{{Short description|North Dakota/Manitoba baseball league (1950–1957)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}} The '''Manitoba-Dakota League''' was an independent baseball league based in Manitoba and North Dakota that was founded in 1950. It became the home for many African-American and Latino players. The league lasted through the 1957 season. It was known informally as the '''Mandak League''' or '''Man-Dak League'''. The league originated as the Manitoba Senior Baseball League founded in 1948, with Jimmy Dunn as its president.
It was the outlet for former Negro leaguers to continue playing and entertaining fans, occupying fields with ex-major leaguers, minor league stars and some of the best Manitoba, North Dakota, and Minnesota born players. It featured such greats as Willie Wells, Leon Day, Ray Dandridge and Satchel Paige, who pitched briefly for the Minot Mallards in 1950.
==History== ===Manitoba Senior Baseball League=== The Manitoba Senior Baseball League was established in May 1948, which returned an independent baseball league to Manitoba for the first time since the Winnipeg Maroons of the Northern League folded in 1942. Winnipeg sports executive Jimmy Dunn was elected president of the league which included three teams in Winnipeg, and one team in Brandon, Manitoba. The league unsuccessfully sought to add a team based in Grand Forks, North Dakota.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jimmy Dunn Elected President of Manitoba Senior Baseball Circuit and Opening Game Set For May 24|date=May 13, 1948|newspaper=Brandon Daily Sun|page=4|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-may-13-1948-2440647/}}</ref> Dunn was re-elected president in 1949, and continued negotiations for a team in Grand Forks in addition to the four returning teams.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jimmy Dunn Heads Senior Ball League|date=March 17, 1949|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|page=22|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-mar-17-1949-2441703/}}; {{cite news|title=Grand Forks Still Considering Entry Manitoba League|date=March 17, 1949|newspaper=Brandon Daily Sun|page=4|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-mar-17-1949-2441706/}}</ref> When negotiations failed, an entry from Carman, Manitoba, was admitted as the fifth team in the league.<ref>{{cite news|title=Carman Joins Senior League|date=May 6, 1949|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|page=22|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-may-06-1949-2441952/}}</ref>
===Foundation of the Mandak League=== [[File:Corbett Field, Minot.jpg|thumb|Corbett Field was the home stadium of the Minot Mallards.|alt=View of a grandstand and baseball field from the furthest point of the outfield]]
In January 1950, the Manitoba Senior Baseball League added a team from Minot, North Dakota, and was reorganized into the Mandak League with Dunn elected as president for the season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Manitoba-Dakota Baseball Loop Set|last=Artiss |first=Laurie|date=January 16, 1950|newspaper=The Winnipeg Tribune|page=14 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-jan-16-1950-2442525/}}</ref> The league drafted a new constitution, decided that its teams would wear a patch including both the flags of Canada and the United States, and planned a parade with a marching band through downtown Winnipeg on its opening day.<ref>{{cite news|title=Man-Dak League To Open In 'Peg|date=April 17, 1950|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|page=22|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-apr-17-1950-2442580/}}</ref> Dunn described the opening day plans by saying that, "the Mandak baseball league this year will be more colourful than a Scotman's kilt".<ref>{{cite news|title=Time Out|last=Smith|first=Maurice|author-link=Maurice Smith (journalist)|date=April 22, 1950|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|page=22|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-apr-22-1950-2442602/}}</ref>
