Aberdeen native Paul Gertsen has given his entire collection of Northern League baseball memorabilia to the South Dakota State Historical Society. The collection features artifacts such as the plaque from the cornerstone of Aberdeen Athletic Field, home of the Aberdeen Pheasants, built in 1937 by the WPA; game-worn uniforms from the Aberdeen Pheasants, St. Cloud Rox and Winnipeg Maroons; team autographed baseballs and game-used bats; and more than 560 autographs of major league players, coaches and umpires who were at one time associated with the Northern League. The Aberdeen Pheasants were an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles (1954-71) and the St. Louis Browns (1946-53). The Sioux Falls Packers were an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds (1966-71). Gertsen discussed the history of the Northern League and the memorabilia given by Gertsen to the South Dakota State Historical Society.
The Northern League
