Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame & Museum
'57 Northern League Champions banner &
'59 Northern League All Star Game photo
'59 Northern League All Star Game photo
Goldeyes history (before the current Northern League)
Old Goldeyes program and "Annual Banquet" program
Current Goldeyes' uniforms & programs
One stop for the baseball (or sports) fan should be the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame & Museum in downtown Winnipeg. It's a short distance from CanWest and easy to find in The Bay (the venerable and historic Hudson Bay Company) on Portage Ave.
The display (in 2003) was a wonderful collection of Goldeyes and Northern League items both old and new. Historic items such as the Goldeyes 1957 Northern League Champions banner, '50's uniform and banquet program are matched with new items such as current uniforms, programs and even a "section" from "Deformity Field." There's even a section on Minnesota Twin and (Anola) Manitoba native Corie Koskie.
The rest of the museum features other sports and heroes and includes the Manitoba Curling, Basketball, and Ten Pin Bowling Halls of Fame.
Corie Koskie memorabilia
A little museum history...
Like the Goldeyes, the museum itself has been resurrected and moved since 1994.The original location was in the Johnson Terminal at the Forks until 1998. The ironic result is that baseball "moved east" to the river while the museum "moved west" to its current location. But at either location this museum, like the Roger Maris and Maury Wills museums in Fargo, is a great place to see a little more Northern League history and glimpse something the earlier incarnations.
Original '50's Stadium
1959 Northern League All Star Game (July 30, 1959)
Amusing, given the new ballpark, are the illustration and photos of the original ballpark at Winnipeg Stadium. Close inspection shows that, though it was part of the large stadium complex, it was at the southeast corner not northeast where the Goldeyes played from '94-'98. The general look is quite similar to Midway Stadium in St. Paul including the added bleachers. Of course it had grass, not an artificial surface.
Obviously, after the team ended in the '60's the old complex was torn down and eventually replaced with the (makeshift?) configuration of "Deformity Field."
Directions
From ballpark (Portage & Main)
- West nine (short) blocks down Portage Ave. to Memorial Blvd.
- The Bay is on the left (south) side of Portage and takes up entire block
- Enter store and head to center of main floor to find elevators
- Take elevator to fifth floor
- After exiting elevator, turn left and head towards (south) end of building.
- Museum occupies south end of fifth floor with a single entrance
The Bay Downtown, 5th Floor
450 Portage AvenueWinnipeg, Mb R3C 0E7
204.774.0002
Parking is available in back and often easily on the street. If staying downtown, it is an easy and pleasant walk.
Bleachers (from "Deformity Field") and visitor watching using Goldeye seat back.
On walls more Goldeyes memorabilia. On the TV "Field of Dreams."
On walls more Goldeyes memorabilia. On the TV "Field of Dreams."