Toledo Baseball, 1880-Present

Toledo Baseball, 1880-Present
The Toledo Mud Hens have had a
long and storied history in Northwest Ohio.
The club has pushed the color barrier when
other teams were trying to exclude African
American players, served as training
grounds for future Hall of Fame players and
managers, and has seen revitalization
recently
with
two
consecutive
championship seasons.
This exhibit highlights the history of
the Toledo franchise, from its humble
beginnings as Toledo men's league team to
its bright future in modern Fifth Third Field.
Toledo and the Negro Leagues
From Moses Fleetwood Walker to the Crawford and Cubs of the Negro Leagues, Toledo
was a friend to African American baseball for nearly 60 years. This is the story of African
American professional baseball in Toledo from 1883 until the “breaking” of the color barrier by
Jackie Robinson in 1947.
In no way is this essay intended to be a definitive look at the long and storied history of
the Negro Leagues in the United States. The focus is on the brief but rich history of African
American baseball in Toledo, Ohio, with a brief background on the history of African American
baseball in the United States. Excellent resources on the history of the Negro Leagues can be
obtained by contacting the Negro League Baseball Museum.
Roots of the Negro League
Roots of Baseball and the Color Line
Baseball would follow the lead of boxing and other sports as beginning racially divided
after the Civil War ended in 1865. Base ball (originally two words) had grown out of cricket and
other sports in the mid nineteenth century, with its first recorded contest taking place in 1845.
The first recorded African American game would be played 16 years later when the Colored
Union Club of New York lost to Weeksville (NY) 11-0. At this point, base ball was not a
professional sport (the Reds of Cincinnati would be formed in 1869) with the teams and rules
changing from game to game.
Even before the Reds became the first professional franchise in 1869, “blackball,”
African American amateur leagues, was prevalent on the east coast. One of the major figures in
black baseball was Octavius V. Catto, a retired Army major and teacher
at the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia. Catto, a fiery speaker
and champion of equal rights for African Americans, fought with the
then-union of baseball, the National Association of Base Ball Players
(NABBP), to include African American players in their ranks. Although
the NABBP would later vote to not allow teams "which may be
composed of one or more colored players" to play "organized" base
ball, Catto, the owner of the Pythians, would continue to field his
Philadelphia based “blackball” team against any team that would play
them, black or white.
After fighting the NABBP, Catto tried to use his increase political
presence for a greater good and set his sights on equal voting rights for
African Americans in 1871. This move would prove to be quite
incendiary in Philadelphia, setting off riots throughout Philadelphia that prompted US Marine
intervention to keep the peace. During this turmoil, Catto was accosted by a white male after
leaving the Institute for Colored Youth and was shot and killed. The shooter was detained
temporarily and then released and no charges were brought against him.
The 1871 murder of Catto not only ended the life of on an early great civil rights activist, it also
brought the "blackball" era to a halt. Passing away along with Catto and his beloved Pythians
were the gains that Catto was able to make in securing African American equality in the new
booming sport of base ball. The Pythians and other ballclubs lost direction and folded within a
year of Catto's death, bringing to a close an early chapter in the development of the Negro
Leagues.
From Catto to Fleetwood
Even though the murder of Catto
brought the progression of African American
baseball to a standstill, some players were still
able to make a living playing the game. One
player in particular was Bud Fowler.
Born John W. Jackson, Fowler began
his career as a pitcher in 1878, spending his
brief pitching career with various teams
throughout the Northeast. Fowler would later
make his mark as a second baseman for the
Keokuk, Iowa franchise of the Western League, playing several more seasons before the color
line in baseball became more cemented. When Fowler's playing career began to wind down,
due to age and racial issues, he moved into organizing and managing African American teams,
leading team such as the Page Fence Giants (Adrian, MI) of the Michigan League and the Cuban
Giants in exhibitions against the professional Cincinnati Reds. Fowler would later manage other
ballclubs such as the Smoky City Giants, the All-American Black Tourists, and the Kansas City
Stars.
The first African American to play major league baseball was former Brown University
student William Edward White, who played one game for the Providence Grays in 1879. White,
who is also thought to be the first and only former slave to have been played Major League
baseball, went 1-4 in his only game, making 12 put outs, scoring a run, and striking out once.
The man long thought to be the first African American player in the major leagues was
Toledo Blue Stockings catcher Moses "Fleetwood" Walker. Fleet, as he was known, was a
member of the Toledo franchise that spent a single year in the professional American
Association. Although Fleet's play on the field was noteworthy, it was his dealings with Cap
Anson, the future Chicago White Stocking Hall of Famer, that made him famous. Anson never
forgot the 1884 incident in which he was rebuked when he attempted to get Walker off the
field due to his race. When the two were scheduled to meet again on the field in 1887, this time
with Walker playing for the Newark franchise. Fleet and George Stovey, the talented pitcher
who holds the International League season win record with 35, once again drew the ire of
Anson. This time, without Toledo and Charles Morton for protection, the International League,
led by the six teams that did not have black players, voted 6 to 4 to create an unofficial color
barrier.
