[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 116 (Tuesday, July 18, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10183-S10184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     THE 1995 SIOUX FALLS CANARIES

  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, when I was growing up in Humboldt, SD, 
professional baseball flourished throughout my State. I remember many 
games from the now-defunct Basin League. Those contests of skill and 
team play stirred within me a love and appreciation for America's 
favorite pastime.
  During the recent Fourth of July holiday, I was given the honor of 
throwing out the first pitch for the Sioux Falls Canaries in its game 
against the Timber Bay Whiskey Jacks. Despite many wonderful plays and 
an enthusiastic crowd, the Canaries lost. Nevertheless, the evening was 
entertaining and exciting. It was baseball the way it should be played. 
The players demonstrated superb individual skills, team dedication, and 
enjoyment of the game itself.
  Mr. President, South Dakota professional baseball has a long and 
colorful history as old as the State itself. It was in Sioux Falls in 
1889, the year South Dakota was granted statehood, when a pro baseball 
team wearing bright yellow uniforms was formed in the city. The team 
was named the ``Yellow Kids,'' after a comic strip that appeared in the 
Sioux Falls Press. Upon viewing the team, Guy LaFollette, a local 
sportswriter for the Press, suggested the nickname ``Canaries.'' 
LaFollette continued to refer to the team as the Canaries in his sports 
articles. The label stuck. Eventually, the Canaries became the official 
name of the team.
  Despite having a reputation of hiring away the best players from the 
other teams, the original Sioux Falls Canaries lasted until 1903, when 
their class D league, the Iowa and South Dakota League, folded.
  Sioux Falls would be without a pro team until 1920 when the Sioux 
Falls Soos [Sues] began play in the South Dakota League. The team's 
manager, Fred Carisch, was a veteran of the 1902 Canaries team. In 
1924, the Sioux Falls team changed its name back to the Canaries 
because the Sioux City Cardinals joined the Canaries as part of a new, 
expanded, Tri-State League. Apparently, the thought was the two birds--
the Canaries and the Cardinals--sounded better when they played. 
Unfortunately, the league and the teams were disbanded after only one 
season.
  Professional baseball returned again to Sioux Falls in 1930, when Rex 
Stucker organized a new version of the Canaries, which played in an 
independent circuit for three seasons. The team 

