# Southern Minny Stars
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{{Infobox Minor League Baseball
| name = Southern Minny Stars
| logo = Southern_Minny_Stars_Logo.jpg
| uniformlogo =
| class level = {{plainlist|
* [Collegiate summer](/source/Collegiate_summer_baseball) (1998–1999)
* [Independent](/source/Independent_baseball_league) (1996–1997)
}}
| league = {{plainlist|
* [Northwoods League](/source/Northwoods_League) (1998–1999)
* [Prairie League](/source/Prairie_League) (1996–1997)
}}
| firstseason = 1996
| lastseason = 1999
| division = {{plainlist|
* South Division (1998–1999)
* Southern Division (1997)
}}
| city = Austin, Minnesota
| ballpark = Marcusen Park
| firsthalfchamps = 1997
| divisionchamps = 1997
| colors = Blue, green, white, black[{{cite web |title=Northwoods League Official Colors (1994 through present) |url=https://www.trucolor.net/portfolio/northwoods-league-official-colors-1994-through-present/ |website=TruColor.net |access-date=12 October 2025}}]
{{Color box|#002D72}} {{Color box|#046A38}} {{Color box|#FFFFFF}} {{Color box|#010101}}
| owner =
| gm =
| manager =
}}
The '''Southern Minny Stars''' were an American baseball team that played in the [Prairie League](/source/Prairie_League) from 1996 to 1997 and the [Northwoods League](/source/Northwoods_League) from 1998 to 1999. They were created when the [Minneapolis Loons](/source/Minneapolis_Loons) moved from [Minneapolis, Minnesota](/source/Minneapolis%2C_Minnesota) after the 1995 season. Their home games were played at Marcusen Park in [Austin, Minnesota](/source/Austin%2C_Minnesota). [Josh Willingham](/source/Josh_Willingham) and [Juan Berenguer](/source/Juan_Berenguer) both played for the Stars.
After the 1999 season, the Stars moved to [Minot, North Dakota](/source/Minot%2C_North_Dakota) to become the [Minot Greenheads](/source/Minot_Greenheads).
==History==
===Prairie League (1996–1997)===
The team's history begins with the [Minneapolis Loons](/source/Minneapolis_Loons) of the [Prairie League](/source/Prairie_League). After being locked out of their home park, [Siebert Field](/source/Siebert_Field), for nonpayment of rent; the team was bought by a pair of Rochester businessmen, Dick Jensch and Joe Kardock looking to move the team to their city. After being unable to secure a lease at [Mayo Field](/source/Mayo_Field_(Rochester%2C_Minnesota)), the owners moved the team to nearby [Austin, Minnesota](/source/Austin%2C_Minnesota), and renamed them the Southern Minny Stars.[{{cite news |title=League announces Loons' move to Austin |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-austin-daily-herald-league-announces/183217117/ |access-date=18 October 2025 |work=The Austin Daily Herald |agency=AP |date=September 24, 1995 |page=8}}] Jensch and Kardock owned 60% of the team; the other 40% was owned by [Greg Olson](/source/Greg_Olson_(baseball)), [Tom Glavine](/source/Tom_Glavine), [Steve Avery](/source/Steve_Avery_(baseball)), and [John Smoltz](/source/John_Smoltz).[{{cite news |title=Braves buy into Austin team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-forum-braves-buy-into-austin-team/183220215/ |access-date=18 October 2025 |work=The Forum |agency=AP |date=May 10, 1996 |page=24}}]
The team planned a number of promotions to bring fans into the ballpark, including giveaways of a new Ford automobile and a trip to the Caribbean, opportunities for fans to dunk the manager in a dunk tank, and a visit by the [San Diego Chicken](/source/San_Diego_Chicken) for a July 23 game against Minot. Marcusen Park was also refurbished, adding picnic areas along the foul lines and 600 bleacher seats.[{{cite news |author1=Bob Brown |title=Southern Minny Stars plan big splash |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/post-bulletin-southern-minny-stars-plan/183220310/ |access-date=18 October 2025 |work=Rochester Post-Bulletin |date=May 28, 1996 |page=29}}]
