Northern League Teams Open 2005 Spring Training Camps
May 4, 2005 - Northern League (NL) News Release
The 2005 Northern League season gets underway on Thursday, May 5, when the majority of the teams begin their spring training camps.
Of the 12 Northern League teams, only Edmonton will not work out on Thursday. The Cracker-Cats start their spring training practices on Saturday, May 7. The first of 41 exhibition games will also take place on Saturday, when Sioux Falls travels to St. Paul, and Winnipeg will play at Fargo-Moorhead. The Saints will also host the Canaries on Sunday morning, May 8 at 5:30 a.m. at St. Paul's Midway Stadium, the earliest start in Northern League history.
The Northern League's 13th regular season opens on Friday, May 20 when the clubs play the first of a 96-game schedule.
All 12 Northern League teams will work out at their home ballparks. The spring training roster limit is 28 players. Teams may have one additional roster spot if that player was drafted and signed from the league's April Tryout Camp. Clubs must reduce their rosters to 22 by opening day.
Northern League facts as spring training begins:
EXPANSION TEAMS: The Northern League expands to 12 teams in 2005 with the addition of two teams in Alberta, Canada: the Calgary Vipers and the Edmonton Cracker-Cats. They become the Northern League's first newcomers since Gary and Joliet played for the first time in 2002. Calgary and Edmonton join Fargo-Moorhead, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, and Winnipeg in the North Division. St. Paul, the defending league champion, moves from the North to the South Division, joining Gary, Joliet, Kansas City, Lincoln, and Schaumburg.
NEW MANAGERS: Calgary will be guided by former major leaguer Mike Busch, who spent the last three seasons as Lincoln's batting coach. Former Chicago White Sox manager Terry Bevington is at the helm in Edmonton. He joins Lincoln's Tim Johnson and Winnipeg's Hal Lanier as former major league managers heading Northern League clubs.
Three other teams will also have new skippers in 2005. Greg Tagert, the all-time Frontier League leader in wins, takes over in Gary. Former Duluth pitching coach Steve Shirley is the new manager at Sioux City. Mike Pinto, a member of the Joliet coaching staff from 2002-04, begins his first season in Sioux Falls.
PLAYER WATCH: Five former major leaguers will be in Northern League camps this spring: OF Jermaine Allensworth (Pirates; Royals; Mets) with Joliet; INF Stubby Clapp (Cardinals) with Edmonton; LHP Tony Cogan (Royals) and OF Edgard Clemente (Angels, Rockies) in Sioux Falls; and LHP Rick DeHart (Royals) with Schaumburg. There are seven returning players from the 2004 Northern League All-League Team: 2B Justin Hall and OF Adam Olow (St. Paul), OF Rick Prieto and DH Eddie Pearson (Kansas City); 3B Geoff McCallum (Schaumburg); OF Josh Loggins (Joliet); and C Kelley Gulledge (Fargo-Moorhead). The 2004 Rookie of the Year, OF Casey Baker is back in Sioux City, and Fargo-Moorhead welcomes back the 2004 Rookie Pitcher of the Year, lefty Mike Peschel. The RedHawks also added the 2004 Frontier League Most Valuable Player, OF Richard Austin while the 2004 Frontier League Most Valuable Pitcher, righty Chad Sosebee signed with Kansas City.
2005 NORTHERN LEAGUE EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
(All Times Central unless otherwise noted)
SATURDAY, MAY 7
Sioux Falls at St. Paul, 4:05 p.m.
Winnipeg at Fargo-Moorhead, 7:05 p.m.
SUNDAY, MAY 8
Winnipeg at Fargo-Moorhead, 2:05 p.m.
Sioux Falls at St. Paul, 5:30 a.m.
MONDAY, MAY 9
Gary at Schaumburg, 1:00 p.m. (NOT OPEN TO PUBLIC)
Winnipeg at St. Paul, 7:05 p.m.
TUESDAY, MAY 10
Schaumburg at Joliet, 6:05 p.m.
Kansas City vs. Missouri Western College at St. Joseph, MO, 7:00 p.m.
Winnipeg at St. Paul, 7:05 p.m.
Sioux City vs. Sioux Falls at Yankton, SD, 7:05 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11
Gary at Joliet, 1:05 p.m.
Lincoln vs. Sioux City at Sloan, IA, 6:05 p.m.
St. Paul at Sioux Falls, 7:05 p.m.
Chicago North Men's Senior League (Ebay Game) at Schaumburg, 7:00 p.m.
THURSDAY, MAY 12
Gary at Schaumburg, 1:00 p.m. (NOT OPEN TO PUBLIC)
Fargo-Moorhead at Sioux Falls, 7:05 p.m.
Sioux City vs. Lincoln at Columbus, NE, 7:05 p.m.
FRIDAY, MAY 13
Schaumburg at Joliet, 6:05 p.m.
Sioux Falls at Sioux City, 6:05 p.m.
Fargo-Moorhead at St. Paul, 7:05 p.m.
Edmonton at Calgary, 7:05 p.m. MT
SATURDAY, MAY 14
Kansas City at Lincoln, 12:05 p.m.
Joliet at Gary, 1:00 p.m.
Edmonton at Calgary, 1:35 p.m. MT
St. Paul at Winnipeg, 7:00 p.m.
Fargo-Moorhead vs. Sioux Falls at Marshall, MN, 7:05 p.m.
SUNDAY, MAY 15
Lincoln at Kansas City, 1:00 p.m.
Schaumburg at Gary, 1:00 p.m.
St. Paul at Winnipeg, 1:30 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 1:35 p.m. MT
Sioux Falls at Fargo-Moorhead, 4:05 p.m.
MONDAY, MAY 16
St. Paul at Fargo-Moorhead, 12:05 p.m.
Joliet at Gary, 1:00 p.m.
Sioux City vs. Sioux Falls at Huron, SD, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 7:05 p.m. MT
TUESDAY, MAY 17
Joliet at Schaumburg, 7:00 p.m.
Fargo-Moorhead at Winnipeg, 7:00 p.m.
Sioux Falls vs. Sioux City at Akron, IA, 7:05 p.m.
Kansas City vs. Lincoln at Fremont, NE, 7:05 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18
Fargo-Moorhead at Winnipeg, 11:30 a.m.
Northern League Stories from May 4, 2005
- Northern League Teams Open 2005 Spring Training Camps - NL
- Goldeyes gearing up for opening of training camp - Winnipeg Goldeyes
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