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The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio . The Mud Hens play in the International League , and are currently associated with the Major-league Team the Detroit Tigers . The current team is one of several that have existed in Toledo over more than a century; the name "Mud Hens" was first used in 1896, after the team was bought by Charles Strobel. The park where the team played that year was adjacent to marshland which was inhabited by Coots , also known as marsh hens or mud hens, from which the team adopted their name. They are the current back-to-back Governors' Cup champions of the International League. The Mud Hens currently play at Fifth Third Field , at 406 Washington Street. The stadium, built in 2002, was named the best minor league ballpark in America by '' Newsweek ''. Fifth Third Field is in virtually the same location, between Washington and Monroe Streets in downtown Toledo, as the first professional baseball stadium in the city, built in 1883 . The new stadium replaced Ned Skeldon Stadium , located in suburban Maumee , as the Mud Hens Home -- the older facility being best described as "quaint" or "rustic." TEAM HISTORY The Mud Hens have played in the International League continuously since 1965 , when the New York Yankees ' AAA club, the Richmond Virginians , transferred there. Although the Tigers have been the predominant MLB parent of the IL Mud Hens (1967-73 and since 1987), the team has also affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies (1974-75), Cleveland Indians (1976-77), Minnesota Twins (1978-86), and the Yankees (1965-66). Toledo was without organized baseball for nine seasons (1956-64). Previously, the Mud Hens played in the American Association , the Midwest-based high-level minor league. The Mud Hens played in the Association from 1902-13, moved to Cleveland in 1914-15, and then returned to Toledo (initially as the Ironmen) from 1916 through June 23, 1952. This incarnation of the Mud Hens (who reverted to their traditional nickname in 1919) usually resided deep in the second division of the circuit, winning the AA pennant only in 1927 when the manager was Casey Stengel . After the Farm System era began in the 1930s, the Mud Hens were usually affiliated with the St. Louis Browns , one of the worst teams in the American League . By the early 1950s, Toledo annually trailed the other seven Association clubs in attendance. Finally, on June 23, 1952, the team moved to Charleston, West Virginia , and became the Senators . However, the city gained its second version of the American Association Mud Hens when the Boston Braves transferred to Milwaukee in March 1953, displacing their AAA club, the Milwaukee Brewers , which then shifted to Toledo. The relocated Brewers were loaded with talent, and the 1953 Mud Hens won their second Association pennant in their history, and drew over 343,000 fans — a 244 percent increase compared to 1951. But the Braves stayed only three seasons (1953-55) before moving the team to Wichita, Kansas , as the Wichita Braves . THE MUD HENS IN POPULAR CULTURE The mascot's name is Muddy, and the female mascot is named Muddonna. The logo for the Mud Hens has undergone several updates, "Mortimer" Mud Hen was used in the 1940's and 1950's. The logo was re-created by Gabriel Pinciotti in 1965, and since then has remained close to his design. The latest update took place for the 2006 season. The logo and name continues to be amongst the most popular and best selling in Minor League Baseball history.
In the comic strip '' Crankshaft '', the title character Ed Crankshaft pitched for the Toledo Mud Hens in his younger days, and once struck out Hank Greenberg in an exhibition game. TITLES on June 8, 2007.]] The Mud Hens have won the Governors' Cup , the championship of the IL, 3 times, and played in the championship series 4 times.
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ACTIVE ROSTER Updated July 10 , 2007 EXTERNAL LINKS
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