St. Paul Saints
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St. Paul Saints (1993-)
The St. Paul Saints are a professional minor league baseball team that plays in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The current team was formed in 1993 in the Northern League, one of several so-called independent leagues--i.e., not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The Saints, who play home games at Midway Stadium, are known for promotions that are over-the-top even by the standards of minor-league baseball. The principal owner, Mike Veeck, is the son of legendary major-league owner Bill Veeck, who was best-known for outrageous promotions as owner of the St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox. Comedian and actor Bill Murray is also a part owner.
The Saints were Northern League champions in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 2004. In 2002-2004, the Saints saw severely reduced attendance, owing partially to renewed interest in the major-league Minnesota Twins, who won the 2002, 2003, and 2004 American League Central Division championships.
A major factor in the continued success of the Saints in the face of the Twins' presence is the fact that Midway Stadium, the Saints' home field, is an open-air facility; many Twins fans have bemoaned the unfairness of being forced to go indoors to watch a baseball game on a warm Minnesota summer evening.
St. Paul Saints (pre-1993)
Another team called the Saints played minor league baseball as the farm club of the Brooklyn Dodgers in St. Paul until 1960. That team played in the American Association along with its crosstown rivals the Minneapolis Millers (farm club of the New York Giants). Both teams folded when the Minnesota Twins came to town in 1961.