By the end of the 1889 season, the International League was an all Caucasian league,
with Fleet Walker the last African American player to play in the league. Stovey would later play
in other minor league systems, as well as with the all-black Cuban Giants, but never would he
make it to the Major Leagues. Walker would never play baseball again after the 1889 season,
moving back to Steubenville to join his brother in several business ventures and to advocate a
return to Africa for all blacks in the United States to end the racial divide.
Another great of the time relegated to the minor leagues due to the racist policies of the
National League was Frank Grant. Grant, a second
baseman for various franchises, was considered by most
to be a Major League talent, but spent most of his
career in the International League, eventually finishing
with the all black Cuban Giants due to the new color
barrier. Grant would eventually be voted into the Major
League Hall of Fame for his talents in 2006.
By the end of the 19th century, blackball had
returned, this time as more of traveling minstrel than
baseball teams. Although teams such as the Page Fence
Giants of Adrian, MI and the New Orleans Pinchbacks
were filled with potential Major League talent
ballplayers, they were forced to include gimmicks into
their games, such as juggling or other routines, in order
to entertain their fans. The gains made by serious professional ballplayers such as Bud Fowler,
Fleet Walker, and Pythians owner Octavius Catto were put on hold until a new professional
league could be created.
The Birth of the Negro Leagues
After another dozen years of constant barnstorming, talk of an all African American
league began to bubble to the surface again. With more and more southern African Americans
moving to northern factory towns, a larger fan base emerged for the league.
The main benefactor of this new league would be former Cubans pitcher Andrew
"Rube" Foster. Foster would later rise to prominence and
fortune within the league, sometimes commanding 40% of
the gate receipts for his teams barnstorming games.
During the first years of the 20th century, Foster
was able to make the Leland Giants, the team formed from
the Chicago Union Giants, into the best African American
team. Well aware that most of the barnstorming teams
were run and operated by rich white businessmen, Foster
desired to have the operations turned over to blacks.
With the continued rise in the black population of
the North Foster, along
with trusted white All
Nations traveling team
owner J.L. Wilkinson set
out to build a sustainable
all-black baseball league.
In 1920, with the first
world war over, Foster got
his wish and the Negro National League was formed in Kansas
City. Although the league would never rise in prominence to
compete with the Major Leagues, even folding briefly in 1933,
the dream of Catto and Foster of an all black professional
baseball league had finally been realized.
Toledo Crawfords and Tigers
Toledo, Ohio has a brief history of involvement with the various incarnations of the
Negro Leagues. All of the teams that played in Toledo were able to use Swayne Field, at the
time one of the best facilities in all of the various minor leagues.
The first Negro League team to play in Toledo was the Toledo Tigers. The Tigers took the
field for their one and only season in 1923, playing in Swayne Field with limited success. The
team, made up of semi-pro players and remnants from the Cleveland Tate Stars, lasted most of
the 1923 season, finishing with an 11-17 records. The team was disbanded in July of that
season, with their players disbursed to the St. Louis Stars and Milwaukee Bears. The fans of the
Tigers were treated to seeing Negro League great Bill Gatewood manage the first part of the
season, with Candy Jim Taylor finishing the season as the skipper.
The African American community of Toledo would get
another Negro League team in 1939 when the Crawfords arrived
from Pittsburgh. The Crawfords, owned by Gus Greenlee, was
unable to stay financially solvent and in 1939, were forced to
leave Pittsburgh for Toledo.
The Crawfords, named for a tavern in Pittsburgh, did not
fare well in Toledo either, playing only 19 games at Swayne Field
under the management of Oscar Charleston, who was also the
first baseman. The highlight of the shortened season for the
Toledo fans was witnessing Tommy Dukes, a well known
journeyman player hitting .385 for the transplanted Crawfords.
Unfortunately for Toledo, the team was still not
financially viable and folded at the end of the 1939 season.
Turbulent Years, 1880-1900
(Photo: Courtesy of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library)
Base ball (originally two words)
had already become well established in
Northwest Ohio prior to the formation of
the "professional" Toledo Base Ball
Association in 1883. The league was made
up of ten ball clubs and included Noah H.
Swayne, a Toledo area businessman, in its
ranks.
The rules of base ball in the 1880's
were slightly different than the rules that
we know today. Walks, which now come
after the fourth non-strike, were allowed
after seven. Over-hand pitching was
illegal and stolen bases were not allowed.
In the first years of Toledo professional base ball, the results were mixed. The first
professional game played in Toledo was one by the Toledo Blue Stockings 5-4 over the Bay City
on May 5, 1883. The 1883 Blue Stockings would go on to win the Northwestern League pennant
under manager Charles Morton.
Following the Cap Anson incident (next section) at the end of the 1883 season, the Blue
Stocking began play in 1884 in the American Association of the Major Leagues. Major League
baseball was growing by leaps and bounds in the 1880's with games being played in more than
30 cities in 1884 alone. This jump in competition proved to be too much for the newly named
Toledos, finishing the season well out of running for the pennant and in eighth place. Major
League baseball’s run of good fortune ended and by the end of 1885, so had the run of Toledo
baseball. The Toledos, now of the Western League, were contracted and baseball left Toledo
for three years.
Baseball and manager Charlie Morton returned to Toledo in 1889 with the Black Pirates
of the International League. The Pirates played well enough in 1889 to secure an invite back to
the American Association of the Major Leagues in 1890, finishing a respectable fourth place and
a couple games above .500 each season. But this would only last one season as financial woes
brought on by lagging ticket sales brought the Toledo franchise to contraction once again in
1890.
