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Diggers lost the opener 5–2 to
Winnipeg, with the game shortened to eight innings so the Canadian club could catch its train. Virginia started the season with a 1–6 record at home. On July 17, 1913, in a game at home against Minneapolis, the outfield was full of water. A special ground rule was enacted that any ball hit on the fly into the outfield and not caught was to be a ground rule double.
346:. Ewens Field and Stadium was in existence as a high school football and track facility until it was torn down in 2020. The site was renovated to make room for a new city event center facility. Today, the Iron Trail Motors Event Center occupies the site. The center is located at 919 6th Street South in Virginia, Minnesota.
323:. On July 10, 1916, the Fort William Canadians (22–39) team folded, leaving the league with an uneven five teams. League owners decided another team would be folded and either Virginia or Fargo-Moorhead would be the team. Virginia was folded on July 10, even though the Virginia owners and fans wanted to continue play.
259:
The 1913 opening day home game at
Virginia was postponed twice due to rain. April 23, 1913, was the date scheduled as the start of the season, with rain cancelling the game that day and the next. On Friday, April 25, the season opened after the third parade in Virginia in three days was held. The Ore
299:
Virginia continued play in the eight–team 1914 Northern League, finishing the season in fifth place. With a final record of 55–68, the Ore
Diggers were managed by Kid Taylor, Frank McGee and John Sundheim while finishing 19.0 games behind the first place Duluth White Sox in the final regular season
282:
When
Waddell decided to play for Virginia, he reportedly said to reporters, "There is a great opportunity for the Northern League. The clubs are playing good baseball. Well, I am contented, and I am going to like it fine. I have known (manager) Spike Shannon for years. Well, I am off now to play
314:
became manager of the
Virginia Ore Diggers in 1916. Davis had previously managed the Winona Pirates of the Northern League in 1913 and 1914. The Ore Diggers folded before the end of the season and didn' reform. The 1916 Northern League reduced two teams to become six–team league after the St.
303:
The 1915 Virginia Ore
Diggers finished in sixth place in the final Northern League standings. The Ore Diggers compiled a record of 53–69 to place sixth in the eight–team league. Playing under returning manager John Sundheim, the Ore Diggers finished 22.5 games behind the first place
295:
and Edward
Stewart. Virginia finished 55.5 games behind the first place Winona Pirates in the final standings. The Ore Diggers were the last team Hall of Famer Rube Waddell would play for. Reportedly, Waddell had a record of 1–8, appearing in 14 games for Virginia.
197:
level minor league called the "Northern League," was proposed that would include the four 1912 Central
International League cities and four other franchises. After the proposal was mobilized, Virginia, Minnesota was admitted into the league.
188:
In the spring of 1912, a group of
Virginia, Minnesota businessmen organized in an attempt to secure a professional baseball team for the city. The group entered into negotiations with several other regional cities who established the
286:
In their first season of play, the 1913 Virginia Ore
Diggers finished in last place in the Northern League standings. With a record of 30–87, the Ore Diggers finished in eighth place, playing under managers
326:
548:
907:
275:, even naming the bears. Waddell left the team after a game on July 20, 1913, never to return. It marked his last professional appearance in uniform. Waddell died in 1914 from
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998:
319:
franchises did not return to begin the league season. On July 10, 1916, Virginia had a record of 28–32 and had won 11 of their previous 16 games, playing under manager
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193:. However, Virginia did not gain a franchise for entry into the league when it formed with four teams for the 1912 season. However, in 1913 an eight–team,
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618:"Rube and His Bears: A Short History of the Virginia Ore Diggers and the Team's Time in the Northern League – Society for American Baseball Research"
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202:
160:
79:
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Minor league baseball play began in Virginia, Minnesota in 1913, when the Virginia Ore Diggers became members of the eight-team Class C level
572:
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The Northern League continued play in 1917 without a Virginia franchise. Virginia, Minnesota has not hosted another minor league team.
692:
255:
member Rube Waddell, St. Louis Browns. Baseball card. Waddell played for the Virginia Ore Diggers in 1913, a year before his death.
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joined the Virginia Ore Diggers roster. Waddell was reportedly attracted by the great hunting and fishing reports from nearby
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The Virginia Ore Diggers hosted home minor league home games at a ballpark site that was later named
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889:"Virginia Base Ball Park in Virginia, MN minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com"
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played for the Virginia, Minnesota team in 1908 with a salary of $ 350 per month.
271:. Waddell was noted to have regularly played with four bears who would appear at
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Virginia hosted semiprofessional teams before hosting minor league baseball.
799:"1915 Northern League (NL) minor league baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com"
763:"1914 Northern League (NL) minor league baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com"
727:"1913 Northern League (NL) minor league baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com"
155:. From 1913 to 1916, the "Ore Diggers" played exclusively as members of the
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888:
173:
played for the 1913 Virginia Ore Diggers in his last professional season.
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330:(2015) Biwabik Iron-Formation, Rouchleau Pit. Virginia, Minnesota, USA.
