Toledo Mud Hens

Toledo Mud Hens
(1896–1914, 1916–1952, 1965–present) Toledo, Ohio
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class	Triple-A (1965–present)
Previous classes	Triple-A (1946–1952) Double-A (1912–1913, 1916–1945) Class A (1901, 1903–1911) Class B (1897–1900) Class C (1896, 1914) Independent (1902)
League	International League (1965–present)
Division	West Division
Previous leagues	American Association (1902–1913, 1916–1952) Southern Michigan League (1914) Western Association (1901) Interstate League (1896–1900)
Major league affiliations
Team	Detroit Tigers (1987–present)
Previous teams	Since 1965: Minnesota Twins (1978–1986) Cleveland Indians (1976–1977) Philadelphia Phillies (1974–1975) Detroit Tigers (1967–1973) New York Yankees (1965–1966)
Minor league titles
Class titles (0)	Since 1965: None
League titles (3)	Since 1965: 1968 2005 2006
Division titles (7)	Since 1965: 1967 2002 2005 2006 2007 2018 2021
Team data
Name	Toledo Mud Hens
Previous names	Toledo Iron Men (1916–1918) Toledo Swamp Angels (1901)
Colors	Navy, red, white, gold
Mascots	Muddy and Muddonna
Ballpark	Fifth Third Field (2002–present)
Previous parks	Ned Skeldon Stadium (1965–2001)
Owner(s)/ Operator(s)	Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club (a non-profit corporation)
General manager	Erik Ibsen
Manager	Tim Federowicz
Website	milb.com/toledo

The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A baseball team nicknamed the Mud Hens has played in Toledo for most seasons since 1896, including a 50-year history as a member of the now defunct American Association.^[1] The current franchise was established in 1965, joining the International League; this league was called the Triple-A East for the 2021 season.

Professional baseball had been played off and on in Toledo since 1883, and the Mud Hens era began in 1896 with the "Swamp Angels", who played in the Interstate League. They played in Bay View Park, which was outside the Toledo city limits and therefore not covered by the city's blue laws. The park was located near marshland inhabited by American coots, also known as "mud hens." For this reason, the local press soon dubbed the team the "Mud Hens"—a nickname that has stuck to Toledo baseball teams for all but a few years since. The name "Mud Hens" became permanent in 1965.^[2] After only one season, the team moved to Armory Park.^[3]

A Mud Hens team played in the Interstate League from 1896 through 1900, then a Toledo team known as the Swamp Angels played in the Western Association in 1901, followed by a Mud Hens team in the American Association from 1902 through 1913. The American Association Mud Hens moved to League Park in Cleveland in 1914 and became the Cleveland Bearcats, playing in Cleveland for two seasons.^[4] During the 1914 season, a Class C Mud Hens team played in the Southern Michigan League.^[1][5]: 95 No Toledo team was fielded in 1915.^[1]

The team resumed play in the American Association in 1916 as the Iron Men, a nickname they used through 1918.^[1] The Mud Hens name returned in 1919, and the team competed in the American Association until 1952.^[1]

Mid-season in 1952, team owner Danny Menendez moved the Mud Hens to Charleston, West Virginia,^[6] where they competed as the Charleston Senators through 1960. Toledo fielded a replacement franchise in the American Association from 1953 to 1955, the Toledo Sox, which was the former Milwaukee Brewers minor-league team. That franchise subsequently moved to Wichita, Kansas, for the 1956 season, where it competed as the Wichita Braves through 1958.

In 1965, the Richmond Virginians franchise of the International League moved to Toledo and became the current incarnation of the Mud Hens. They were based in Maumee, Ohio, at the converted Fort Miami Fairgrounds. The local ownership group led by Ned Skeldon signed with the New York Yankees to be its top farm team.

In 1967, the Detroit Tigers replaced the Yankees as its major league affiliate. That year, the team was third in the league but claimed the Governors' Cup via the four-team playoff. The next year, the team won a record 83 games and the league pennant, but failed to repeat as Cup winners. The team was affiliated with Detroit through 1973. In 1974 and 1975, the Philadelphia Phillies affiliated with the Mud Hens, followed by two years affiliated with Cleveland Indians. All four seasons were losing seasons.^[3]: 77

The Minnesota Twins took over as the team's major league affiliate in 1978 and brought in Gene Cook as general manager, who was good at promoting the team, particularly as a family event. Cook also got Jamie Farr to incorporate the Mud Hens in Farr's M*A*S*H character's background.^[3]: 77 The Twins affiliation lasted through the 1986 season. The Mud Hens resumed their affiliation with the Tigers in 1987, and have remained in the Detroit organization since then.

