The Fargo–Moorhead RedHawks are a professional minor-league baseball team based in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States. The RedHawks are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The RedHawks have played their home games at Newman Outdoor Field since 1996, when the team started as members of the Northern League.
History The team was created as a Northern League expansion franchise in 1996 along with the now-defunct Madison Black Wolf. Chris Coste is probably the most well-known former RedHawks player and was a member of the 2008 World Series-winning Philadelphia Phillies. The RedHawks and the St. Paul Saints were among most stable and successful independent baseball teams until the Saints became part of affiliated baseball and became a Triple-A franchise in 2021.
They are reported to have had the first broadcast by minor league professional baseball on the internet.
In fifteen seasons in the Northern League, the RedHawks set the modern Northern League best single-season record for winning percentage with a 64–21 (.753) mark in 1998, set the record for most wins in a season with 68 in 2005, made it to the playoffs in 14 of 15 seasons, won five Northern League titles, and were named Baseball America's Independent Team of the Decade for the 1990s.
The 1998 team recorded a combined record of 70 wins and 22 losses during the regular season and playoffs (.761).
On October 13, 2010, the RedHawks left the Northern League, along with the Gary SouthShore RailCats, Kansas City T-Bones, and the Winnipeg Goldeyes to join the American Association for the 2011 season. The four remaining Northern League teams all folded or left the league. Accordingly, the Northern League ceased operations and folded in October 2010. As a result, the RedHawks have the distinction of being the last league champion. They have won the 2012 and 2013 American Association North Division championship.
On August 13, 2017, the Redhawks relieved Doug Simunic of his duties as field manager. Simunic had served in the position for all 22 years of the team's existence. He was replaced by pitching coach Michael Schlact, who after finishing the season on an interim basis was named the permanent manager on September 7, 2017. Michael Schlact managed one season with the RedHawks, before stepping down in February 2019 to take a coaching position within the Milwaukee Brewers minor league system. On March 20, 2019, Jim Bennett was named as the franchise's third manager. The team went on to a 63–37 record and lost in the North Division championship series to St. Paul 3–2 in the best-of-five series. Bennett was named the American Association's Manager of the Year.
In 2020, the RedHawks were one of six teams selected to compete in the condensed 60-game season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Newman Outdoor Field served as one of the hubs where games were played; the team shared their home field with the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Prior to the start of the season on July 3, the team announced that Jim Bennett would not return as manager and named hitting coach Chris Coste interim manager.
After a sub-.500 finish in 2020, the RedHawks went 61–38 and reached the American Association Finals for the first time since joining the league in 2011, losing 3–0 to the Kansas City Monarchs. The next season, though, the RedHawks went 64–36, their best mark in a decade, avenged their loss to Kansas City, then went on to defeat the Milwaukee Milkmen 3–2 on a walk-off single from Leobaldo Pina in the tenth inning of the deciding fifth game to win their first American Association championship and sixth overall league title.
The league title earned the RedHawks the right to play in the inaugural 2023 Baseball Champions League Americas in October, 2023. The tournament, held in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, was won by the RedHawks, who defeated the Caimanes de Barranquilla of Colombia in the championship game, 8–0.
Fast facts Franchise record (through 2024): 1589–1135 (.583) Northern League record (1996–2010): 851–515 (.623) American Association record (2011–2024): 793–665 (.544) Northern League playoff appearances: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 American Association playoff appearances: 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Northern League division titles: 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 American Association division titles: 2012, 2013, 2021, 2022 Northern League championships: 1998, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010 American Association championships: 2022