Baseball in Toledo refused to die in the 1890's, even in light of the Chicago World's Fair of 1892
and the stricter enforcement of Toledo "Blue Laws" forced the team out of town or into
bankruptcy twice in the decade. The 1896-1897 Swamp Angles/Mud Hens became a proven
winner to close out the decade, taking the pennant in 1896 and 1897 and finishing no worse
than third in from 1890-1900 under manager Charles Stroebel.
Notable players/opponents: Moses Fleetwood Walker, Cap Anson, Tony Mullane, Hank O'Day.
Moses Fleetwood Walker
Moses Fleetwood Walker was born in Mt. Pleasant, Ohio in
1857, the fifth child of Caroline and Moses Walker. The family
moved to Steubenville so that the elder Moses could begin
practicing medicine. Fleet, as he was known to his family, and his
brother Weldy, would attend all black schools until the city high
school was desegregated.
After graduating from Steubenville, Fleet would go on to
Oberlin College, a school known for its progressive admission
policies towards blacks and women. Fleet would take up baseball
and Oberlin, and his obsession with the sport nearly causes him to
flunk out. After starring for the newly created Oberlin baseball
team, Fleet, Weldy, and Fleet's
pregnant future wife all left to enroll
at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
After starring at Michigan and several stints with
professional traveling teams, Walker joined the Toledo Blue
Stockings and led them to the Northwestern League crown in his
first season. Walker earned $2,000 for the 1883 season, a large
sum for a player of any race at the time.
The end for Walker was near after the August incident with
Cap Anson, which would be one of many racist incidents that
would follow Walker throughout his short career. Fleet, along with
his brother Weldy, would play Major League baseball for one
season with the new Toledo franchise, but the segregationist
policies advocated by Anson would derail any advancement of
Walker's career.
Walker would finish his minor league career with the
Syracuse Stars in 1889. One evening, Walker was attacked by a
group of white males. Walker was able to defend himself, killing
one of the men in the process. After a long trial,
Walker was found innocent and left New York
to return to Ohio. Weldy, now a businessman
back in Steubenville, invited his brother to
come back to work with him. Weldy and Fleet
would later run a movie theatre and hotel in
Steubenville.
Outside of his business pursuits, Fleet
also became a spokesman for Black Nationalism
and Marcus Garvey. Fleet wrote and published
the Equator, a magazine on African American
issues. In 1908, Walker published the pamphlet
Our Home Colony: A Treatise on the Past, Present, and Future of the Negro Race in America,
stating that "the only practical and permanent solution of the present and future race troubles
in the United States is entire separation by emigration of the Negro from America."
Walker passed away in 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cap Anson Incident
The 1883 championship season also brought with it a fair share of controversy. The star
of the Blue Stockings, Moses Fleetwood Walker, as well as his brother Welday, was both African
American baseball players at a time when the color line in baseball was just beginning to be
drawn.
After winning their first championship in 1883, the Blue Stockings were invited to play
an exhibition game against the Chicago White Stockings. On August 10, the National League
champ featuring future Hall of Famer Cap Anson as a manager and player. At the time, Anson
was in the prime of his career. Even though he had an off season by his standards, Anson was
still one of the most important figures in baseball.
When hearing that his White Stockings were scheduled to play against a team that
featured an African American player, Anson (paraphrased to omit the racist language) stated
that he would not set foot on the field if the Walkers played.
Although Walker was not scheduled to play his usual catcher position due to a hand
injury (he did not use a glove), Toledo manager Charles Morton put Walker into the outfield
after hearing Anson's racist comments. With the league's future still in economic limbo and
fearing a loss of the gate receipts, the Chicago ballclub and Anson backed down and played the
game.
Although Morton forced Anson's hand and forced him to play against an African
American player, Anson would have the final laugh as Anson is considered by most to be a
leading force in the gentlemen's agreement that introduced the color barrier to baseball. After
the Walkers and a couple other players retired, the game of baseball stayed predominantly
segregated until Jackie Robinson broke through in 1947.
Mud Hens, Iron Men, and Soumichers, 1902-1926
The dawn of the twentieth century
found relative stability and prosperity in
Toledo baseball. The Mud Hens finished a
strong third in the Inter State League during
the first season of the new century under
manager Charles Stroebel. Even with the
folding of the Inter State league in 1900, the
Mud Hens continued to play on in a new
league that rose from its ashes, the Western
League. The Mud Hens would move to the
American Association in 1902, staying in that league until the team left Toledo in 1955.
With the new found stability of
the American Association, it became
obvious that Armory Park was no longer a
suitable home for the franchise and that
the team needed a modern stadium to
play in. With this in mind, Swayne Field
opened for play on July 3, 1909. The park,
which was built on land donated by an
old friend of Toledo baseball, Noah
Swayne, was considered to be the "finest
park in minor league baseball" when at its
opening. Toledo baseball would call
Swayne Field home until 1955.
