Lewiston Twins

Lewiston Twins
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass B (1891–1896, 1901)
Class D (1907–1908)
Class B (1914–1915, 1919, 1926–1930)
LeagueNew England League (1891–1896, 1901)
Maine State League (1907)
Atlantic Association (1908)
New England League (1914–1915, 1919, 1926–1930)
Major league affiliations
TeamNone
Minor league titles
League titles (1)1919
Team data
NameLewiston (1891)
Lewiston-Auburn Gazettes (1892)
Lewiston (1893–1897, 1907–1908)
Lewiston Cupids (1914–1915)
Lewiston-Auburn Twins (1919)
Lewiston Red Sox (1919)
Lewiston Twins (1926–1930)
BallparkA.A.A. Park (1901, 1907–1908, 1914–1915, 1919)
Lewiston Athletic Park (1926–1930)

The Lewiston Twins were the final minor league baseball team based in Lewiston, Maine. Between 1891 and 1930, Lewiston teams played under various nicknames as long time members of the New England League (1891–1896, 1901, 1914–1915, 1919, 1926–1930) and also in the 1907 Maine State League and 1908 Atlantic Association, winning the 1919 league championship. Lewiston hosted home minor league games at A.A.A. Park from through 1919 and the Lewiston Athletic Park from 1926 to 1930.

Baseball Hall of Fame member Jesse Burkett managed the Lewiston Twins in 1928 and 1929.

On August 7, 1915, Lewiston pitchers Oscar Tuero and Otto Rettig threw back–to–back no-hitters in a double header against the Lowell Grays.

History

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Early teams 1891–1908

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Minor league baseball began in Lewiston, Maine in 1891. Lewiston fielded a team in the Class B level New England League, joining the league on June 10, 1891, and completing the season. Lewiston finished with an 11–28 record in their first season, playing under manager Jeremiah Scannell. Lewiston finished in eighth place in the eight–team league by winning percentage.[1] [2][3][4]

Continuing play in 1892, the team used the Lewiston-Auburn Gazettes moniker for one season, reflecting partnership with neighboring Auburn, Maine in the name. The Gazettes finished with a 53–45 record to place third in the eight–team New England League. Lewiston-Auburn finished 12.0 games behind first place Woonsocket, playing under managers Forrest Keay and Frank Leonard.[1][5][6][7][8]

In 1893, Lewiston returned and had a 56–37 record in New England League play. Lewiston finished in second place, ending the season 5.5 games behind the 1first place Fall River Indians. The Lewiston manager in 1893 was John Leighton.[1][9][10][11]

Lewiston finished in fifth place in the eight–team 1894 New England League final standings. Playing under returning manager John Leighton and Sam LaRocque, Lewiston ended the season with a record of 46–50, finishing 15.5 games behind the champion Fall River Indians.[1][12][13][14]

In 1895 New England League play, Lewiston again finished in fifth place in the eight–team league. With a final record of 47–54, Lewiston finished 17.5 games behind the first place Fall River Indians in the final standings. Mike Slattery and Michael Garrity managed Lewiston in 1895.[1][15][16][17]

The Lewiston team did not complete the 1896 New England League season. On August 12, 1896, Lewiston disbanded with a 29–53 record, playing the season under managers Michael Garrity, Ed Flanagan and Henry Slater. The league championship was won again by the Fall River Indians.[1][18][19][20]

Lewiston returned to the New England League in 1901, beginning play at A.A.A. Park. Lewiston finished in fifth place with a 42–50 record. In the final standings, Lewiston was 13.0 games behind first place Portland. Lewiston played the 1901 season under manager Fred Doe.[1][21][22][23]

In 1907, Lewiston returned to play in a new league before disbanding again. Lewiston became members of the Class D level Maine State League. The team disbanded on August 3, 1907, with a 24–23 record under managers George Boardman and Heald when the franchise folded.[1][24][25][26][27][28]

Lewiston briefly played in the short–lived 1908 Class D level Atlantic Association. Lewiston was in second place with an 8–4 record under George Beede and Ed McDonough when the league folded on May 21, 1908. Lewiston was 0.5 behind the Portland Blue Sox when the league permanently folded. Other references have Lewiston in first place with a 6–3 record.[1][29][30]

New England League 1914–1930

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Minor league baseball returned to Lewiston in 1914, with the Lewiston Cupids rejoining the New England League. The Cupids placed sixth in the eight–team, Class B level New England League. Lewiston had a final record of 57–66 and finished 27.0 games behind the Lawrence Barristers. Lewiston played the season under managers John McMahon, Joe Judge and Art McGovern.[1][31][32][33][34]