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The Virginia use of the "Ore Diggers" nickname corresponds with the
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163:. Virginia hosted minor league home games at Ewens Field.
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86:
75:
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233:teams joined Virginia in beginnins league play. A
908:"Field's namesake dedicated to serving the area"
237:member would join Virginia during the season.
8:
679:Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007).
949:Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation
681:The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball
999:Northern League (1902-71) baseball teams
406:
353:
300:standings. The league held no playoffs.
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835:"1916 Virginia Ore Diggers Statistics"
817:"Lefty Davis Minor Leagues Statistics"
781:"1915 Virginia Ore Diggers Statistics"
745:"1914 Virginia Ore Diggers Statistics"
709:"1913 Virginia Ore Diggers Statistics"
21:
1014:Baseball teams disestablished in 1916
7:
1019:Defunct baseball teams in Minnesota
1004:Defunct minor league baseball teams
244:industry in the region in the era.
1009:Baseball teams established in 1913
871:"Virginia, Minnesota Encyclopedia"
16:American baseball team (1913–1916)
14:
593:Early Black Baseball in Minnesota
925:NEWS, JIM ROMSAAS MESABI DAILY.
906:NEWS, JIM ROMSAAS MESABI DAILY.
263:On May 18, 1913, a 36-year-old
967:Iron Trail Motors Event Center
1:
984:Virginia - Baseball Reference
573:Virginia Ore Diggers players
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191:Central International League
927:"Stadium remembered fondly"
462:Kid Taylor / Frank McGee /
306:Fargo-Moorhead Graingrowers
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19:Minor league baseball team
87:Major league affiliations
60:Minor league affiliations
29:
317:Grand Forks Flickertails
308:in the final standings.
211:Grand Forks Flickertails
590:Peterson, Todd (2010).
503:Team disbanded July 10
151:baseball team based in
137:Ewens Field (1913–1916)
945:"The Ranger - June 17"
875:Baseball-Reference.com
857:Baseball-Reference.com
853:"1916 Northern League"
839:Baseball-Reference.com
821:Baseball-Reference.com
785:Baseball-Reference.com
749:Baseball-Reference.com
713:Baseball-Reference.com
657:Baseball History Daily
636:Baseball-Reference.com
632:"1913 Northern League"
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215:Minneapolis, Minnesota
521:Baseball Hall of Fame
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253:Baseball Hall of Fame
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235:Baseball Hall of Fame
167:Baseball Hall of Fame
547:(1913, MGR) 1915 AL
403:Year–by–year records
383:Virginia Ore Diggers
315:Boniface Saints and
145:Virginia Ore Diggers
127:Virginia Ore Diggers
25:Virginia Ore Diggers
1024:Virginia, Minnesota
596:. McFarland. p. 83.
153:Virginia, Minnesota
100:Minor league titles
50:Virginia, Minnesota
683:(Third ed.).
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893:www.statscrew.com
803:www.statscrew.com
767:www.statscrew.com
731:www.statscrew.com
653:"Northern League"
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484:No playoffs held
467:No playoffs held
448:No playoffs held
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519:(1913) Inducted
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219:St. Paul Millers
207:Duluth White Sox
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549:home run leader
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422:Playoffs/Notes
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392:Northern League
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269:Lake Vermillion
203:Northern League
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161:Northern League
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80:Northern League
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978:External links
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517:Rube Waddell
396:Ewens Field
343:
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338:The ballpark
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310:
302:
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285:
281:
277:tuberculosis
265:Rube Waddell
262:
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183:Oscar Graham
180:
171:Rube Waddell
165:
149:minor league
144:
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126:
48:
41:
38:
33:
562:(1914–1915)
556:(1913, MGR)
545:Braggo Roth
539:Bill McCabe
535:(1913–1915)
529:(1916, MGR)
527:Lefty Davis
499:Lefty Davis
441:Braggo Roth
344:Ewens Field
321:Lefty Davis
312:Lefty Davis
293:Braggo Roth
273:Olcott Park
129:(1913–1916)
82:(1913–1916)
71:(1913–1916)
993:Categories
578:References
560:Bob Wright
533:Tony Faeth
377:1913–1916
372:Ballpark
118:Team data
568:See also
350:Timeline
242:iron ore
134:Ballpark
419:Manager
387:Class C
357:Year(s)
283:pool."
251:(1911)
195:Class C
177:History
169:member
157:Class C
147:were a
69:Class C
39:–
963:"Home"
691:
541:(1915)
523:, 1946
416:Finish
413:Record
369:League
360:# Yrs.
205:. The
159:level
76:League
492:28–32
475:53–69
456:55–68
430:30–87
366:Level
65:Class
689:ISBN
489:1916
472:1915
453:1914
427:1913
410:Year
363:Team
229:and
143:The
123:Name
113:None
95:None
92:Team
43:1916
35:1913
478:6th
459:5th
433:8th
108:(0)
995::
965:.
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891:.
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665:^
655:.
644:^
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601:^
495:NA
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380:4
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