Aberdeen Pheasants

[1] Aberdeen has always been a baseball town with organized teams playing semi-professional ball as far back as the 1890s.

The board raised $25,000 by selling stock to local investors and were able to establish a working agreement with the St. Louis Browns as a source for players.

Pitcher Don Larsen, famous for pitching a perfect game in the 1956 World Series as a New York Yankee, played for the Pheasants in 1947 and 1948.

Bob Turley was a 1949 Pheasant prior to winning the Cy Young Award in 1958 as a New York Yankee.

Mark Belanger was also on the 1964 Pheasants and was eventually named the American League all-star shortstop in 1976 as an Oriole.

[2] Games were played at the municipal ball field located on the campus of Northern State University.

Not to be forgotten is "Philbert" the cartoon pheasant drawn by Gordon Haug, the advertising artist for Aberdeen's Olwin-Angell department store.

The biggest game in Pheasant history took place on June 8,1964 when the parent team, the Baltimore Orioles, came to town to play their minor league cohorts.