American Association SUNDAY Insider: One last visit to Indpendent Baseball History

Kevin Luckow

(non member of IBWAA) 

In 1993 the Northern League was looking for markets to place professional baseball teams into. At this time, pre suites and development around the ballpark, the requirements were a decent sized city and an operating ballpark. Other than Sioux City which had built the brand new Lewis and Clark Park, the requirements were met with not much more to it. 

One of those markets was Rochester, Minnesota. Home of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester is a bustling town during the day, BUT once it got dark out there wasn't and to this day, isn't much to do in Rochester. Matter of fact, last month as I was celebrating my wedding anniversary, my wife and I were looking for something to do in Rochester on a Saturday night as we were staying at a nearby Air BnB that night. We came up with nothing. 

Well, Rochester was awarded a franchise, with outside ownership that did not do much more outside of paying the bills. Their only other taste of professional sports was in the previous winter when the Rochester Renegade began play in the CBA. The Renegade racked up a 6-50 record, not exactly lighting up the local fans enthusiasm. 

The home park was Mayo Field. Tucked in between railroad tracks, a graveyard and the Zumbro River, it was cozy enough. The dimensions even cozier at an alleged 310 feet down the lines. There wasn't much to Mayo Field for amenities. Locker facilities were barely adequate for High School baseball much less pro baseball. The seating area consisted of a grandstand that could maybe squeeze in 2500 fans. 



I visited twice to see the St. Paul Saints play. Once in June as I was thrilled to be seeing a Minnesota Twin from 1987 pitching against the Saints. The late Jeff Bittiger, future AAPB Hall of Famer, did not have his best night as the Saints put up nine runs in the fifth inning. Manager Doug Simunic finally pulled Bittiger for the sixth. I thought the park would be packed as I was already used to nightly sellouts in St. Paul. Not so much, maybe 1200 fans on a Friday night. 

My other visit was for the Northern League Playoffs. The Saints and Aces had a slugfest where the Saints outlasted the Aces to tie the series at a game a piece with the Saints taking two in a row in St. Paul to take the series. 

It would be the last game in Rochester Aces history. The Aces folded with Winnipeg ready to take their spot. 

Mayo Field was host of the upstart Rochester Honkers of the Northwoods League the following season. The baseball was a huge downgrade, but with local ownership, fans cared a little, plus it helped that an all you can eat and drink deck was built. 

Before this season the Honkers, under different ownership informed the City that it would not be renewing its lease at Mayo Field, opting to go dormant until Rochester can build a suitable stadium. Though there is a plan presented, it will not be years until it can become a reality. The ownership group who just purchased a franchise to begin play at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, IA will be plenty busy anyway.

I decided to pay one last visit to Mayo Field on Thursday night. It was sad to see. The Sports Deck was in use, full as usual. But the specialty area above the dugout and in the grandstand, empty. Pillars were rusting with nobody bothering to put the money to give them a fresh coat of paint. Grandstand seats that once matched the Aces orange were painted over but were peeling. The walking area in the grandstand consisting of metal, rusty, showing its age. Mayo Clinic could make some money selling Tetanus shots to fans falling in the ballpark.  As I watched the Honkers battle the LaCrosse Loggers, I couldn't help but to look out at the field and reflect on an era long gone by. Pre internet, social media, streaming, and league wide sponsorships that subsidized teams that didn't draw fans. 





I thought about Bittiger, who impacted all levels of Independent Baseball as a player, coach, and scout. 1993 was his first taste of Independent Baseball. Fortunately for Bittiger, he was onto pitch in much nicer parks with fan bases that supported their team. Something that was missing in Rochester. 

 I also thought of Simunic, who of course went onto bigger and better things as manager of Winnipeg, winning the Northern League titles in 1994 and to Fargo-Moorheads where the championship rings kept on coming. His managing career going all the way to 2017 racking up 1296 wins. In 2012 I asked Simunic about his experience in Rochester. He said he kept nothing to remind him of his season there. 

Kash Beauchamp who has gone on to an illustrious career as an Independent League manager and Minor League coach, was the biggest star of the Aces. His contract was the first ever contract purchased out of an Independent League when the Cincinnati Reds signed him, impressed with his .367 average at the time. 

Mayo Field will still be used for High School and Amateur Baseball, but it will never see the quality of baseball that it saw in 1993 for its one taste of professional baseball. The stories that ballpark could tell.  And whoever got my St. Paul Saints Wild and Outside seat cushion I left there, I hope you put it to good use. 

American Assocaition Power Rankings (as of July 25th)

In what is a first in the eight year history of the Power Rankings, we have technically a three way tie for first. 

1. Lake Country DockHounds 42

2. Kansas City Monarchs 42

3. Milwaukee Milkmen 42

4. Fargo-Moorhead 40

5. Sioux Falls Canaries 40

6. Cleburne Railroaders 37

7. Kane Country Cougars 35

8. Winnipeg Goldeyes 33

9. Sioux City Explorers 32

10. Lincoln Saltdogs 30

11. Gary SouthShore RailCats 26

12. Chicago Dogs 23











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