Goldeyes won title in inaugural season

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This article was published 24/09/2018 (2909 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg had been without professional baseball for 22 seasons until the Winnipeg Goldeyes returned in the summer of 1994.

A Triple A team in the Montreal Expos system called the Whips had a short stint in Winnipeg after arriving from Buffalo partway through the 1970 International League season, but soon moved to Virginia after the 1971 season.

An earlier version of the Goldeyes had called Winnipeg home from 1954 to 1964 and again in 1969. They played in the Northern League that was part of organized baseball. Except for 1969, when the team was in the Kansas City system, the Goldeyes were a St. Louis Cardinals farm club. Steve Carlton, Dal Maxvill, Ray Sadecki, Harry Fanok, Jim Schaffer, Julio Gotay and Walt (No Neck) Williams were some of the Cards prospects who reached the majors.

The new Goldeyes played in the independent Northern League, which was formed in 1993. Being independent meant that players were not supplied by major league teams and independent ball became a place for young players who had not been drafted and older ones who hoped to return to organized ball or who were playing out the string.

The six-team league included the defending champion St. Paul Saints, Duluth-Superior Dukes, Sioux City Explorers, Sioux Falls Canaries and Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks. The Goldeyes replaced the Rochester (Minnesota) Aces in the league.

Doug Simunic, who had managed the Aces to a second-place finish in 1993, was recruited by owner Sam Katz to manage the Winnipeg team. In order to maintain interest throughout the 80-game schedule, the season was divided into two halves. The winner of each half would meet in the championship final.

The first home game on June 7 against Duluth-Superior attracted a crowd of 14,764 to the north end of Winnipeg Stadium. Fans looking at the field layout did not believe that it truthfully was 300 feet from home plate down the left field line to the east-side football stands.

Catcher Dann Bilardello, who had played for four major league teams, led the way with a single and double in the home team’s 9-1 victory. Winning pitcher Tim Cain, who was an all-star with Rochester the previous season, allowed just two hits and struck out nine. The only complaints were about the $4.50 charge for parking and the fact a beer cost $3.75.

Sioux City topped the first half of the ’94 season with a 27-13 record. The Goldeyes were well back at 16-24.

In the first game after the break, the Goldeyes shut out St. Paul 2-0 with former major leaguer Jeff Bittiger giving up only three hits and striking out 11. Winnipeg went on to capture the second half and a spot in the best-of-five final.

Although the Explorers entered the playoffs on an 11-game winning streak, the Goldeyes won the first two games in Sioux City, 5-3 and 16-1.

When the series moved to Winnipeg, the Explorers fought back with a 6-3 victory. On Sept. 9 in game four, a crowd of 7,379 watched the Goldeyes take the title with an 8-1 win. Bilardello swung the big bat with a grand slam home run in the fourth inning. Tim Bruce earned the victory.

Total attendance for the season was 212,571 fans, second in independent ball to St. Paul with 241,069. The championship 25 years ago was the last won by the Goldeyes until the team took the American Association title in 2012.

Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@canstarnews.com