[[Page S 10184]]
joined the Nebraska State League in 1933, which was renamed the 
``Western League'' in 1938, when teams from Colorado, Wyoming, 
Minnesota, and Iowa joined.
  In 1942, Rex Stucker upgraded the Sioux Falls Canaries from the Class 
C Western League to the Class D Northern League. However, World War II 
stopped league play after the 1942 season, and it would not resume 
until 1946. At that point, the Canaries was an independent team not 
affiliated with a major league baseball franchise. That would change in 
1947, when Stucker sold the Canaries to Mory Levinger, owner of the 
Happy Hour bar in Sioux Falls. Soon afterward, Levinger struck an 
agreement with the Chicago Cubs to make the Canaries one of its farm 
teams. However, in 1953, Levinger sold the team to Winnipeg and Sioux 
Falls again was without professional baseball.
  In 1966, Sioux Falls became the home of a new team, which moved from 
the semiprofessional Basin League to the Northern League. This team was 
known as the Packers, however, not the Canaries, and was owned by a 
group of Sioux Falls businessmen. This team was a farm club for the 
Cincinnati Reds. In fact, several Packers would become standouts in the 
big leagues, most notably Ken Griffey, Sr. The Packers stayed in the 
Northern League until the league folded after the 1971 season. Sioux 
Falls would be without a pro baseball team for more than 20 years.
  In the early 1990's, Miles Wolff spent 2 years traveling the Upper 
Midwest meeting with interested baseball people and examining existing 
facilities. By this time, the Upper Midwest had been the only area of 
the Nation without minor league baseball. Mr. Wolff rightly saw it as 
an area ripe for minor league baseball expansion.
  In June 1993, the fourth version of the Northern League began with 
six organizations, including one in Sioux Falls. The organization was 
honored to bring back the name of the first Sioux Falls pro team, the 
Canaries.
  Mr. President, I am proud the Sioux Falls community has given such 
great support to the Canaries. In the inaugural 1993 season, the 
Canaries drew 86,187 in attendance. Last year, attendance grew to just 
shy of 100,000. This season promises to be no less of a banner year for 
Sioux Falls Canaries' fan support. Currently, each home game is 
averaging 2,704 fans in attendance. This high level of fan support is 
prevalent throughout the entire Northern League. All six of the 
Northern League teams are ranked nationally in the top 11 for average 
attendance per game for independent baseball leagues.
  As with any quality sports team, the key to success begins with an 
effective management team and great support staff. In my opinion, the 
Canaries has one of the best organizations of any independent league 
team. I salute team president Harry Stavernos and vice presidents Mark 
Wilson, Buzz Hardy, and Rick Tracy for their leadership in guiding the 
Canaries to success. Field leadership of the team is in the capable 
hands of manager Dick Dietz, hitting instructor Frank Verdi, coach Hiro 
Shirahata and player-coach Mike Burton.
  The Sioux Falls Canaries' commitment to winning is not only 
exemplified by its management but also by the hard work and dedication 
of the players. The Canaries have amassed a won-loss record of 98-88 
over its three seasons. The team holds the Northern League record for 
most consecutive wins, nine in a row. The high quality of the players 
is evidenced by the 11 former Canaries now playing for major league 
affiliates.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record 
the team roster of the 1995 Sioux Falls Canaries at the conclusion of 
my remarks. Presently, the Canaries are only three games out of first. 
I have every reason to expect the team will finish on top by the end of 
the season.
  Mr. President, Sioux Falls baseball has had a great tradition of 
exceptional all-around play. I want to congratulate the Sioux Falls 
Canaries organization on more than living up to this high standard on 
the field and giving the Sioux Falls community something to cheer 
about. I wish the team the very best of success in the future.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                        1995 SIOUX FALLS CANARIES                       
------------------------------------------------------------------------
         No.                  Name               Position       Hometown
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dick Dietz..........  Manager............  Pawley's Island, SC          
Hiro Shirahata......  Coach..............  Tokyo, Japan.......          
Frank Verdi.........  Pitching coach.....  Port Richey, FL....          
Mike Burton.........  First base.........  Port Charlotte, FL.          
Aaron Cannaday......  Catcher............  Monroeville, NJ....          
Benny Castillo......  Centerfield........  Cooper City, FL....          
Beau Champoux.......  Shortshop..........  San Diego, CA......          
Tony Coscia.........  Pitcher............  San Jose, CA.......          
Rob Croxall.........  Pitcher............  El Segundo, CA.....          
Adell Davenport.....  Leftfield..........  Greenville, MS.....          
Matt Davis..........  Second base........  Chico, CA..........          
Nic Frank...........  Outfield...........  Camarillo, CA......          
Kevin Garner........  First Base/DH......  Austin, TX.........          
Joel Gilmore........  Pitcher............  Conroe, TX.........          
Rod Huffman.........  Pitcher............  Tyler, TX..........          
Eduardo Lantigua....  Rightfield.........  Moca, DR...........          
Glenn Meyers........  Pitcher............  Wilder, KY.........          
Jason Mickel........  Pitcher............  Portland, OR.......          
Bobby Post..........  Pitcher............  Reno, NV...........          
Jon Saylor..........  Pitcher............  Dallas, TX.........          
Mike Tarter.........  Catcher............  Marietta, GA.......          
Frank Valdez........  Third base.........  Miami, FL..........          
Max Valencia........  Pitcher............  San Francisco, CA..          
Andy Wise...........  Pitcher............  Fountain Valley, CA          
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                           

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