The Toledo franchise went
through multiple owners during the early twentieth century. The first owner, J. Edward Grillo, a
Cincinnati sports editor, tried to infuse the struggling franchise with a winning attitude. The
franchise was able to rise out of the American Association cellar, even placing as high as fourth
in 1906. The next owner was William R. Armour, the man credited with signing Ty Cobb in
Detroit. Armour was able to turn around the struggling team in 1908, nearly taking the team to
the American Association pennant. On the heels of this successful season, Armour, using land
donated by Toledo businessman and former player Noah Swayne, built Swayne Field. Armour
spared no expense in the construction of his state of the art ballpark, which would be used by
Toledo until 1955.
After the 1910 season, Armour sold the Mud Hens to Clevelander Charles Somers, who
quickly moved the team to Cleveland in 1914 to block the expansion of the Federal League. The
city of Toledo would be home to the South Michigan League Soumichers in 1914 and 1915, but
the team drew such little attendance due to its poor play that it was forced to play its home
games on the road in 1915.
With the folding of the Federal League in 1915, professional baseball was brought back
to Toledo by native son Roger Bresnahan.
Bresnahan, who had left Toledo to become a
Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Giants,
retuned as owner, player, and manager of the
newly named Iron Men. During Bresnahan's
tenure as the team improved instantly,
winning 87 games in 1920 and barely missing
the playoffs. This would be short lived, as the
team slipped back into its losing ways,
finishing near last or last during the next five
seasons. The team was still a decent draw due
to the former and future Major Leaguers on
the roster during this time, such as Jim
Thorpe, James Middleton, Freddie Lindstrom,
Hack Wilson, Dutch Schliebner, and Bill Lamar.
After 1902, the Toledo franchise suffered through two decades mostly sub .500 seasons,
with the 1906, 1910, 1912, and 1920 being the notable exceptions. All of this was about to
change with the return of Roger Bresnahan and the introduction of Casey Stengel as the new
manager in 1926.
Notable players: Roger Bresnahan, Ray Chapman, Elmer Flick,, Addie Joss, Bill Lamar, Freddie
Lindstrom, James Middleton, Dutch Schliebner, Hack Wilson, Jim Thorpe.
Champs to Chumps, 1928-1950
The 1927 team would prove to be the last
championship Toledo team for more than half a
century. The team would quickly be dismantled, with
most of the major parts graduating to the Major
Leagues in 1928 or 1929. After a second 100 loss
season in 1931, Stengel left the Mud Hens to begin
his Hall of Fame Major League manager career.
During the 1930's, the Mud Hens suffered
through the great depression along with the rest of
the country. At the beginning of the depression, the
team went into receivership in 1929, with local
businessman Waldo Shank rescuing the team from
contraction in 1929. Minor League baseball would
have to turn to gimmicks, coupled with the excellent
play on the field, to service economic extinction
during the depression.
The first gimmick was the introduction of
night baseball. The idea was not a new concept, as the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs, in
many ways pioneers of baseball, had been transporting portable lights during the various
barnstorming tours of the United States. The Mud Hens would introduce night baseball to
Toledo on June 23, 1933, defeating the Columbus Red Birds 2-1 behind the 15 strikeout
performance of Monte Pearson in the inaugural night game. It would be almost two more years
before the professional Cincinnati Reds would introduce lights into the Major Leagues.
Another gimmick, which has also worked more recently within all of the major
professional sports, was the extension of the playoff season. Under the previous system, only
the top two teams would make the playoffs to battle for the Junior World Series. Under the
new Shaughnessy playoff system, four teams were now invited.
Another major innovation that was sweeping throughout minor league baseball was the
institution of the "farm team" system. Toledo would have various Major League affiliates
throughout the depression, beginning with the Indians in 1932 and also sending players to the
Tigers and St. Louis Browns during the 1940's.
The 1930's and 1940's were not kind to the Mud Hens. After the surprising 1930
campaign, the team would finish under .500 in all but five seasons, with most of those years the
team finishing in last place. As could be expected, in the years when the team played poorly on
the field, they also did poorly at the gate. This was evidence in the 1936 and 1937 seasons. In
1936, the team finished a woeful 59 and 92 and drew nearly 70,000 fans. The next season, the
team bounced back, finishing in second place and drawing almost 260,000.
The beginning of World War II brought a new role for
baseball, the role of morale booster. Even though Toledo and all of
the other ball clubs lost players to the war effort (10 in 1942 and 10
in 1943), baseball did continue. The teams put on the field by the
Mud Hens did not fare particularly well, with only the playoff
season (due to the Shaughnessy playoff system) of 1944 which was
quickly followed up by a sub .500 seasons from 1945 until 1953.
1948 found the St. Louis Browns pulling their affiliation with the
Mud Hens due to the team’s poor play. The Tigers would take over
the minor league franchise the next season.
Notable Players: Ned Garver, Pete Gray, Sam Jethroe, Boris Martin, Monte Pearson, Hal Trosky
Baseball Leaves Toledo Twice, 1950-1956
The Mud Hens were now owned by the Tigers, but this failed to help the team put a
winning outfit on the field. In the three years of Tigers reign, the team failed to post a winning
season and drew only 300,000 fans total.
Danny Menendez purchased the team from the Tigers in 1952 and tried to raise interest
for the team within the city of Toledo. An offer to purchase the club came to Menendez from a
group in Charleston, WV and Menendez quickly decided to move the team out of Toledo. This
move was fought by members of the Toledo community and Menendez settled for leaving the
teams offices in Toledo and having the team play its home games in Charleston in 1952.
