Minneapolis Millers
Year-by-Year Finishes
Compiled by Stew Thornley
Author of On to Nicollet: The Glory and Fame of the Minneapolis Millers
Note: The won-lost totals for the Millers sometimes differ from other sources, including the annual record book issued by the American Association. The records listed for the Millers are based on their game-by-game results and the final standings printed in the newspaper. The totals have been checked with other newspapers.
Northwestern League | |||||
Year | Won | Lost | Place | Manager | |
1884 | 31 | 42 | Ben Tuthill | ||
1884 | 8 | 5 | Ben Tuthill | ||
In 1884, the Northwestern League season was suspended in mid-August after nine of the teams (Muskegon, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, Bay City, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, Peoria, Quincy, and Stillwater) disbanded or were kicked out for non-payment of league dues. A new schedule was drawn up for the remaining three teamsMinneapolis, St. Paul, and Milwaukeeas well as for a new team, Winona, Minnesota. In early September, Minneapolis and Winona disbanded, leaving only Milwaukee and St. Paul. Both of the surviving teams finished their 1884 seasons in the Union Association, a major league in its only season of existence. Thus, St. Paul became the first major league team in Minnesota. It played all of its games on the road, winning 2, losing 6, and tying 1. Click here for more information on the 1884 St. Paul Unions and the 1884 Northwestern League season. There was no professional baseball in Minnesota in 1885, but Minneapolis had a team in a new Northwestern League in 1886. |
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1886 | 35 | 42 | 6th | Eddie Whitcomb | |
1887 | 54 | 65 | 5th | Robert O. Foster | |
Western Association | |||||
Year | Won | Lost | Place | Manager | |
1888 | 27 | 54 | 8th | W. E. Gooding | |
In 1888, the Minneapolis franchise transferred to Davenport in August. The Millers record was 28-52 when the team moved. The combined record of the Minneapolis-Davenport team in 1888 was 31-74. | |||||
1889 | 66 | 56 | 3rd | Sam Morton (home) and Moxie Hengle (road) | |
1890 | 78 | 45 | 2nd | Sam Morton, Tim Hurst | |
1891 | 52 | 45 | Charles Harrington, Sam Morton | ||
In 1891, Minneapolis was in first place when the team disbanded on August 21. Note: The Minneapolis Tribune showed the Millers final record as 58-45. However, the newspaper inexplicably changed the record from 52-44 to 58-44 after August 13. Even though the standings in the paper showed Minneapolis with a 58-44 record, it had its winning percentage as .542, which would be the winning percentage for a record of 52-44. When Milwaukee was dropped from the league on August 17 (Milwaukee left to take the place of Cincinnati in the American Association), the newspaper showed Minneapolis with the next-best record of 58-44 (still indicating a winning percentage of .542) and Omaha with a record of 46-40. Even with the correct record of 52-44 for Minneapolis, the Millers were still ahead of Omaha and in first place after the departure of Milwaukee. The Millers played one more game, losing to Sioux City, on August 19, making their record 52-45 (shown as 58-45 by the Tribune, with a winning percentage of .563, which would correspond with the incorrect record of 58-45). By this time, Sioux City, with a record of 52-46, had passed Omaha, which had dropped to 46-42. Regardless of which record was used for Minneapolis at this time, 58-45 by the newspaper or the correct record of 52-45, the Millers held first place at the time they disbanded. | |||||
Western League | |||||
Year | Won | Lost | Place | Manager | |
1892 | 19 | 22 | Charles Morton | ||
1892 | 3 | 1 | Charles Morton | ||
In 1892, the Western League disbanded in July. As had been the case in 1884, a new schedule was drawn up among the remaining six teams after teams in Fort Wayne and Milwaukee had disbanded. There was no professional baseball in Minnesota in 1893, but Minneapolis had a team in a new Western Leagueone that was formed by sportswriter Ban Johnson with the intent to eventually turn it into a major leaguein 1894. |
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1894 | 63 | 62 | 4th | John Barnes | |
1895 | 64 | 59 | 4th | John Barnes | |
1896 | 89 | 47 | 1st | Walter Wilmot | |
1897 | 43 | 95 | 6th | Walter Wilmot, George Doggie Miller | |
1898 | 48 | 92 | 7th | Gus Schmelz, Charles Reilly, Walter Wilmot | |
1899 | 76 | 50 | 2nd | Walter Wilmot | |
American League | |||||
Year | Won | Lost | Place | Manager | |
1900 | 53 | 86 | 8th | Walter Wilmot | |
In 1900, the Western Leagues name changed to the American League. The following year, the American League became a major league, without Minneapolis (as well as without several other cities that had teams in the league in 1900). | |||||
