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"Part Way to the Majors" Duluth Dukes Baseball Team Chicago White Sox Farm Team Xd30492 (1971)

1971 · Short film · 22 min

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Synopsis

Part Way to the Majors” (1971) is a color, documentary film made for ABC News and Public Affairs’ popular series Discovery ‘71. In this episode, host Bill Owen tags along with the Chicago White Sox’s farm team, the Duluth Dukes (or more accurately the Duluth-Superior Dukes), as they road trip and play baseball around the country. The film illuminates the day-to-day lives of the minor league players and what it would take for them to break into the majors. The Duluth-Superior Dukes minor league baseball team represented Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, playing from 1956 to 1970 exclusively as members of the Northern League. Duluth-Superior teams were affiliates of the Chicago White Sox (1956–1959; 1967-1970), Detroit Tigers (1960–1965), and Chicago Cubs (1965–1967). 1970s silver coach bus parked next to Wade Municipal Stadium Duluth, Minnesota (0:08). Main titles (0:41). Bill Owen opening words from commercial street Downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1:08). Scenes of team members off in small groups exploring commercial street, coffee shops, shop windows selling 1970s fashion, retro appliances; voice over by one of the players describing life on the road (1:43). Team dressed in light blue uniform crowds small hotel lobby decorated with vibrant red carpet, red vinyl couches, dark wood accents as they wait for bus (2:59). Interior team bus, profile of player Dan Rourke, his story of trying to break into the majors (3:49). Team manager Joe Sparks looks on at batting…

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Details

Running time
22 minutes
Collection
Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

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