Minneapolis, MN
10 Facts About Willie Mays’ Time with the Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were a charter member of the American Association in 1902 and were purchased by the New York Giants in 1946. Twin Cities baseball fans would have to wait until the 1960s for a major league team, so the Millers offered a chance to witness greatness. Willie Mays had been playing professionally since he was a teenager, with a stint on the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League. In 13 games, he went 6-for-43 (.233 BA) with three extra-base hits. After graduating high school, he signed with the Giants and played his first professional season in the Class B Interstate League. His tenure with the Millers began in 1951.
Fact 1: The Giants had two Triple-A teams, so it wasn’t guaranteed that Mays would play in Minneapolis. New York’s other Triple-A team played in Ottawa but the field and facilities were sub-par. Mays was considered a top prospect, so sending him to Minneapolis made sense.
Fact 2: Mays helped the Millers win 13-of-19 spring training games by dominating at the plate. He posted a .408 batting average with five home runs and 29 RBI. He seemed more than ready to help the team when the regular season began.
Fact 3: The Millers started the season with 13 road games to avoid some of the cold spring weather in Minneapolis. Mays posted a .352 batting average on the road trip, making Minneapolis fans even more excited about seeing him in person.
Fact 4: Mays’ defense would become legendary at the big-league level including his famous catch in the World Series. There were already signs of his strong defense with the Millers. The Minneapolis Tribune wrote, “His throwing for power has lived up to reputation. … His throws are not ‘arches.’ Rather, they are power-laden, even when he throws to put the ball into the hands of a receiver on the ground.” They couldn’t have been more accurate in their scouting report of Mays.
Fact 5: Halsey Hall wrote about Mays as the Millers prepared for their home opener. He had a simple statement that would stand the test of time. “We think you’ll like Willie.” For generations of baseball fans, this was a mantra to live by.
Fact 6: Mays lived and played in Minneapolis before the Civil Rights Movement, so that meant he lived in an area called “one of the centers of black life in the Twin Cities in the 1950s.” He rented a room at 3616 4th Ave, which was close enough to walk to Nicollet Park, home of the Millers.
Fact 7: Over 6,000 fans attended the Millers’ home opener despite rainy conditions to get a first-hand view of Mays. The game was halted in the seventh inning but not before the star outfielder collected three hits and made tremendous defensive plays.
Fact 8: During the homestand, Mays made “one of the greatest catches you will ever see.” He tracked down a line drive hit to the way and leaped to make the catch. Mays doubled off the runner at second base to finish the incredible play. The batter put his head down, assumed he got a double and didn’t believe the umpire when he was told that the ball had been caught.
Fact 9: Poor weather in the early part of the season meant few Minneapolis residents attended Millers games. The team played at home for a three-week stretch and averaged fewer than 2,700 fans per game. Many hoped to watch Mays when the weather warmed up, but the Giants had other plans.
Fact 10: Mays dominated during his time in a Millers uniform. In 35 games, he slashed .477/.524/.799 (1.323) with 20 doubles, eight triples, and four home runs. Mays also had more walks (42) than strikeouts (34). On May 24, New York decided it was time for their young phenom to get the call.
Bonus Fact: Some fans were upset that Mays left before they could see him in person. Giants President Horace Stoneham released a quarter-page ad in the Sunday edition of the Minneapolis Tribune to explain the decision. “We appreciate his worth to the Millers, but in all fairness Mays himself must be a factor in these considerations. Merit must be recognized. … Mays is entitled to his promotion, and the chance to prove that he can play major league baseball.”
Mays was more than ready to play major league baseball even with some early struggles. His big-league career has been well documented and relived in recent days so there is no need to rehash those accolades. However, his career as one of baseball’s giants can be traced back to Nicollet Park in Minneapolis, even if not many people were there to see it.
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Minneapolis, MN
Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say
Minneapolis police are investigating a homicide on Feb. 24, 2026. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man is dead after a witness said he refused to give up a Louis Vuitton bag while being robbed by multiple men at gunpoint.
Abdirahman Khayre Khayre, 20, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the incident that happened on the evening of Feb. 24 in Minneapolis.
