Winnipeg Goldeyes (1954–1969)
Minor league baseball team
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The Winnipeg Goldeyes were a minor league baseball team that played in the Northern League from 1954 to 1964 and in 1969. They were based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and played their home games at Winnipeg Stadium. The Goldeyes won Northern League championships in 1957, 1959, and 1960.
- Class A-Short Season (1969)
- Class A (1963–1964)
- Class C (1954–1962)
- Kansas City Royals (1969)
- St. Louis Cardinals (1954–1964)
- 1957
- 1959
- 1960
| Winnipeg Goldeyes | |
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| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class |
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| League | Northern League (1954–1964, 1969) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team |
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| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (3) |
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| Team data | |
| Name | Winnipeg Goldeyes (1954–1964, 1969) |
| Ballpark | Winnipeg Stadium (1954–1964, 1969) |
History
Winnipeg's previous entry in the Northern League was the Winnipeg Maroons, who played their last season in 1942 before the league shut down for World War II.[1] After the 1953 season, Winnipeg bought the franchise of the league's Sioux Falls Canaries and returned to the circuit.[2] The team was named after the goldeye fish via a name-the-team contest.[3]
The Goldeyes played in the Northern League until 1964, winning league championships in 1957, 1959, and 1960. After the 1964 season, the general manager moved on to more profitable endeavors, and as nobody else was willing to run the club or to buy it for any price, the Goldeyes became inactive.[4]
The Goldeyes franchise was inactive from after the 1964 season until 1969, when the team returned to the Northern League as an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. In June 1970, the Goldeyes were bought by the Montreal Expos and moved to Watertown, South Dakota to become the Watertown Expos, while the relocated Buffalo Bisons took their spot in Winnipeg as the Winnipeg Whips.[5][6]
Year-by-year record
| Year | Parent club | League | W–L | Win % | Place | Manager | Postseason | Attendance | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg Goldeyes | |||||||||
| 1954 | STL | NOR | 73–60 | .549 | 3rd | Mickey O'Neil | Lost 1st round 1–2 vs. Fargo–Moorhead | 100,458 | [7] |
| 1955 | STL | NOR | 70–56 | .556 | t-3rd | Al Kubski | Lost 1st round 0–2 vs. St. Cloud | 84,668 | [8] |
| 1956 | STL | NOR | 63–55 | .534 | 2nd | Vern Benson | Lost 1st round 0–1 vs. Aberdeen | 64,459 | [9] |
| 1957 | STL | NOR | 69–53 | .566 | 2nd | Vern Benson | Won finals 2–1 vs. Duluth–Superior | 86,214 | [10] |
| 1958 | STL | NOR | 65–53 | .551 | 3rd | Al Unser | Lost 1st round 0–1 vs. St. Cloud | 90,998 | [11] |
| 1959 | STL | NOR | 80–41 | .661 | 1st | Chase Riddle | Won 1st round 1–0 vs. Fargo–Moorhead Won finals 2–1 vs Aberdeen | 79,847 | [12] |
| 1960 | STL | NOR | 72–51 | .585 | 1st | Whitey Kurowski | Won 1st round 1–0 vs. Aberdeen Won finals 2–0 vs Duluth–Superior | 83,014 | [13] |
| 1961 | STL | NOR | 46–77 | .374 | 6th | Grover Resigner Owen Friend | – | 45,874 | [14] |
| 1962 | STL | NOR | 59–63 | .484 | 7th | Fred Koenig | – | 83,645 | [15] |
| 1963 | STL | NOR | 55–64 | .462 | 4th | Fred Koenig | – | 61,377 | [16] |
| 1964 | STL | NOR | 52–65 | .444 | 4th | Ron Plaza | – | 85,425 | [17] |
| Franchise inactive 1965 –1968 | |||||||||
| 1969 | KC | NOR | 26–43 | .377 | 6th | Spider Jorgensen | – | 18,077 | [18] |
| Totals | 730–681 | .515 | 884,056 | ||||||