The St. Cloud Rox were a professional minor league baseball team that existed from 1946 to 1971 in St Cloud, Minnesota, playing in the Northern League for the duration of the franchise.
| St. Cloud Rox | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes | Class-A (1963–1964), Class C (1946–1962), Class A Short Season (1965–1971 |
Previous leagues | Northern League (1946-1971) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams | Minnesota Twins (1965–1971) Chicago Cubs (1960–1964) San Francisco Giants (1958–1959) New York Giants (1946–1957) |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 7 1946, 1955, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971 |
| Team data | |
| Name | St. Cloud Rox |
| Ballpark | Rox Park 1948–1971 |
The St. Cloud Rox were an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins (1965–1971), Chicago Cubs (1960–1964), San Francisco Giants (1958–1959) and New York Giants (1946–1957).
Baseball Hall of Fame members Dave Bancroft (1947), Lou Brock (1961), Orlando Cepeda (1956) and Gaylord Perry (1958) are St. Cloud Rox alumni.
History
editLocated in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the team played its entire existence in the Northern League. The Rox were affiliates of the New York Giants from 1946 to 1957, the San Francisco Giants from 1958 to 1959, the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1964 and the Minnesota Twins from 1965 to 1971.[citation needed]
The original Rox ceased playing after the 1971 season when the old Northern League folded. Hall of Fame players to play for the Rox include Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord Perry. Hall of Famer Dave Bancroft managed the team in 1947.
The franchise nickname returned in new form in 2012 replacing the St. Cloud Riverbats in the Northwoods League, a wooden bat collegiate summer baseball league. In 1997, collegiate summer baseball returned organized baseball to St. Cloud when the Dubuque Mud Puppies of the Northwoods League relocated and became the "St. Cloud River Bats".[1][2]
Ballpark
editThe Rox played at Rox Park, also known as Municipal Stadium, located at Division Street and 25th Avenue. It opened in 1948 and was demolished in 1971. The park capacity fluctuated from 5,000 in 1947 to 3,600 in 1949.[3] The played their final season at the newly constructed Municipal Stadium (now Dick Putz Field).[4]
Year-by-year record
edit| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 73–31 | 1st | Walter Kopp | League Champs |
| 1947 | 48–71 | 7th | Dave Bancroft | |
| 1948 | 78–40 | 2nd | Charlie Fox | Lost in 1st round |
| 1949 | 65–59 | 3rd | Charlie Fox | Lost in 1st round |
| 1950 | 72–51 | 1st | Charlie Fox | Lost in 1st round |
| 1951 | 64–55 | 2nd | Harold Kollar | Lost in 1st round |
| 1952 | 60–64 | 6th | Charlie Fox | |
| 1953 | 66–59 | 3rd | Charlie Fox | Lost in 1st round |
| 1954 | 76–54 | 2nd | Charlie Fox | Lost in 1st round |
| 1955 | 78–47 | 2nd | Charlie Fox | League Champs |
| 1956 | 61–64 | 6th | Charlie Fox | |
| 1957 | 59–63 | 5th | Pete Pavlick | |
| 1958 | 72–50 | 1st | Richard Klaus | Lost League Finals |
| 1959 | 43–80 | 8th | Richard Klaus | |
| 1960 | 49–74 | 8th | Fred Martin | |
| 1961 | 73–54 | 3rd | Joe Macko | Lost League Finals |
| 1962 | 61–63 | 5th | George Freese | |
| 1963 | 51–69 | 6th | Walt Dixon | 4th 16-14* |
| 1964 | 54–68 | 5th | Walt Dixon | 4th 15-18* |
| 1965 | 73–23 | 1st | Jim Rantz | League Champs |
| 1966 | 49–18 | 1st | Ken Staples | League Champs |
| 1967 | 44–26 | 1st | Ken Staples | League Champs |
| 1968 | 43–27 | 1st | Carroll Hardy | League Champs |
| 1969 | 33–37 | 3rd | Jim Merrick | none |
| 1970 | 31–39 | 5th | Jim Merrick | none |
| 1971 | 42–28 | 1st | Ken Staples | League Champs |
Notable alumni
editBaseball Hall of Fame alumni
edit- Dave Bancroft (1947, MGR) Inducted, 1971
- Lou Brock (1961) Inducted, 1985
- Orlando Cepeda (1956) Inducted, 1999
- Gaylord Perry (1958) Inducted, 1991
Notable alumni
edit- Matty Alou (1958) 2x MLB All-Star; 1966 NL Batting Title
- Bobby Bolin (1958)
- Steve Brye (1967)
- Charlie Fox (1948–1950, 1952–1956)
- Dave Goltz (1968)
- Carroll Hardy (1968)
- George Mitterwald (1965–1966)
- Andre Rodgers (1955)
- Jimmy Stewart (1962)
- Tony Taylor (1955) 2x MLB All-Star
- Danny Thompson (1968) Died Age 29.
- Ozzie Virgil Sr. (1953)
- Leon Wagner (1955) 3x MLB All-Star; 1962 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Pointstreak Sites | Northwoods League | History". Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
- ^ "The Rox Name Returns for New St. Cloud Franchise". News. St. Cloud Rox. 28 February 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
This team name had been in use previously by a team who was part of the Northern League. They were in operation from the mid 1940s until 1971 and even featured Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock. The Rox lead the North Division in attendance in 2012 with over 55,000 fans attending Rox games.
- ^ Division Street and 25th Avenue.
- ^ "Shopping mall sits on the old home of the Rox".