READ MORE: Man fatally shot in south Minneapolis apartment building
Fatal Minneapolis shooting after robbery
The set-up:
Minneapolis police responded around 10:42 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Abbott Apartments, located on the 100 block of East 18th Street in the Stevens Square neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Officers then found a dead man in the lobby who had been shot multiple times.
A witness to the shooting said he and the victim arrived at the apartments to “hang out” with Khayre, according to the criminal complaint.
The witness said he became suspicious when Khayre he left the room multiple times and “appeared to be stalling.”
The robbery:
The complaint states the witness reported three men then came into the room and yelled “Give me everything.” The men were armed with Glock handguns that had extended magazines as well as an AR-style rifle.
They then stole two guns from the witness, and one of them was handed to Khayre.
When the men demanded a Louis Vuitton bag from the victim, he refused, leading to a fight between them all.
The shooting:
The witness said when he walked toward them, Khayre pointed the witness’ stolen gun at him and racked it.
The witness then got out of the room, ran toward the lobby and heard multiple gunshots. He then saw two of the men flee out the back of the building, but didn’t see what direction they went in.
The victim was then found dead.
The aftermath:
Khayre was then identified by the witness in a photo lineup, according to the criminal complaint.
Police say video footage corroborated much of what the witness reported.
Khayre was on conditional release for a suspected carjacking at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint.
The Source: This story uses information gathered from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County and previous FOX 9 reporting.
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The local Iranian community in Minnesota is expressing mixed emotions following the recent joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran.
Local reactions to the strike
What we know:
The strike resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to President Donald Trump and Iranian state media. Many Iranians in Minnesota feel this could lead to freedom for their country.
Nazanin Naferipoor shared that her sister in Iran was initially happy about the strike, believing it might bring about freedom. However, communication has been cut off since the strike began, leaving many worried about their loved ones.
The other side:
Hamid Kashani from the Minnesota Committee in Support of a Democratic Iran expressed mixed feelings about the strike. While he hopes for change, he is concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives.
Fazy Kowsari emphasized that the attack targeted the government, not the religion, and criticized the political motivations behind the strike.
Upcoming rally at Nicollet Mall
Why you should care:
A rally is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Nicollet Mall and 11th Street. Organizers view the U.S. strike as a rescue operation for Iranians held hostage by the regime, rather than an act of war.
Minneapolis, MN
Ex-MN Twins Pitcher Sentenced For Shooting His In-Laws
AUBURN, CA — Former Major League Baseball pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his father-in-law and attempting to murder his mother-in-law in a 2021 ambush-style shooting at a Lake Tahoe-area home.
A Placer County jury previously found Serafini, 51, guilty of fatally shooting 70-year-old Gary Spohr and seriously wounding Spohr’s wife, 68-year-old Wendy Wood, on June 5, 2021, at their home on the lake’s west shore. Wood survived the attack but died a year later.
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said that Spohr and Wood were loving grandparents and detailed how Serafini’s crimes had affected the couple’s family members and friends.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
On the day of the shooting, Serafini’s wife, the victims’ daughter, had taken the children to the lake to visit their grandparents.
Prosecutors said the deadly ambush stemmed from a dispute over a $1.3 million investment in a ranch renovation project. The victims had reportedly contributed the money.
In one text message shown in court, Serafini wrote, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” referencing a dispute over $21,000, prosecutors said.
He also sent other threatening messages, including “I will be coming after you” and “Take me to court,” according to ABC10.
Jurors also found Serafini guilty of several “special circumstance” sentencing enhancements, including lying in wait, use of a firearm, and that the attack was willful, deliberate and premeditated. He was also convicted of first-degree burglary.
Prosecutors had also charged Serafini with child endangerment, saying he put his infant and toddler sons at risk by having a gun in the home. Jurors found him not guilty on that count.
The case also involved a second defendant, 33-year-old Samantha Scott, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory in February, according to the New York Post.
A left-hander, Serafini was a 1992 first-round pick for the Minnesota Twins. He also played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies, pitching for six MLB teams over seven seasons.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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