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Mud Hens were organized into the Triple-A East.^[7] Toledo won the Midwestern Division title by ending the season in first place with a 69–51 record.^[8] No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner.^[9] However, 10 games that had been postponed from the start of the season were reinserted into the schedule as a postseason tournament called the Triple-A Final Stretch in which all 30 Triple-A clubs competed for the highest winning percentage.^[9] Toledo finished the tournament tied for 13th place with a 5–5 record.^[10] In 2022, the Triple-A East became known as the International League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.^[11]

Toledo Mud Hens seasons are listed below.^[12]

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The Mud Hens' rivalry with the Columbus Clippers is a rivalry that dates back to 1977 when the Clippers joined the International League and were the second Ohio team in the league. The two teams play in the International League's West Division. The Clippers are an affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, who compete against the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central, adding another layer to the rivalry.

The Mud Hens' rivalry with the Indianapolis Indians dates back to 1998 when the Indians joined the International League. They faced each other in the Governors' Cup Finals in 2005, which the Mud Hens won in a sweep. The following season, they faced each other in a play-in game—the winner would win the IL West Division and clinch a spot in the 2006 Governor's Cup playoffs—which the Mud Hens won, 4–0.

The Mud Hens also won Interstate League playoffs in 1896, and 1897. While competing in the American Association, Toledo was the league champion in 1927, prior to the league having a postseason. Subsequently, Toledo reached the semifinals in 1937, 1943, and 1944. They reached the championship series in 1942. In 1967, Toledo played their first playoff game in Governors' Cup playoffs. In 1968, the Mud Hens finished first for the regular season but lost in the playoff semifinals.

Mud Hens players who were later inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame include:

Mud Hens players who were selected as MLB All-Stars during their careers include:

Mud Hens players who later managed MLB teams include:

Other Mud Hens players of note:

• Billy Beane, three-time Sporting News Executive of the Year and subject of Moneyball
• Moe Berg, spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II
• Mike Hessman, International League All-Time Home Run leader
• Ralph Schwamb, convicted murderer
• Jim Thorpe, two-time Olympic gold medal winner and inductee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame
• Craig Monroe, broadcasts on Bally Sports Detroit
• Cameron Maybin, broadcasts on Bally Sports Detroit

• M*A*S*H character Maxwell Klinger (played by Jamie Farr) hailed from Toledo and often mentioned the Mud Hens as his favorite baseball team throughout the series. He was often seen wearing a Toledo Mud Hens cap (which bears a strong resemblance to a Texas Rangers cap). In fact, Klinger feels so strongly about the Mud Hens that he gets put on KP duty for a month when he punches his archnemesis, Sgt. Zelmo Zale, who insulted the Mud Hens. Like Klinger, Farr was born and raised in Toledo, and the Mud Hens retired jersey No. 1 in Farr's honor. Colonel Sherman Potter (played by Harry Morgan) was also a fan of the Mud Hens and was seen wearing their swag on several episodes of the series.
• The title character of the comic strip Crankshaft was a pitcher for the Mud Hens just before World War II when he enlisted in the Army. He invariably wears a Mud Hens cap in the strip, and reminisces often about his playing days. In the summer of 2016 the Mud Hens retired jersey No. 13 in Crankshaft's honor.
• Lou Brown, the fictional manager of the Cleveland Indians in the film Major League, was said to have managed in Toledo for 30 years prior to managing the Indians.
• Richard Pryor's character, Montgomery Brewster, in the 1985 film Brewster's Millions was said to have previously pitched for the Mud Hens.
• The Melissa & Joey character Joe Longo (played by Joey Lawrence) is a Mud Hens fan and claims they win every single time he goes to the game with his foam finger. In season 3, episode 21 "Plus One", Mel Hart (played by Melissa Joan Hart) gets tickets right behind first base for Joe. They both end up at the game later in the episode.

• List of baseball parks in Toledo, Ohio

• The Toledo Baseball Guide of the Mud Hens 1883–1943, Ralph Elliott Lin Weber, 1944.

• Official website