Baseball in Kenosha, Wisconsin

Overview

The record of the Midwest League franchise in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Kenosha's team was Bob Lee's special project. When he was young, Lee played minor league ball. When he grew up, he brought the Midwest League to his town.

In Kenosha's 9 summers, the team played some excellent ball and often had noteworthy players. But the best seasons were early. Perhaps the decline of these Twins foreshadowed the collapse of the big league Twins.

Simmons Field was made obsolete by the 1990 Professional Baseball Agreement, so the move to Fort Wayne was likely as inevitable as these things get. But Chuck Knoblauch played for Kenosha; so did Denny Neagle, and Lenny Webster, and Brad Radke. This is a significant baseball legacy.

Summary

• Midwest League seasons: 9
• Won/Lost overall: 608/624, .494
• Best season: 82/58, .586 (1987)
• Championship Playoffs Won: 2
• Best MWL Won/Lost Record: no seasons

Kenosha joined the Midwest League in 1984 as the direct successor to the Wisconsin Rapids team. Kenosha's franchise moved to Fort Wayne after the 1992 season, where it remains.

Seasonal Results
Other Leagues

Team Names

• Kenosha Twins (1984-1992)

Affiliations

• Minnesota Twins (1984-1992)

Officers, Managers, & Coaches

Ballpark

• Simmons Field

Attendance record

• 87,672 (1984)

Ballparks & Attendance

Best Seasons

• Hitter: Paul Russo (1991) .271, 20 home runs, 100 runs batted in
• Pitcher: Alan Sontag (1985) 2.33, 15 wins, 213 strikeouts

Best Big League Career

• Chuck Knoblauch (1989) or Denny Neagle (1989)

Awards

• 1985
  • Duffy Dyer (Manager of the Year)
• 1986
  • Steve Gasser (Prospect of the Year)
• 1987
  • Don Leppert (Manager of the Year)
  • Derek Parks (Prospect of the Year)
• 1988
  • Lenny Webster (Most Valuable Player)

Kenosha Highlights

Team Records

Hitters

• Batting: Chip Hale (1987) .345
• Home Runs: Derek Parks (1987) 24
• Runs Batted In: Paul Russo (1991) 100

Seasonal Hitting Leaders

Pitchers

• Wins: Pat Bangston (1990) 17
• Won/Lost (10 decisions): John Dodd (1985) 8/2, .800
• Earned Run Average: Alan Newman (1990) 1.64
• Strikeouts: Steve Gasser (1996) 225

Seasonal Pitching Leaders

Notes

This summary originated as the April 9, 2000, Midwest League Tidbit on the Midwest League Mailing List.

Sources

These pages draw heavily on several sources:

• Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, eds, The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Durham: Baseball America, 1997)
• Midwest League Media Guide and Record Book (Beloit: Midwest League, various years; title varies)
• Kevin Saldana, Today in Minor League Baseball History (???: SalFam Books, 1999)
• Baseball America's Almanac (Durham: Baseball America, various years)
• News sources.