Season-by-season records Season League Division First Half Second Half Overall Playoffs Record Finish Record Finish Record Win% 1996 NL West 26–15 1st 27–15 1st 53–31 .631 Lost Championship Series vs. St. Paul (3–0)Won Western Division Series vs. Winnipeg (2–1) 1997 NL West 21–21 3rd 26–16 1st 47–37 .560 Lost Western Division Series vs. Winnipeg (3–2) 1998 NL West 31–11 1st 33–10 2nd 64–21 .753 Won Championship vs. St. Paul (3–0)Won Western Division Series vs. Winnipeg (3–1) 1999 NL West 27–16 2nd 23–19 2nd 50–35 .588 Lost Central Divisional Series vs. Winnipeg (3–0)Won Eastern Division Series vs. Schaumburg (3–0) 2000 NL West 28–15 1st 25–18 1st 53–33 .616 Lost Central Divisional Series vs. Duluth-Superior (3–0)Won Western Division Series vs. Winnipeg (3–0) 2001 NL North 25–20 2nd 26–19 3rd 51–39 .567 Lost Central Division Semifinal vs. Winnipeg (3–2) 2002 NL North 25–19 2nd 27–18 2nd 52–37 .584 Did not qualify 2003 NL West 32–13 1st 30–15 1st 62–28 .689 Won Championship vs. Winnipeg (3–1)Won West Division Series vs. Schaumburg (3–2) 2004 NL North 31–16 1st 23–25 3rd 55–41 .573 Lost North Division Series vs. St. Paul (3–1) 2005 NL North 28–20 1st 40–7 1st 68–27 .716 Lost Championship Series vs. Gary SouthShore (3–2)Won North Division Series vs. Lincoln (3–1) 2006 NL North 32–16 1st 31–17 1st 63–33 .656 Won Championship vs. Gary SouthShore (3–1)Won North Division Series vs. Winnipeg (3–2) 2007 NL North 26–21 3rd 31–17 1st 57–38 .600 Lost North Division Series vs. Calgary (3–0)League abandoned split-season formatSeasonLeagueDivisionRecordFinishOverallWin % 2008 NL N/A 62–34 1st 62–34 .646 Lost Semifinal vs. Kansas City (3–0) 2009 NL N/A 53–42 3rd 53–42 .558Won Championship vs. Gary SouthShore (3–1)Won Semifinal vs. Winnipeg (3–2) 2010 NL N/A 61–39 1st 61–39 .610Won Championship vs. Kansas City (3–0)Won Semifinal vs. Gary SouthShore (3–0) 2011 AA North 44–56 3rd 44–56 .440 Did not qualify 2012 AA North65–351st 65–35 .650 Lost North Division Series vs. Winnipeg (3–0) 2013 AA North62–381st 62–38 .620 Lost North Division Series vs. Gary SouthShore (3–1) 2014 AA North 43–56 3rd 43–56 .434Did not qualify 2015 AA North 44–56 3rd 44–56 .440Did not qualify 2016 AA North 52–48 3rd 52–48 .520Did not qualify 2017 AA North 57–43 2nd 57–43 .570Did not qualify 2018 AA North 51–49 3rd 51–49 .510 Did not qualify 2019 AA North 63–37 2nd 63–37 .630 Lost North Division Championship Series vs. St. Paul (3–2)2020AANorth28–325th28–32.467 Did not qualify2021AANorth61–382nd61–38.616 Lost Championship vs. Kansas City (3–0)Won North Division Championship Series vs. Chicago (3–2)Won North Division Wild Card game vs. Milwaukee (5–0)2022AAWest64–362nd64–36.640 Won Championship vs. Milwaukee Milkmen (3–2) Won West Division Championship Series vs. Kansas City (2–1) Won West Division Series vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes (2–1)2023AAWest51–494th51–49.510 Lost West Division Series vs. Sioux City Explorers (2–0)2024AAWest53–473rd53–47.530 Lost West Division Championship Series vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes (2–1) Won West Division Series vs. Sioux City Explorers (2–1)2025AAWest55-454th55-45.550 Lost West Division Championship Series vs. Sioux Falls Canaries (3-2) Won Western Division Series vs. Kansas City Monarchs (2-1) Totals1644-1180.57822 Playoff appearances (6 League championships)
Roster
Retired numbers 42 Jackie Robinson 8 Roger Maris 35 Jeff Bittiger (August 13, 2004) 7 Joe Mathis (August 7, 2009) 19 Jake Laber (July 19, 2021) 33 Doug Simunic (June 9, 2023)
Notable alumni
Tim Flakoll (founding employee) Brian Traxler (1996–1997) Darryl Motley (1996–1999) Chris Coste (1996–1999) Jeff Bittiger (1996–2002) Brett Roberts (1997) Ozzie Canseco (1998) Blaise Ilsley (1998) Jeff Jackson (1998) Mike Busch (1999) Billy Ashley (2000) Jason Pearson (2000) Cris Colón (2000–2001) Brent Bowers (2001) Rich Becker (2002) Mike Figga (2002) Dante Powell (2002) Dan Rohrmeier (2002) Eddie Williams (2002) Jon Weber (2002–2003, 2007) Juan Melo (2003, 2007) Ivanon Coffie (2003) Harry Berrios (2006) Jimmy Hurst (2008) Zach Penprase (2008–2011, 2012–2015) Brian McCullough (2009) Yurendell DeCaster (2009) Randall Simon (2009) Donzell McDonald (2009) Enrique Cruz (2012) Tyler Herron (2012, 2015–2017, 2021) Tyler Graham (2013) Justin Erasmus (2013) Wes Roemer (2014) Brandon Mann (2015) T.J. Bennett (2019) Jake Cosart (2020) Bradin Hagens (2019–2020) Cito Culver (2020) Jordan Patterson (2020) Nick Shumpert (2021) Kevin Herget (2021) Rymer Liriano (2022) Édgar García (2023) Ben Holmes (2023) Dillon Thomas (2023–present) Yoelqui Céspedes (2024)
References
External links Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks website American Association of Professional Baseball website nlfan.com Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks' Guide