The WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge Twins were a minor league baseball team based in Wahpeton, North Dakota and Breckenridge, Minnesota. In 1921 and 1922, the Twins played as members of the Class D level Dakota League. The Twins were preceded in minor league play by the 1897 WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge Methodists.
WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge first hosted minor league baseball in 1897. The Red River Valley League played a partial minor league baseball in 1897 as a Class F level league. The Fargo Divorcees/Fargo Red Stockings, Grand Forks Black Stockings,Moorhead Barmaids, and WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge Methodists teams were the league members. The league permanently folded on August 8, 1897 with WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge in third place in the standings.
The WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge "Twins" began minor league play in 1921 and caused a change in the league name. The South Dakota League changed names to become the "Dakota League", after adding the WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge Twins franchise, based in neighboring border cities in North Dakota and Minnesota.
Baseball play on Sunday had been illegal in North Dakota until the law was repealed in 1920, a positive for early professional teams, who needed the revenue from Sunday crowds to be financially viable. Wahpeton, North Dakota newspaper publisher Robert J. Hughes formed the new WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge franchise. After forming the franchise and being admitted to the league, Hughes hired Roy Patterson to serve as the Twins' manager.
The 1921 Dakota League remained an eightâÂÂteam Class D level league, with 13âÂÂplayer rosters for each team. The Twins joined the Aberdeen Grays, Huron Packers, Madison Greys, Mitchell Kernels, Redfield Red Sox, Sioux Falls Soos and Watertown Cubs teams in beginning league play on May 20, 1921.
In their first season of play, the Twins ended the season in third place. With a record of 55âÂÂ43, the Twins finished 10.5 games behind the first place Mitchell Kernels in the final standings. Roy Patterson managed the Twins.
The Twins played their final season in 1922. The Dakota League continued play as an eightâÂÂteam Class D level league, adding the Fargo Athletics, Jamestown Jimkotans and Valley City Hi-Liners as new league franchises. The WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge Twins, Aberdeen Grays, Mitchell Kernels, Sioux Falls Soos and Watertown Cubs returned as members.
With a record of 42âÂÂ55, playing under returning manager Roy Patterson, the Twins finished in 7th place. Mitchell defended their championship and ended the 1922 season with a 60âÂÂ37 record to finish 18.0 games ahead of the Twins in the final standings.
The Twins did not return to play in 1923, as the Dakota League split into two fourâÂÂteam partner leagues to condense travel. The new 1923 leagues were called the North Dakota League and South Dakota League.
WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge has not hosted another minor league team.
The name and location of the home minor league ballpark for the WahpetonâÂÂBreckenridge Twins is not directly referenced. Chahinkapa Park in Wahpeton was in use in the era, having been purchased from the Federal Government in 1903. Coincidently, the Twins' owner, Robert J. Hughes was the director of the park, which evolved to host a zoo.