On August 7, 1915, a baseball rarity occurred. Lewiston Cupid pitchers Oscar Tuero and Otto Rettig threw back–to–back no-hitters in a double header against the Lowell Grays. First, Tuero defeated the Grays 5–0 in a conventional 9–inning, complete game no–hitter. In the second game, Rettig no–hit Lowell over 5–innings in an official game that ended with a 1–1 tie.[35][36]

Overall, the 1915 Lewiston Cupids placed fifth in the New England League final standings. The Cupids ended the season with a 50–59 record to place fifth in the eight–team league. Lewiston finished 22.0 games behind the first place Portland Duffs in the final standings. The Lewiston Cupids' manager and part–owner was Arthur Irwin. The New England league folded after the 1915 season, as did many minor leagues due to World War I.[1][37][38][39][40]

The New England League reformed briefly for a partial 1919 season and Lewiston had two separate teams in the league. The Lewiston Red Sox began the season playing in the six-team league. The Red Sox had a 21–23 record under manager Freddy Parent when the team folded on July 20, 1919. On July 14, the Lowell Grays franchise moved to Lewiston and began play as the Lewiston-Auburn Twins, in partnership with neighboring Auburn, Maine, where Lewiston–Auburn are twin cities. On August 2, 1919, the Twins were in first place with a 38–25 overall record under manager Mike Hayden when the New England League folded.[1][41][42][43][44][45][46]

In 1926, the New England League reformed as a Class B level league with eight teams. The Lewiston Twins began play, keeping the "Twins" moniker first adopted in 1919. The Lewiston Twins finished with a 50–43 record to place third in the final standings. Lewiston finished 7.5 games behind the first place Manchester Blue Sox. The 1926 Lewiston manager was Joe Murphy.[1][47][48][49]

The Lewiston Twins were led by returning manager Joe Murphy in 1927. The Twins placed fourth in the eight–team New England League final standings. Lewiston had a 46–45 record in the regular season, finishing 14.0 games behind the fifst place Lynn Papooses.[1][47][50][51]

Lewiston-Auburn, ME 1973 & 2012

The 1928 Lewiston Twins were managed by Baseball Hall of Fame member Jesse Burkett and finished in third place in the New England League standings. The Twins had a 51–46 final record, finishing 3.5 games behind the New England League champion Lynn Papooses.[1][52][53][54][55]

In 1929, the Lewiston Twins played their final full season and were led by returning manager Jesse Burkett. The Twins placed fourth in the eight–team New England League, finishing with a record of 61–56. Lewiston was 15.0 games behind the first place Manchester Red Sox in the final standings. Season attendance at Lewiston Athletic park was 40,000.[1][56][57][58][55]

The Lewiston Twins played their final season in 1930. The Twins permanently disbanded on June 16, 1930. After the 1930 New England League began play with six teams, the Lewiston Twins had a record of 12–12 under manager Bill Slattery when the team folded. The Nashua Millionaires franchise disbanded the same day. After continuing play briefly as a four–team league, the New England League folded on June 22, 1930.[59][60][61][62]

The Lewiston–Auburn area has not hosted another minor league team.[1][63]

The ballparks

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In the seasons between 1901 and 1919, Lewiston teams played at A.A.A. Park.[44][64]

The Lewiston Twins played home games at Lewiston Athletic Park beginning in 1926. The ballpark was located at Sabattus Street & Vale Street. Today, the park is still in use as a public park with baseball, football, lacrosse, field hockey and football facilities. The present public park is located at 65 Central Avenue, Lewiston, Maine.[65][66][67][68]

Timeline

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Year(s) # Yrs. Team Level League Ballpark
1891 1 Lewiston Class B New England League A.A.A. Park
1982 1 Lewiston-Auburn Gazettes
1893–1896 4 Lewiston
1901 1 Class B New England League
1907 1 Class D Maine State League
1908 1 Atlantic Association
1914–1915 2 Lewiston Cupids Class B New England League
1919 (1) 1 Lewiston Red Sox
1919 (2) 1 Lewiston-Auburn Twins
1926–1930 5 Lewiston Twins Lewiston Athletic Park