Opening day was postponed due to the 1950 Red River flood inundating Osborne Stadium, and the schedule was changed for the Winnipeg teams begin on the road.<ref>{{cite news|title=Man-Dak Ball Opening Postponed|date=May 15, 1950|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|page=15|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-may-15-1950-2442609/}}</ref> Dunn and the league arranged several benefit games to raise money for local charities. Dunn planned a league all-star game in mid-June as a fundraiser for Winnipeg's Flood Fund, with the players picked by the ''Winnipeg Free Press'' and ''The Winnipeg Tribune''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mandak Circuit To Boost Fund|last=Artiss|first=Laurie|date=May 19, 1950|newspaper=The Winnipeg Tribune|page=15|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-may-19-1950-2442610/}}</ref>
In July 1950, Dunn stated that the Mandak League planned to speak with Major League Baseball commissioner Happy Chandler about joining the professional baseball structure for the following season. The ''Winnipeg Free Press'' expressed concerns that the Korean War could negatively affect the league, but also that the popularity of the Mandak League had led to decreased attendance for women's softball in Manitoba.<ref>{{cite news|title=Time Out|last=Smith|first=Maurice|author-link=Maurice Smith (journalist)|date=July 8, 1950|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|page=20|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-jul-08-1950-2443582/}}</ref>
After the season, team executives lauded Dunn for his leadership of the league despite that only one of the five teams made a profit.<ref name="oct-10-1950">{{cite news|title=Mandak League Clubs Will Be Stronger Next Year so Executives Say at Meeting|date=October 10, 1950|newspaper=Brandon Daily Sun|page=4|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-oct-10-1950-2443661/}}</ref> He was unanimously re-elected as president and the league assumed the control of scheduling umpires instead of the home teams doing so.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mandak Rejects Clear Lake Entry|date=February 12, 1951|newspaper=The Winnipeg Tribune|page=17|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-feb-12-1951-2443708/}}</ref> The league's schedule was increased from 48 to 64 games with the hope that more games would make the season profitable.<ref name="oct-10-1950"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Thirty-two Home Games for Brandon Greys as Mandak League Season Lengthy One|date=April 9, 1951|newspaper=Brandon Daily Sun|page=3|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-apr-09-1951-2443732/}}</ref> Dunn resigned as Mandak League president at the conclusion of the 1951 season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Roy Reimer Elected Man-Dak President|date=November 15, 1951|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|page=27|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-nov-15-1951-2443841/}}</ref>
==List of teams== {{clear}} {{OSM Location map | nolabels = 1 | coord = {{coord|48.25|-100.25}} | zoom = 6 | width = 525 | height = 365| caption = {{hlist }} | mark1 = blue pog.svg|shape-color1 = red| label1 = Bismarck Barons| mark-title1=Bismarck Barons| mark-coord1 = {{coord|46.4814|-100.4745}}| label-pos1 = right| label-color1 = black | mark2 = red pog.svg|shape-color2 = red| label2 = Brandon Greys| mark-title2=Brandon, Manitoba| mark-coord2 = {{coord|49.5049|-99.5708}}| label-pos2 = left| label-color2 = black | mark3 = red pog.svg|shape-color3 = red| label3 = Carman Cardinals| mark-title3=Carman, Manitoba| mark-coord3 = {{coord|49.2957|-98.03}}| label-pos3 = bottom| label-color3 = black | mark4 = blue pog.svg|shape-color4 = red| label4 = Dickinson Packers| mark-title4=Dickinson Packers| mark-coord4 = {{coord|46.5223|-102.4711}}| label-pos4 = left| label-color4 = black | mark5 = red pog.svg|shape-color5 = red| label5 = Elmwood Giants| mark-title5=Elmwood Giants| mark-coord5 = {{coord|49.5432|-97.0542}}| label-pos5 = right| label-color5 = black | mark6 = blue pog.svg|shape-color6 = red| label6 = Minot Mallards| mark-title6=Minot Mallards| mark-coord6 = {{coord|48.1354|-101.1631}}| label-pos6 = right| label-color6 = black | mark7 = blue pog.svg|shape-color7 = red| label7 = Williston Oilers| mark-title7=Williston Oilers| mark-coord7 = {{coord|48.1053|-103.3741}}| label-pos7 = left| label-color7 = black | mark8 = red pog.svg|shape-color8 = red| label8 = Winnipeg| mark-title8=Winnipeg| mark-coord8 = {{coord|49.5344|-97.819}}| label-pos8 = top| label-color8 = black }} List of Mandak League teams:<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?code=MDAK&class=Ind Manitoba-Dakota League Encyclopedia and History]. ''Baseball Reference''. Retrieved on December 5, 2018.</ref>
*Bismarck Barons (1955–1957) *Brandon Greys (1950–1954; 1957) *Carman Cardinals (1950–1954) *Dickinson Packers (1955–1956) *Elmwood Giants (1950–1951) *Minot Mallards (1950–1957) *Williston Oilers (1954–1957) *Winnipeg Buffaloes (1950–1951) *Winnipeg Giants (1952) *Winnipeg Royals (1953)
==Notable players== :<small># ''American Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum member''</small> : *<small> ''Major League player (including the Negro Major Leagues)''</small>
===Bismarck Barons=== {{anchor|Bismarck_Barons}} {{Div col|colwidth=10em}} * Al Cihocki * * Ray Dandridge # * Gary Gearhart * * Preston Gómez * * Ken Heintzelman * * Walter McCoy * * Fred Vaughn * * Roy Weatherly * {{Div col end}}
===Brandon Greys=== {{anchor|Brandon_Greys}} {{Div col|colwidth=10em}} * Bill Cash * * Irvin Castille * Leon Day # * Howard Easterling * * Garland Lawing * * Al Lyons * * Enrique Maroto * Dee Moore * * Charlie Peete * * Lou Tost * * Willie Wells # * Dewey Williams * {{Div col end}}
===Carman Cardinals=== {{anchor|Carman_Cardinals}} {{Div col|colwidth=10em}} * Ed Albosta * * Lyman Bostock Sr. * * Chet Brewer * * Sammy Drake * * Lester Lockett * * Walter McCoy * * Andrew Porter * {{Div col end}}
===Dickinson Packers=== {{anchor|Dickinson_Packers}} {{Div col|colwidth=10em}} * Jerry Fahr * * Rocky Krsnich * * Garland Lawing * {{Div col end}}
===Elmwood Giants=== {{anchor|Elmwood_Giants}} * Solly Drake *
===Minot Mallards=== {{anchor|Minot_Mallards}} {{Div col|colwidth=10em}} * Ed Albosta * * John André * * Willard Brown # * Vallie Eaves * * Jimmy Grant * * Otto Huber * * Bill LeFebvre * * Lou Lombardo * * Joe Mack * * Walter McCoy * * Bill Oster * * Satchel Paige # * Mickey Rocco * * Hal Schacker * * Pete Taylor * * Bill Upton * * Bob Whitcher * * Dewey Williams * {{Div col end}}
===Williston Oilers=== {{anchor|Williston_Oilers}} {{Div col|colwidth=10em}} * Jerry Adair * * Gary Gearhart * * Al Gettel * * Phil Haugstad * * Bobby Hogue * * Don Lee * * Joe Lutz * * Al Lyons * * Dee Moore * * Bert Shepard * * Fred Vaughn * * Roy Weatherly * * Dewey Williams * {{Div col end}}
===Winnipeg Buffaloes=== {{anchor|Winnipeg_Buffaloes}} {{Div col|colwidth=10em}} * Lyman Bostock Sr. * * Leon Day # * Andrew Porter * * Joe Taylor * * Willie Wells # * Charlie White * {{Div col end}}
===Winnipeg Giants=== {{anchor|Winnipeg_Giants}} {{Div col|colwidth=10em}} * Lester Lockett * * Walter McCoy * {{Div col end}}
===Winnipeg Royals=== {{anchor|Winnipeg_Royals}} {{Div col|colwidth=10em}} * Dee Moore * * Mickey Rocco * {{Div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book|last=Swanton|first=Barry|title=The ManDak League: Haven for Former Negro League Ballplayers, 1950–1957|publisher=McFarland & Company|date=2006|location=Jefferson, North Carolina, United States|isbn=0-7864-2510-5}}
==External links== *[http://www.attheplate.com/wcbl/index.html Western Canada baseball web site] *[http://www.attheplate.com/mallards/ Minot Mallards baseball (1950–1957]
Category:Baseball in Manitoba Category:Baseball in North Dakota Category:Defunct baseball leagues in Canada Category:Sports leagues in Manitoba Category:Defunct baseball leagues in the United States Category:Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Category:Baseball leagues in North Dakota