Toledo Mud Hens
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Toledo Mud Hens Founded in 1883 Toledo, Ohio | |||||
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| Class-level | |||||
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| Current | Triple-A (1946–1955, 1965–present) | ||||
| Previous |
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| League | International League (1965–present) | ||||
| Division | West Division | ||||
Previous leagues | American Association (1902–1913, 1916–1955) | ||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Current | Detroit Tigers (1934–1935, 1949–1951, 1967–1973, 1987–present) | ||||
| Previous |
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| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles (4) |
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| Division titles (5) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Nickname | Toledo Mud Hens (1902–1913, 1919–1952, 1965–present) | ||||
Previous names |
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| Colors |
Navy, red, white, gold | ||||
| Ballpark | Fifth Third Field (2002–present) | ||||
Previous parks |
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Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club, Inc. | ||||
| Manager | Lloyd McClendon | ||||
| General Manager | Erik Ibsen | ||||
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League and are affiliated with the Detroit Tigers franchise of Major League Baseball, based about 50 miles (80 km) north of Toledo. They play their home games at Fifth Third Field.
History
Professional baseball had been played off and on in Toledo since 1883, but the Mud Hens era began in 1896 with the "Swamp Angels", who played in the Interstate League. They played in Bay View Park, which was outside the Toledo city limits and therefore not covered by the city's blue laws. The park was located near marshland inhabited by American coots, also known as "mud hens." For this reason, the local press soon dubbed the team the "Mud Hens"—a nickname that has stuck to Toledo baseball teams for all but a few years since. After only one year, though, the team moved to Armory Park.[1]:10; 17
Notable players
- Billy Bean
- Billy Beane
- Moe Berg
- Tony Clark
- Octavio Dotel
- Doug Fister
- Curtis Granderson
- Mike Hessman
- Omar Infante
- Gabe Kapler
- Shane Loux
- Craig Monroe
- Bobby Murcer
- Max Scherzer
- Casey Stengel
- Tom Underwood
- Jim Walewander
- Hack Wilson
Current roster
| Toledo Mud Hens roster | ||||
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| Players | Coaches/Other | |||
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Pitchers
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Catchers Infielders Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Popular culture
- M*A*S*H character Maxwell Klinger (played by Jamie Farr) hailed from Toledo and often mentioned the Mud Hens as his favorite baseball team throughout the series. He was often seen wearing a Toledo Mud Hens jersey and cap. Like Klinger, Farr was born and raised in Toledo; in fact Klinger feels so strongly about the Mud Hens he gets put on KP duty for a month when he hits his mortal enemy Sgt Zelmo Zale who insulted the Mud Hens. The Mud Hens retired jersey #1 in Farr's honor.
- The title character of the comic strip Crankshaft was a pitcher for the Mud Hens just before World War II when he enlisted in the Army. He invariably wears a Mud Hens cap in the strip, and reminisces often about his playing days. In the summer of 2016 the Mud Hens retired jersey #13 in Crankshaft's honor.
- Lou Brown, manager of the Cleveland Indians in the film Major League, managed in Toledo prior to managing the Indians.
- Richard Pryor's character, Montgomery Brewster, in the 1985 film Brewster's Millions was said to have previously pitched for the Mud Hens.
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toledo Mud Hens. |
- List of baseball parks in Toledo, Ohio
- Current and former Toledo Mud Hens players
References
- ↑ Husman, John (2003). Baseball in Toledo. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738523275.
- The Toledo Baseball Guide of the Mud Hens 1883–1943, Ralph Elliott Lin Weber, 1944.
- www.baseball-reference.com