Year–by–year records

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Year Record Place Manager Playoffs/notes
1891 11–28 8th Jeremiah Scannell Entered league June 10
1892 53–45 3rd Forrest Keay / Frank Leonard No playoffs held
1893 56–37 2nd John Leighton No playoffs held
1894 46–50 5th John Leighton / Sam LaRocque No playoffs held
1895 47–54 5th Mike Slattery / Michael Garrity No playoffs held
1896 29–53 NA Michael Garrity / Ed Flanagan
Henry Slater
Team disbanded August 12
1901 42–50 5th Fred Doe No playoffs held
1907 24–23 NA George Boardman / Heald Team disbanded August 3
1908 8–4 2nd George Beede /Ed McDonough League disbanded May 28
1914 57–66 5th John McMahon / Joe Judge
Jerry McGovern
No playoffs held
1915 50–59 6th Arthur Irwin No playoffs held
1919 (1) 21–23 NA Fred Parent Team disbanded July 12
1919 (2) 38–25 1st Mike Hayden Team moved from Lowell July 14
League disbanded August 2
League Champions
1926 50–43 3rd Joe Murphy No playoffs held
1927 46–45 4th Joe Murphy No playoffs held
1928 51–46 3rd Jesse Burkett No playoffs held
1929 61–56 4th Jesse Burkett No playoffs held
1930 12–12 NA Bill Slattery Team disbanded June 16

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Notable alumni

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See also

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Lewiston Cupids players
Lewiston Red Sox players
Lewiston Twins players
Lewiston (minor league baseball) players

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  2. ^ "1891 Lewiston Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  3. ^ "1891 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  4. ^ "1891 Lewiston Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  5. ^ "Lewiston-Auburn Gazettes Statistics and Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  6. ^ "1892 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  7. ^ "1892 Lewiston-Auburn Gazettes Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  8. ^ "1892 Lewiston Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  9. ^ "1893 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  10. ^ "1893 Lewiston Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  11. ^ "1893 Lewiston Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  12. ^ "1894 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  13. ^ "1894 Lewiston Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  14. ^ "1894 Lewiston Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  15. ^ "1895 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  16. ^ "1895 Lewiston Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  17. ^ "1895 Lewiston Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  18. ^ "1896 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  19. ^ "1896 Lewiston Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  20. ^ "1896 Lewiston Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  21. ^ "1901 Lewiston Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  22. ^ "1901 New England League (NEL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  23. ^ "Boston Post from Boston, Massachusetts on June 21, 1901 · Page 3". Newspapers.com. 21 June 1901.
  24. ^ "1897 Lewiston Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  25. ^ "1897 Maine State League (MSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  26. ^ "1897 Lewiston Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  27. ^ "1897 Maine State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  28. ^ "1907 Maine State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  29. ^ "1908 Lewiston Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  30. ^ "1908 Atlantic Association". Baseball-Reference.com.
  31. ^ "1914 Lewiston Cupids Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  32. ^ "1914 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  33. ^ "1914 Lewiston Cupids Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  34. ^ "1914 New England League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  35. ^ "Searching for missing Minors no-hitters". MiLB.com.
  36. ^ "Minor League No Hitters". Google Docs.
  37. ^ "1915 Lewiston Cupids Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  38. ^ "1915 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  39. ^ "1915 Lewiston Cupids Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  40. ^ "Lewiston Evening Journal - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  41. ^ "Lowell Grays/Lewiston-Auburn Twins Statistics and Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  42. ^ "1919 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  43. ^ "1919 Lewiston Red Sox Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  44. ^ a b "AAA Park in Lewiston, ME history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  45. ^ "1919 Lewiston Red Sox Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  46. ^ "1919 Lowell Grays/Lewiston-Auburn Twins Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  47. ^ a b "1927 Lewiston Twins Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  48. ^ "1926 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  49. ^ "1926 Lewiston Twins Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  50. ^ "1927 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  51. ^ "1927 Lewiston Twins Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  52. ^ "1928 Lewiston-Auburn Twins Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  53. ^ "1928 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  54. ^ "1928 Lewiston Twins Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  55. ^ a b "Jesse Burkett Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  56. ^ "1929 Lewiston Twins Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  57. ^ "1929 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  58. ^ "1929 Lewiston Twins Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  59. ^ "Lewiston-Auburn Twins Statistics and Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  60. ^ "1930 Lewiston-Auburn Twins Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  61. ^ "1930 New England League (NEL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  62. ^ "1930 Lewiston Twins Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  63. ^ "Lewiston, Maine Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
  64. ^ "The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts on April 21, 1914 · 7". Newspapers.com. 21 April 1914.
  65. ^ "Lewiston Athletic Park in Lewiston, ME history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  66. ^ "Parks, Cemeteries, Athletic Fields, Open Space Maintenance Services | Lewiston, ME - Official Website". www.lewistonmaine.gov.
  67. ^ "Lewiston Athletic Park".
  68. ^ "LAP Baseball Field". Lewiston Recreation | POWERED BY RECDESK.
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