Reusse: Dave Winfield helps baseball in St. Paul get its deserved recognition

The Los Angeles Dodgers were the Twins’ opponents in the 1965 World Series. They were here for Games 1 and 2, then Games 6 and 7, and lodged at the St. Paul Hotel during those two stays.

This was a bow to the 17 seasons, from 1944 to 1960, when the St. Paul Saints were a Dodgers farm club at the top level of the minor leagues.

This was not a popular decision with the Minneapolis business community, which still had many bruised egos from inter-city rivalries — including St. Paul’s effort to land a big league club in the original Midway Stadium as Minneapolis was pushing to put a team in Bloomington’s Metropolitan Stadium.

To the victors belonged the insults, and the great promoter of Minneapolis, Sid Hartman, still had a tendency to refer to St. Paul as “East Germany” in casual conversation.

The All-Star Game also was played here in 1965, and when it returned in 1985, it was at the Metrodome — the Minneapolis home to the Twins, the Vikings and Gophers football, as well as endless early-season college and high school baseball games in what was truly a People’s Stadium.

And there were Minneapolitans still not in a mood for sharing 25 years after we became a true major league sports market.

NBC was the network for the ‘85 All-Star Game and, as part of the buildup, it was announced informally that the “Today Show’’ would be telecasting from the Mississippi River landing in St. Paul.

“Nonsense,” screamed the Minneapolis power brokers, raising enough Hades for NBC to cancel that plan. This was a Minneapolis event, harrumph, harrumph.

I was in Year 17 at the Pioneer Press then. On Monday afternoon, before the first-ever Home Run Derby (American vs. National, team event) became the highlight of workout day, new baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth met with several media types in a small Dome suite.

“Is there anyone here from out of town?” Ueberroth asked early in the session.

I nodded and said: “I am.”

And when the Commish asked, “Where?” I was able to respond: “St. Paul.”

Laughter followed. At least from me.

What the Minneapolis bullying did allow was a chance to offer this printed tribute:

That poor St. Paul had to settle for its All-Star Game attention coming from three players on the American League team — right fielder Dave Winfield, starting pitcher Jack Morris and reserve Paul Molitor.

Think of that. Three All-Stars from within the city, all on the way to making the Hall of Fame, and now a fourth St. Paul kid, Joe Mauer, having made it as one of the youngest-ever inductees into Cooperstown.

There’s been this thought: “St. Paul should do something more with this incredible baseball legacy.” And now we know that important people in the city were working on doing exactly that.

The main field at the Dunning complex on Marshall Avenue — formerly Dunning 4; Toni Stone Field since 1996 — was a main ballyard for St. Paul City Conference and American Legion games, among others.

And on Saturday morning, Winfield was celebrated in a gathering that drew Mayor Melvin Carter and other politicians, as well as great St. Paul baseball boosters Frank White and Bill Peterson, the coaching legend from Winny’s youth. It came with this announcement:

A statue of Winfield will be unveiled next spring as the first of five in a Hall of Fame Plaza that will adorn the front of Toni Stone Field. Statues for Molitor, Morris and Mauer will follow, and also for Stone, the St. Paul-born athlete who was a pioneer as a female playing on men’s teams.

As for that All-American women’s league in the 1940s, the “League of Their Own,” as White said in a conversation Saturday: “Everything we know about her, Toni would’ve been the star player, but the women’s league was segregated, just like the major leagues then.”

Winfield’s popularity in St. Paul is not limited to his athletic excellence. Yes, he is the rarest of all-timers, going directly to the big leagues (from the Gophers to the San Diego Padres) and winding up in the Hall of Fame, but he also was close to a pioneer in using a hunk of his money to set up a foundation to assist youth.

The Winfield Foundation has been giving scholarships to young people of solid academic work and modest means for 49 years. Mayor Carter, a Central High graduate, was the recipient of one of those. And on Saturday, he paid tribute to Winfield and promised that improvements are on the way for Dunning beyond the plaza of statues.

Going back to the earliest days in St. Paul (1968), I was always impressed with the aggressiveness of St. Paul’s Parks and Recreation department. Andy Rodriguez is a lifelong St. Paulite. He benefited from that commitment to involving youth, and now, as the rec director, he made this clear with brief remarks Saturday:

St. Paul remains committed to free athletics and activities participation for all city kids who want to take advantage.

Mauer took advantage. There’s a famous photo of him as the only white kid on a basketball team from Jimmy Lee/Oxford playground. Mauer had three softball games to coach for his twins and nieces Saturday, but he also was at Toni Stone Field for the full ceremony to recognize “Winny.”

Four Hall of Famers. Statues on the way. No “Today” shows at the river landing, but 40 years later, St. Paul wins.