The City of Toledo would not go without a team for long as the Milwaukee Brewers
minor league franchise, now displaced due to the arrival of the Braves from Boston, settled on
Toledo as their new home. The new franchise would assume the name Glas Sox, eventually
shortened to Sox.
The new Sox were a far more exciting than the Mud Hens team that relocated to
Charleston. Players such as Negro and American League veteran Sam Jethroe would lead the
team to a first place finish in 1953. The team would just miss playing in the Junior World Series
that year, losing to the Kansas City franchise in seven games. The 1953 season would prove to
be an anomaly, as the team quickly returned to its losing ways, finishing in 5th and 6th place
the next two seasons and attendance quickly sagged as well. Three years into operating a team
in Toledo, the Brewers quickly departed, leaving Toledo without a franchise. Sensing that a new
franchise was not coming soon, the city quickly demolished the aging Swayne Field, replacing
the historic stadium with a strip mall. 1957 saw the city of Toledo without a baseball team or a
baseball stadium.
Notable players: Gene Conley, Bill Klaus, Sam Jethroe.
Mud Hens Return 1965-1973
With the beginning of the 1965 season, Ned Skeldon's dream of bringing baseball back
to Northwest Ohio had been accomplished. Although the team did not play without the
boundaries of the city of Toledo, the team was given the name the Toledo Mud Hens and was
now the Triple A affiliate of the New York Yankees.
After two respectable, but sub .500 seasons, the Tigers and Yankees switched farm
teams and now Toledo was able to watch the young prospects of the Tigers play in Toledo.
Former manager Jack Tighe returned to manage the team and it quickly showed improvement,
finishing in third place and qualifying for the playoffs in 1967. 1967 would bring the Mud Hens
their first championship in 40 years as the Mud Hens defeated Columbus to win the Governors
Cup championship. The next season, the team finished the regular season in first place, but
failed to repeat as champions. All of these successes seemed to be lost on the Toledo fans, as
the team finished consistently toward the bottom in attendance in the International League.
The next five years failed to bring success on the field or off. The Toledo fans still stayed
away from the ballclub they wished would return, consistently finishing in the bottom third in
attendance. The team on the field did not fare any better. The Mud Hens were only able to
muster one winning season during this stint as a Tigers affiliate. Although several Tigers players
would make their way through Toledo during this time period, the Tigers severed ties with the
team in 1973.
Notable players: Ike Brown, Mike Marshall, Joe Niekro, Jim Rooker.
Ned Skeldon
For nine years, Toledo was without a minor
league baseball franchise, the longest such period in the
then seventy year history of Toledo baseball. One man
was determined to end that drought as soon as
possible, Edward J. "Ned" Skeldon.
Ned Skeldon was a longtime advocate for Toledo
and Northwest Ohio. A lifelong resident of the area,
save military service and working for Toledo interests in
Washington D.C., Skeldon entered local politics by
winning the Vice Mayor position and later served four
terms as the County Commissioner. Skeldon also fought
to clean up the Maumee Valley, heading the Clear
Water Inc. and serving as Vice Chair of Ohio Water
Development
Authority,
groups
advocating
environmental cleanup of the Maumee River and
Northwest Ohio.
In the early 1960's, Skeldon proposed that the
racetrack at the county fairgrounds be converted into a
baseball park and set out to build a committee that would help him to accomplish it. The
committee that was created to bring baseball back to Toledo was made up of area businessmen
and civic leaders. The group included Henry Morse of Toledo Trust (President), Steve Stranahan
(Vice President), Monsignor Jerome Schmit of St. Patrick's Church (Secretary-Treasurer), and
Ray Johnston (General Manager).
After the reconstruction of the
park, Skeldon was able to bring the Triple
A franchise from Richmond, VA to Toledo,
along with an affiliation with the New York
Yankees.
Toledo was given another shot at minor
league baseball, resuscitating the Mud
Hens moniker, and field a team for the
1965 International League season at the
new (sort of) Lucas County Stadium.
Skeldon would continue to have a working
relationship with the team. The stadium
was eventually renamed Ned Skeldon
Stadium in 1988 in honor of the legacy of
Skeldon. Edward J. Skeldon died just three
months after the stadium dedication.
Mediocrity and Various Affiliations, 1974-1987
After the Tigers left Toledo once again in
1973, the Philadelphia Phillies came to town
bringing their Triple A prospects. Even with the
infusion of new blood, and even Hall of Fame
pitcher Jim Bunning as manager, the team still
remained in the cellar of the International
League. Attendance increased slightly (most
likely due to Bunning), but the team still drew far
less than the rest of the league.
The Phillies would leave after just two
years of affiliation and the Indians soon followed
into town. This would seem to be a perfect
marriage, bringing one of the in-state teams'
minor league affiliates to Toledo. But once again,
the fans failed to show up, the team played poorly on the field, and the Indians were gone after
two cellar dwelling seasons.
The Twins and Cal Ermer became the new affiliate for Mud Hens in 1978 and brought
some stability and excitement to the franchise. Ermer, a former manager for the Major League
franchise, would stay at the helm of the Mud Hens for eight years, a record for tenure with the
team. Another key addition was Gene Cook, who would serve the Mud Hens in the front office
for nearly two decades.
