bonin Field - St. Francis, MN

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HISTORY On July 25, 2024, I attended the St. Partick Shamrocks VS the Chaska Diamonds , a 35-year and older townball team game at Bonin Field.   St. Patrick is a small unincorporated community comprising the St. Patrick Tavern and Grill, the St. Patrick Catholic Church of Cedar Lake, the St. Patrick Catholic Cementary, and Bonin Field. B onin Field was named after a former Catholic Priest, Fr. Leo Bonin, who was instrumental in supporting local baseball in St. Patrick in the 1950s.   Bonin Field had a significant renovation project in 1989.  An electronic scoreboard was erected in 2004, infield irrigation was added in 2008, and over 1,000 linear feet of drainage tile was added below the playing surface in 2012.  In late summer 2015, irrigation was added to the rest of the field, and a zone to water the infield ag-lime. In the fall of 2018, the 30-year-old homemade backstop was demolished and replaced with a concrete knee wall and net backstop system. Part of the project was funded by
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Review 253 fields?

I have been a significant Minnesota townball fan for decades.   Townball has been played in Minnesota since the 1920s.  Townball enjoyed its peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s, with as many as 799 teams participating in the 1950 season.    Minnesota's first town baseball team is believed to have been Nininger's in 1857.  The city of Nininger was located just west of Hastings, MN, but it  no longer exists. John Nininger, brother-in-law of Governor Alexander Ramsey, founded and  incorporated Niniger. Throughout  Minnesota, townball teams played continuously since the 1880s.  In 1924, a State Tournament, masterminded by the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and Saint Paul Dispatch  writers Roy Dunlap and Lou McKenna, was created.   This was followed by a townball  governing body for Minnesota.  As of 2024, this is the Minnesota Baseball Association.   1986, the system was revamped to create a three-tier system (A, B, and C).  In 1986, there were 230 teams in the three classes.   Town
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