Western League | |||||
Year | Won | Lost | Place | Manager | |
1901 | 55 | 64 | 6th | A. B. Beall | |
Minneapolis played in a new Western League in 1901. The following season, it became a charter memberalong with teams in Columbus, Toledo, Louisville, Indianapolis, St. Paul, Milwaukee, and Kansas Cityin a new minor league called the American Association. | |||||
Northern League | |||||
Year | Won | Lost | Place | Manager | |
1913 | 65 | 59 | 5th | Bob Unglaub | |
While the Minneapolis entry in the American Association was the citys primary professional team during the first half of the 20th century, there were two Minneapolis teams in 1913. In addition to the Association Millers, Minneapolis had a team in the Northern League. It was known both as the Roughriders and the Little Millers and also played its games at Nicollet Park. | |||||
American Association | |||||
Year | Won | Lost | Place | Manager | |
1902 | 54 | 86 | 7th | Walter Wilmot | |
1903 | 50 | 89 | 7th | Walter Wilmot, George Yeager | |
1904 | 78 | 68 | 5th | W. H. Watkins | |
1905 | 88 | 62 | 3rd | W. H. Watkins | |
1906 | 80 | 71 | 3rd | Mike Kelley | |
1907 | 79 | 73 | 3rd | Mike Cantillon | |
1908 | 77 | 76 | 5th | Mike Cantillon | |
1909 | 88 | 79 | 3rd | Jimmy Collins | |
1910 | 107 | 61 | 1st | Joe Cantillon | |
1911 | 99 | 66 | 1st | Joe Cantillon | |
1912 | 105 | 60 | 1st | Joe Cantillon | |
1913 | 97 | 70 | 2nd | Joe Cantillon | |
1914 | 75 | 93 | 7th | Joe Cantillon | |
1915 | 92 | 62 | 1st | Joe Cantillon | |
1916 | 88 | 76 | 3rd | Joe Cantillon | |
1917 | 68 | 86 | 6th | Joe Cantillon | |
1918 | 34 | 42 | 7th | Joe Cantillon | |
1919 | 72 | 82 | 5th | Joe Cantillon | |
1920 | 85 | 79 | 4th | Joe Cantillon | |
1921 | 92 | 73 | 2nd | Joe Cantillon | |
1922 | 92 | 75 | 2nd | Joe Cantillon | |
1923 | 74 | 92 | 6th | Joe Cantillon | |
1924 | 77 | 89 | 6th | Mike Kelley | |
1925 | 86 | 80 | 4th | Mike Kelley | |
1926 | 72 | 94 | 7th | Mike Kelley | |
1927 | 88 | 80 | 5th | Mike Kelley | |
1928 | 97 | 71 | 2nd | Mike Kelley | |
1929 | 89 | 78 | 3rd | Mike Kelley | |
1930 | 77 | 76 | 4th | Mike Kelley | |
1931 | 80 | 88 | 6th | Mike Kelley | |
1932 | 100 | 68 | 1st | Donie Bush | |
In the 1932 Junior World Series, the Millers lost, 4 games to 2, to the Newark Bears of the International League. This was the series that featured the infamous Play of Six Decisions. |
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1933 | 86 | 67 | 2nd | Dave Beauty Bancroft | |
1934 | 85 | 64 | 1st | Donie Bush | |
1935 | 91 | 63 | 1st | Donie Bush | |
1936 | 78 | 76 | 5th | Donie Bush | |
1937 | 87 | 67 | 3rd | Donie Bush | |
1938 | 78 | 74 | 6th | Donie Bush | |
1939 | 99 | 55 | 2nd | Tom Sheehan | |
1940 | 86 | 59 | 3rd | Tom Sheehan | |
1941 | 83 | 70 | 4th | Tom Sheehan | |
1942 | 76 | 78 | 6th (tie) | Tom Sheehan | |
1943 | 67 | 84 | 6th | Tom Sheehan | |
1944 | 54 | 97 | 7th | Rosy Ryan | |
1945 | 72 | 81 | 5th | Rosy Ryan | |
1946 | 76 | 75 | 4th | Zeke Bonura, Rosy Ryan, Tom Sheehan | |
1947 | 77 | 77 | 4th | Tom Sheehan | |
1948 | 77 | 77 | 5th | Frank Shellenback, Chick Genovese, Billy Herman | |
1949 | 74 | 78 | 4th | Tommy Heath | |
1950 | 90 | 64 | 1st | Tommy Heath | |
1951 | 77 | 75 | 5th | Tommy Heath | |
1952 | 79 | 75 | 4th | Chick Genovese | |
1953 | 76 | 78 | 5th | Chick Genovese, Fred Fitzsimmons | |
1954 | 78 | 73 | 3rd | Bill Rigney | |
1955 | 92 | 62 | 1st | Bill Rigney | |
In the 1955 Junior World Series, the Millers beat the Rochester Red Wings of the International League, 4 games to 3. The final game of the series was also the last game played at Nicollet Park. The Millers got to the Junior Series by defeating the Denver Bears and Omaha Cardinals in the American Association playoffs. The series with Omaha featured a strange scene in which Bob Lennon of the Millers broke up a no-hittertwice in the same game. |
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1956 | 78 | 74 | 4th | Eddie Stanky | |
1957 | 85 | 69 | 3rd | John Red Davis | |
1958 | 82 | 71 | 3rd | Gene Mauch | |
In the 1958 Junior World Series, the Millers beat the Montreal Royals of the International League, 4 games to 0. | |||||
1959 | 95 | 67 | 2nd | Gene Mauch | |
In the 1959 Junior World Series, the Millers lost to the Havana Sugar Kings of the International League, 4 games to 3. The Millers had another strange series against the Omaha Cardinals in the American Association playoffs and had a win wiped out after an Omaha protestregarding the Millers use of an ineligible playerwas upheld. |
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1960 | 82 | 72 | 5th | Eddie Popowski |