The team started out well, and advancing to the playoffs in 1978 for the first time in a
decade. In 1979 the team slightly regressed, but quickly returned to the playoffs in 1980,
eventually losing in the Governors Cup final to Columbus. The team would continue to be
inconsistent, following up decent seasons with finishes in the cellar of the International League.
Although the Mud Hens were inconsistent, the team began to draw more fans. The 1978
season saw the team top their 1965 attendance for this first time. During the rest of the Twins
years, the team would continue to stay at or near this number, even topping 200,000 during
their playoff season.
The 1982-1986 Mud Hens teams would feature many of the stars of the two World
Champion Minnesota Twins teams. Players such as Kirby Puckett, Frank Viola, Tim Tuefel, Greg
Gagne, Randy Bush, and Steve Lombardozzi. Puckett and Tuefel would finish third and fourth
for the 1984 Rookie of Year. The teams would also feature future Texas Rangers manager Ron
Washington and Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane.
Cal Ermer would leave the Mud Hens before the 1986 season, being replaced by future
Major League manager Charlie Manuel. After years eight years of inconsistent play, the Twins
would soon follow Ermer out of Toledo, severing their affiliation with Toledo following the 1986
season. This move would set the stage for the return of the Tigers, who have continued their
relationship with the Mud Hens to this day (2007).
Notable players/managers: Jim Bunning, Dave Engle, Cal Ermer, Greg Gagne, Ron Hassey, Joe
Lis, Charlie Manuel, Kirby Puckett, Tim Tuefel, Frank Viola, Gary Ward, Greg "Boomer" Wells,
Tack Wilson.
Tigers Return to Toledo, 1987-2002
The 1987 season was a homecoming in many ways for the Toledo Mud Hens. First and
foremost, the Detroit Tigers and their Triple A players returned to the city of Toledo in 1987, a
marriage that continues today. Along with the return of the Tigers came a return of the fans to
Mud Hens games, with even the worst Mud Hens teams still drawing more than 168,000 fans,
most years well over 200 and 300 hundred thousand. In another return, broadcaster Frank
Gilhooley also returned to the team to broadcast games with partner Jim Weber.
In 1987, the team would begin a streak of last or nearly last place finishes that would
not end until 2002. Despite these consistently poor teams, fans still continued to come out to
the Lucas County/Ned Skeldon Stadium, averaging nearly 300,000 fans during this losing streak.
On June 28, 1988, the team honored long time friend Ned Skeldon by changing the name of the
stadium to Ned Skeldon Stadium. Unfortunately, Skeldon would not get to see his beloved Mud
Hens make it to the playoffs again, passing away three months after the dedication ceremony.
The International League continued grow in popularity and in 1998, expanded to 14
teams, up from 10. This expansion moved the Mud Hens into a four team division with
Columbus, Louisville, and Indianapolis, all three top teams of the International League. This
move further cemented the Mud Hens into the cellar of their division for the immediate future.
The stability of the Twins/Cal Ermer years also was lost. The Mud Hens would go through a
manager every other season, with the longest tenure, that of Joe Sparks, lasting only three
seasons. Other managers that led the Mud Hens included John Wockenfuss, Tom Runnels, Leon
Roberts, Pat Corrales, and Larry Parish (1st of two stints as manager).
During the final years of the 1990's Ned Skeldon Stadium was beginning to show its age.
What was once a quirky stadium was now becoming run down, some equating it to a high
school facility. This was not lost on the city of Toledo, which had yearned to bring the Mud Hens
back within the borders of the city and into a modern stadium.
Notable Players and Managers: Frank Catalanatto, Pat Corrales, Travis Fryman, Tom Gamboa,
Phil Hiatt, Jose Lima, Larry Parrish, Bubba Trammell.
The Future of the Mud Hens, 2002-Present
In 2002, the Mud Hens moved into Fifth Third Field, a custom stadium designed for
baseball use in downtown Toledo. The new stadium, patterned along the new trend of "retro"
stadiums, was built into the side of one of the existing downtown buildings and purposefully
lower than street level. This allows for views inside the stadium from outside of its walls.
The Mud Hens were an instant success in their new home, winning the Western Division
in their first year at Fifth Third Field. After two years of mediocre plan, which coincided with the
rejuvenation of the senior Tigers ballclub, the Mud Hens returned to their winning ways in 2005
and 2006, winning the Governors Cup in both seasons. The attendance problems, like the years
of losing, also seem to be a thing of the past. In the first five seasons of Fifth Third Field, the
Mud Hens have not failed to draw less than 500,000 fans, almost 200,000 more than they drew
annually in the comparably sized Skeldon Stadium. In 2007, the "Roost" section of Fifth Third
Field was voted for best seats in all of minor league baseball by ESPN.
With the parent ballclub, under General Manager Dave Dombrowski, having more
success in the various Major League drafts, the future of the Mud Hens looks bright.
