1967–1972. Mark Belanger was also on the 1964 Pheasants and was eventually named the American League all-star shortstop in 1976 as an Oriole. Lou Piniella played for the 1964 team prior to moving to the majors that same season. Cal Ripken, Sr. was a manager of the Pheasants for the 1963–1966 season. The minor league Pheasants met their demise when the Northern League folded after the 1971 season. The remaining teams, who all folded, were the Aberdeen Pheasants, Sioux Falls Packers, St. Cloud Rox and Watertown Expos. Ballparks Games were played at the municipal ball field located on the campus of Northern State University. The original stadium burned down in 1952 and was quickly replaced. Eventually the replacement stadium was torn down to make room for the Barnett Center. Early games during the first season started at 5:30pm because the field wasn't lighted but later during that season, lights were added thanks to contributions from the enthusiastic fans. The Pheasants built a steady fan base drawing crowds of over 3000 by their second season. Mascot Not to be forgotten is "Philbert" the cartoon pheasant drawn by Gordon Haug, the advertising artist for Aberdeen's Olwin-Angell department store. Philbert appeared on the front page of the Aberdeen American News the morning after each game with an appropriate comment about the game's outcome. Significant events The biggest game in Pheasant history took place in 1964 when the parent team, the Baltimore Orioles, came to town to play their minor league cohorts. The Orioles posted a 6-3 win in front of a capacity crowd. The Pheasants' final season was 1971. In 1995, local baseball enthusiasts re-established the Aberdeen Pheasant team and gave Aberdeen fans three seasons of baseball excitement prior to disbanding the organization at the end of the 1997 season. During the 1995 season, the Pheasants ran over their Prairie League competition, setting an all-time minor-league record for winning percentage by going 56-13 (.812) in the league's regular season. Historic information and photos provided by the Dacotah Prairie Museum. In 2010, the former Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Canaries team was renamed the Sioux Falls Fighting Pheasants, presumably to give new life to the Pheasants franchise. The move was not without controversy, as discussed in this editorial from the Aberdeen American News. Notable alumni Baseball Hall of Fame Alumni Jim Palmer (1964) inducted, 1990 Al Simmons (1922) inducted, 1953 Norm Stewart (1957) National Collegiate