Baseball in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Overview

The record of the Midwest League franchise in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Wizards have mostly had rather mediocre teams. But they've had some interesting players: LaTroy Hawkins their first year, Sean Burroughs in 1999, and some (perhaps) lesser lights between. Michael Restovich gave the Fort Wayne fans a preview of his QC summer at the end of the 1998 season. Will Venable extended the strong tradition in 2006.

These teams have played more than their share of long games, particularly in April. Note that the highlights page shows long games on two different April 18ths.

And notice Rene Lopez' long string of hits in late May of 1993....

Summary

• Midwest League seasons: 14
• Won/Lost overall: 960/970, .497
• Best season: 79/61, .564 (1998)
• Championship Playoffs Won: none
• Best MWL Won/Lost Record: none (tied for 2nd in 1998)

Fort Wayne joined the Midwest League in 1993; they were the successor to the Kenosha franchise. Fort Wayne remains active in the Midwest League.

Historically, this is the Wisconsin Rapids franchise.

Seasonal Results
Other Leagues

Team Names

• Fort Wayne Wizards (1993-present)

Affiliations

• Minnesota Twins, 1993-98
• San Diego Padres, 1999-present

Officers, Managers, & Coaches

Ballpark

• Memorial Stadium (new 1993)
  • Also known as "The Castle".

Attendance record

• 318,506 (1993)

Ballparks & Attendance

Best Seasons

• Hitter: Javier Valentin (1995) .321, 19 HR, 75 RBI or Josh Loggins (1999) .297, 14 HR, 85 RBI
• Pitcher: LaTroy Hawkins (1993) 2.06, 15-5, 179 strikeouts

Best Big League Career

• Jake Peavy (2000)

Awards

• 1995 Javier Valentin (Most Valuable Player)

Fort Wayne Highlights

Team Records

Hitters

• Batting: Sean Burroughs (1999) .359
• Home Runs: Jake Patterson (1997) 20
• Runs Batted In: Josh Loggins (1999) and John Scheschuk (2000) 85
• Steals: Jeremy Owens (1999) 65

Seasonal Hitting Leaders

Pitchers

• Wins: LaTroy Hawkins (1993) 15
• Won/Lost (10 decisions): Brian O'Brien (1994) 11/2, .846
• Earned Run Average: LaTroy Hawkins (1993) 2.06
• Strikeouts: LaTroy Hawkins (1993) 179

Seasonal Pitching Leaders

Notes

This summary originated as the December 12, 1999, Midwest League Tidbit on the Midwest League Mailing List.

Sources

These pages draw heavily on several sources:

• Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, eds, The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Durham: Baseball America, 1997)
• Midwest League Media Guide and Record Book (Beloit: Midwest League, various years; title varies)
• Kevin Saldana, Today in Minor League Baseball History (???: SalFam Books, 1999)
• Baseball America's Almanac (Durham: Baseball America, various years)
• News sources.

My thanks to Brian Greer for reporting an error on this and several other pages.