- Minnesota baseball commentator Halsey Hal was the first to use the term ‘Holy Cow’ during a baseball broadcast in the 1930’s. This was well before the time that Cub’s broadcaster Harry Carey first used the term on a baseball broadcast. (Source: Society for American Baseball Research)
- Minneapolis has more golfers per capita than any other city in the country.
- In 1930, Interlachen Country Club (Edina, MN) was the location of the third victory of Bobby Jones’s one and only “Grand Slam” achievements.
- In 1960, the Minnesota Vikings had to get approval from the NFL to use a State name instead of a City name as part of their team name. The use of a State name (instead of a City name) had never been done before for any professional sports team. The Minnesota Twins followed suit shortly thereafter.
- Bloomington, MN and Minneapolis are the farthest north latitude cities to ever host a World Series game.
- The first intercollegiate Basketball game ever was played in Minnesota on February 9,1895. It involved the Minnesota State School of Agriculture (now the University of Minnesota – St. Paul campus) who defeated Hamline College, 9–3. (Hamline.edu)
- 1893 was the year that the game of golf was first played in Minnesota (at Town & Country Club – St. Paul, MN)
- The first official hit in the Metrodome in Minneapolis was by Pete Rose playing for the Cincinnati Reds in a preseason game.
- Cheerleading was first officially recognized as an activity when University of Minnesota medical student Johnny Campbell organized unified cheers at a Gopher football game against Northwestern on November 2, 1898.
- The largest whitetail recorded was shot in 1926 by Carl J. Lenander in Minnesota. It weighed 402 pounds field dressed, with an estimated live weight of 511 pounds.
- Minnesota has one recreational boat per every six people, more than any other state.
- Ted Williams, Willie Mays and Carl Yastrzemski played for the Minneapolis Millers minor league baseball team for at least one year during their baseball careers.
- The first traveling ice skating show in the world was, “Shipstads and Johnson Ice Follies”, created by two Minnesota brothers and their childhood friend, Oscar Johnson. The show was eventually sold to Disney, and became known as “Disney On Ice”.
- The first “Hail Mary Pass” was thrown by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach in a 1975 divisional playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings lost with this game-winning touchdown pass. The term “Hail Mary Pass” was first used by Roger Staubach following the game in a post-game interview.
- Minnesota ranks first nationally in the sale of fishing licenses per capita, selling more than 1.37 million licenses in 2009 (the most recent year for this data).
- More than half of the players on the 1980 U.S. Olympic “Miracle On Ice” men’s team were born in Minnesota. The “Miracle On Ice” team was coached by Minnesota native, Herb Brooks.
- The State High School Hockey Tournament is one of the largest H. S. Hockey tournaments in the country. Throughout it’s history, it has attracted more than five million visitors.
- Minnesota is home to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, MN (see Museums/Landmarks)
- Hockey has been designated THE “State Sport” by the Minnesota Legislature.
Sports / Leisure
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Here are a few more pieces of trivia:
* St. Paul Saints have a pig which brings the baseballs to the umpire
* In 1994, 4 pro baseball teams exist in Minneapolis/St. Paul area: Twins, Saints, Minneapolis Millers, and Minneapolis Loons