Major League Affiliates
Years
League
Affiliate
1932
American Association
Cleveland Indians
1936-1939
American Association
Detroit Tigers
1940-1948
American Association
St. Louis Browns
1949-1951
American Association
Detroit Tigers
1953-1955
American Association
Milwaukee Braves
1965-1966
International
New York Yankees
1967-1973
International
Detroit Tigers
1974-1975
International
Philadelphia Phillies
1976-1977
International
Cleveland Indians
1978-1986
International
Minnesota Twins
1987-Present
International
Detroit Tigers
Glossary
Affiliation System - Each minor league team negotiates a contract with a "parent" club in the
Major Leagues, i.e. the Mud Hens with their parent club the Detroit Tigers. These contracts
usually will run from one to five years. Since the players are technically the property of the
parent club, all the minor league team pays for is the day to day operations and stadium costs
for the team, with contracts being paid by the parent club.
The first "minor league" was the Northwest League of 1883-1884. The Toledo franchise was the
champion of the charter season of the league. Toledo has had various affiliations throughout its
nearly 125 years of baseball, including: the Browns, Indians, Tigers, Twins, and the Phillies. The
Tigers have been a parent club on more than one occasion.
American Association - The American Association (minor league not the precursor to the
American League) would prove to be far more stable than any of the past leagues that Toledo
had participated in. With teams in cities such as Columbus, Louisville, Indianapolis, Kansas City,
Milwaukee, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, the league would prove to be far stronger financially than
any of the previous minor leagues. The American Association still exists today.
Blue Laws - Laws in the city of Toledo which most businesses to not operate on Sundays. The
Blue Laws had been in effect prior to the founding of the Toledo franchise, but had not been
enforced until 1895. This would change with an affidavit filed by Ewing Street residents against
the city for the running of the trolley to transport fans to baseball games.
Then owner Denny Long was able to subvert the law by playing Sunday games outside of the
city limits, but eventually was unable to continue to fight them. In 1896, the team left
Northwest Ohio and relocated to Terre Haute, IN and was renamed the Hottentots. Ironically,
trolley cars played a major part in choosing Terre Haute. Long was promised 2 cents for every
person that attended a Hottentots baseball game by a Terre Haute trolley car company.
Farm Team - Branch Rickey, the baseball innovator who de-segregated baseball by signing
Jackie Robinson, also invented the minor league farm system. Rickey, then with the St. Louis
Cardinals, devised a system that would allow him to train players in the minor leagues and then
bring them up to help the parent club when needed. This was not looked upon fondly by
Commissioner Kennesaw " Mountain " Landis, who fought the system on the grounds that it
would destroy the minor leagues. Rickey would eventually prevail and the system is now in
place with multiple classes for every Major League baseball franchise.
Governors Cup - Awarded to the champion of the International League. the cup originally was
devised when the Governors of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York and the Lieutenant
Governors of the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario sponsored a trophy for the winner of the
International League. A trophy has been given out every year since 1933. The first version of the
trophy, which was designed by Supervisor of International League Umpires W.B. Carruth and
made of pure silver, is currently on display at the Major League Hall of Fame in Cooperstown,
NY. The current trophy, which has been the Mud Hens for the past two seasons (2005-2006),
resides at the home of the winner.
International League - Minor League system was initially created in 1884 out of a merger of
three other minor leagues systems. The league has operated teams in Canada, the eastern
seaboard of the US, the Midwest, and even in Havana, Cuba prior to Fidel Castro's rule.
Toledo Stadiums, 1883-Present
Seasons
Teams
Capacity Location
Presque Island Park
1883
Blue Stockings,
Maumees
N/A
Now C&O Coal Docks
League Park
1884
Blue Stockings
N/A
13th and Monroe St.
Tri-State Fairgrounds
1884
Blue Stockings
(Sunday games)
N/A
Oakwood and Upton St.
Speranza Park
1890
Maumees
N/A
Cherry and Frederick St.
Bay View Park
1891-1901
Swamp Angels,
Mud Hens
N/A
3900 N. Summit St. (now a
senior citizen golf course)
Armory Park
1901-1909
Detroit Tigers,
Mud Hens
N/A
Speilbush Ave.
Noah H. Swayne Field
1909-1956
Iron Men, Mud
14,800
Hens,
(1948)
Soumichers,
Negro League
Tigers, Crawfords
Monroe and Detroit St.
Ned Skeldon Stadium
(formerly Lucas
County Stadium)
1965-2002
Mud Hens
13,695
(1966)
2901 Key St. Maumee, OH
Fifth Third Field
2002Present
Mud Hens
10,000
(2002)
406 Washington St.,
Toledo, OH.
Swayne Field, (1909-1956)
Swayne Field, sometimes known as Mud Hen Park,
was built in 1909 on land donated by Toledo
businessman and baseball fan, Noah H. Swayne.
The financier of the project, then owner William R.
Armour wanted the stadium to be the most
modern in all of the minor leagues and did not
spare a penny in trying to achieve this goal.
The first team to play in Swayne Field was the
1909-1913 Toledo Mud Hens. When owner Charles
Somers moved the team to Cleveland to block the
expansion of the Federal League, a lower level Michigan minor league team began playing on
the field. Due to poor attendance for this lower brand of baseball, the stadium sat empty for
the 1915 season.
Swayne Field was also home to the
Negro League teams of Detroit and Toledo.
From 1923 to 1955, the Tigers and the
Crawfords both played at Swayne Field. The
stadium was also used for local high school
baseball games and other local events.