The Stars began their first season with a walk-off win against the [Aberdeen Pheasants](/source/Aberdeen_Pheasants).[{{cite news |title=Southern Minny Stars shine in debut game vs. Aberdeen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/post-bulletin-southern-minny-stars-shine/183220931/ |access-date=18 October 2025 |work=Rochester Post-Bulletin |date=May 31, 1996 |page=28}}] They finished the year 34–45, 20.5 games behind the league-leading Pheasants.[{{cite web |title=1996 Prairie League |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=952e0346 |website=Baseball-Reference |access-date=18 October 2025}}]
In early 1997, Chad Yale became majority owner of the Stars, using settlement money after he was nearly killed by an explosion after a train derailment near his [Burlington, North Dakota](/source/Burlington%2C_North_Dakota) home. While recovering at Ramsey County Hospital in St. Paul, Yale became close friends with then-manager of the [Minneapolis Loons](/source/Minneapolis_Loons) [Greg Olson](/source/Greg_Olson_(baseball)), who later convinced him to buy into the Stars.[{{cite news |author1=Bob Brown |title=Teen burn victim buys Southern Minny Stars |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/post-bulletin-teen-burn-victim-buys-sout/183221601/ |access-date=18 October 2025 |work=Rochester Post-Bulletin |date=January 8, 1997 |page=25}}] Yale was the youngest majority owner in professional sports.[{{cite web |title=Southern Minny Stars |url=https://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/199706/20_wolfeb_minnystars/ |website=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=18 October 2025}}][{{cite news |author1=Brady Slater |title=Can the young hungry Stars answer the call |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-austin-daily-herald-can-the-young-hu/183233395/ |access-date=18 October 2025 |work=The Austin Daily Herald |date=June 18, 1997 |page=15}}] The 1997 Stars finished with a record of 42-24-1 and won the Southern Division of the Prairie League, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the [Minot Mallards](/source/Minot_Mallards).[{{cite web |title=1997 Prairie League |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=64a01543 |website=Baseball-Reference |access-date=18 October 2025}}] After the 1997 season, the Prairie League folded, leaving the Stars without a league.
===Northwoods League (1998–1999)===
The Stars, along with former Prairie League cities [Grand Forks, North Dakota](/source/Grand_Forks%2C_North_Dakota) and [Brainerd, Minnesota](/source/Brainerd%2C_Minnesota), joined the collegiate summer [Northwoods League](/source/Northwoods_League) for the 1998 season. Stars shareholders had to raise over $100,000 to clear accumulated debts from the team's Prairie League years before joining the Northwoods League.[{{cite news |author1=Donny Henn |title=It's a whole new ball game for the Southern Minny Stars |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/post-bulletin-its-a-whole-new-ball-game/183222010/ |access-date=18 October 2025 |work=Rochester Post-Bulletin |date=June 4, 1998 |page=28}}] The team played two years in the Northwoods League, never winning more than a third of their games. The Stars were the smallest market in the Northwoods League, and financial issues forced the team to cease operations after the 1999 season.[{{cite news |author1=Guy N. Limbeck |title=Southern Minny Stars to cease operation |url=https://www.postbulletin.com/news/austin-edition-southern-minny-stars-to-cease-operations |access-date=19 October 2025 |work=Rochester Post-Bulletin |date=August 7, 1999}}] The Northwoods League then moved the team to [Minot, North Dakota](/source/Minot%2C_North_Dakota), where they became the [Minot Greenheads](/source/Minot_Greenheads).[{{cite news |author1=Guy N. Limbeck |title=It's official: Northwoods League out of Austin |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/post-bulletin-its-official-northwoods/183256061/ |access-date=19 October 2025 |work=Rochester Post-Bulletin |date=February 3, 2000}}]
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
Category:Defunct baseball teams in Minnesota
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Southern Minny Stars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Minny_Stars) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Minny_Stars?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.