The first game played at Swayne Field
was on July 3, 1909. The stadium would be
the home of Casey Stengel and the 1927
Junior World Series Champions, but few other
winning seasons. In 1933, the stadium added
light to allow for nighttime baseball.
The field was rather large by today's
standards, with the center field fence sitting
472 feet from home plate. Only one player,
Sam Jethroe, was credited with hitting a ball
out to dead center field. Behind the center field
was the coal pile for the Red Man Tobacco
plant. On a day when the wind was blowing in,
the field was engulfed in the smell of
unprocessed tobacco.
In 1955, with the Mud Hens wooed
away
from the city once again, in the name of "progress,"
Swayne Field was torn down and replaced with a
shopping mall. Today, there are no reminders of what
used to be the most modern and beloved minor league
stadium.
Ned Skeldon Stadium (1965-2002)
After a decade without baseball, Toledo
was finally given another franchise in 1965
when the struggling International League
franchise from Richmond, Va. relocated to
Toledo. The Mud Hens were set to begin play in
1965 at the newly renovated Lucas County
Stadium, which was located on the grounds of
the Lucas County Recreation Center.
Lucas County Stadium was built using
the grandstands from a horse track at the Lucas
County Fairgrounds. These grandstands would
make up the seating behind the home plate
dugout. The plan to bring baseball back to
Northwest Ohio, as well as to build the stadium
at the Lucas County Fairgrounds in Maumee was devised by Ned Skeldon, then county
commissioner, and a non-profit group that was created to bring baseball back to the Toledo
area.
The stadium was known for its "fair" type
atmosphere, as well as the long exposed walk of
the players from the dugout to their respective
locker rooms. This area proved to be an excellent
place for fan to collect autographs from their
favorite players.
In 1988, the name of the stadium was
changed to Ned Skeldon Stadium, to honor the
man who helped bring baseball back to
Northwest Ohio.
By this time, what were once quirky
charms of the stadium had grown into annoyances, as the stadium that was once known as one
of the best in the minor leagues was now being
compared to a high school facility. The Mud
Hens played their final game in Ned Skeldon
Stadium in 2002, officially moving the team
back to Toledo and a new downtown location.
Today, Ned Skeldon Stadium is used for
various activities, such as local baseball games
and adult leagues.
Bibliography
Toledo Mud Hens
Benson, Michael. Ballparks of North America: A Comprehensive Historical Reference to Baseball
Grounds, Yards, and Stadiums, 1845 to Present. McFarland Publishing. Jefferson, NC. 1989.
Blahnik, Judith and Phillip S. Schulz. Mud Hens and Mavericks. Viking Studio Books. New York.
1995.
Husman, John. Baseball in Toledo. Arcadia Publishing. Charleston, SC. 2003.
Longert, Scott. Addie Joss: King of the Pitchers. Society of American Baseball Research.
Cleveland, OH. 1998.
O'Brien, John, Jerry De Bruin and John Husman. Mud Hen Memories. Perrysburg, OH. 2001.
Roger Bresnahan/Mud Hens Chapter of the Society of American Baseball Research. Blue
Stockings to Mud Hens: A History of Professional Baseball in Toledo, Ohio. Roger
Bresnahan/Mud Hens Chapter of the Society of American Baseball Research. Toledo, OH. 1998.
Archival material, including photographs, used courtesy of the Toledo-Lucas County Public
Library, Images in Time.
Negro Leagues in Toledo
Heaphy, Leslie A. The Negro Leagues: 1869-1960. McFarland and Company. Jefferson, NC. 2003.
Ribowsky, Mark. A Complete History of the Negro Leagues: 1884-1955. Birch Lane Press. New
York. 1995.
Archival material, including photographs, used courtesy of the Negro Leagues e-Museum.
Essays
Baade, Robert A. and Allen R. Sanderson. "Cities Under Seige: How the Changing Financial
Structure of Professional Sports is Putting Cities at Risk and What to Do About It," in Advances
in the Economics of Sports, vol. 2. JAI Press. Greenwich, CT. 1997.
---- "Minor League Teams and Communities," in Sports, Jobs, and Taxes: The Economic Impact
of Sports Teams and Stadiums. Donnelly and Sons. Harrisonburg, VA. 1997.
Johnson, Arthur T. Minor League Baseball and Local Economic Development. University of
Illinois Press. Champaign, IL. 1993.
Kraus, Rebecca S. Minor League Baseball: Community Building Through Hometown Sports.
Haworth Press. New York. 2003.
Quirk, James P. and Rodney Fort. Hard Ball: The Abuse of Power in Pro Team Sports. Princeton
University Press. Princeton, NJ. 1999.
Rosentraub, Mark S. "Stadiums and Urban Space," in Sports, Jobs, and Taxes: The Economic
Impact of Sports Teams and Stadiums. Donnelly and Sons. Harrisonburg, VA. 1997.
Web resources
Baseball Reference.com, accessed online at http://www.baseball-reference.com/.
ESPN. The Best of the Minor Leagues. http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/news/story?id=2909747
Negro Leagues e-Museum. http://www.coe.ksu.edu/nlbemuseum/history/teams.html
Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, Images in Time.
http://www.toledolibrary.org/collection/images.asp