Nicollet Park ( / ˈ n ɪ k ə l ɪ t / NIH -kə-lit ) was a baseball ground located in Minneapolis, Minnesota , United States. The venue was home to the minor league Minneapolis Millers of the Western League and later American Association from 1896 to 1955.
103-398: The ballpark opened on June 20, 1896, with a 13–6 win over Milwaukee. The new grounds were first known as Wright Field , named for one of baseball's founding fathers, Harry Wright . Area newspapers had held a contest and chose that name over "Nicollet Park" among others, awarding season tickets to the winning entrants.[Minneapolis Star-Tribune, June 17, 1896, p. 5] The papers acknowledged
206-410: A Target store a short distance away from the protest. At 6:32 p.m., at an AutoZone store located across the intersection from the third police precinct station, a masked man carrying an umbrella and a sledgehammer was recorded on video breaking windows and spray-painting graffiti which encouraged looting. Some protesters confronted the masked man and asked him to stop. In a warrant filed after
309-659: A farm team . Wright assembled a team of amateurs, which would play at Messer Street Grounds while the Grays were on the road, with the intention that if one of the senior members was injured, he could be easily replaced from among these players. In 1884, Wright was brought in to manage the new Philadelphia team . Philadelphia had joined the National League the previous year, finishing dead last with an abysmal record of 17–81. Under Wright, they improved enough to finish in sixth place in 1884 while winning 20 games more than they had done
412-461: A viral video . Later, demonstrators downtown shot off fireworks and stood off against a line of Minneapolis police officers who fired tear gas. Protesters marched on the Interstate 35W highway. Smaller crowds gathered elsewhere. "We were defending an entire city with 600 officers against thousands and thousands of protestors," Frey later said of the events. As the riots unfolded, adherents of
515-603: A .581 winning percentage. He was the first manager to reach one thousand wins as a manager and Cap Anson was the only other manager who won 1,000 games in the 19th century (Wright briefly held the record for most managerial wins, now he ranks 44th). Wright died of a lung ailment on October 3, 1895, in Atlantic City, New Jersey . He was 60 years old. He was buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery , Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania . Wright's influence on professional baseball
618-700: A bang on September 28, 1955, as the Millers won the American Association championship tournament, and then went on to vie for the Junior World Series championship, facing the Rochester Red Wings of the International League . The series went the distance of seven games, and the finale on September 28 was a close-fought win for the Millers in what was also the final game at Nicollet Park. In 1956
721-596: A bystander's video saying his final words: "I can't breathe", "Please", and "Mama". He appeared unconscious at the scene, and was pronounced dead at 9:25 p.m. after being transported by ambulance to the Hennepin County Medical Center emergency room. By the beginning of the 21st century, Minneapolis was home to some of the largest racial disparities in the United States. The city's population of people of color and Indigenous people fared worse than
824-539: A city official about Ellison's remarks that such a move would result in "ultimate chaos". Looting and property destruction were widespread in Minneapolis overnight from May 27 to May 28, with the heaviest destruction occurring in the vicinity of the third precinct police station near Minnehaha Avenue and East Lake Street. Looting, which first began at a Target store in the Minnehaha Center shopping district, spread to
927-459: A downtown shopping district in Minneapolis where there were 400 state troopers present. The tension escalated when another large crowd advanced on the city's first police precinct station near Hennepin Avenue and 5th Street. A Minneapolis police officer that drove near the crowd rolled down her window and indiscriminately fired Mace at protesters, bystanders, and journalists; the incident was caught on
1030-511: A multi-jurisdiction government command that responded to the riots demobilized on June 7, 2020. Local protests and unrest over Floyd's murder continued in 2020 – 2023 and broadened to other issues of racial injustice. On May 2, 2023, the conclusion of the last criminal case for the four Minneapolis police officers responsible for murdering Floyd fulfilled a key demand of protesters that Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao all be held legally accountable. George Floyd
1133-469: A nearby Cub Foods grocery store, and then to several liquor stores, pharmacies, and other businesses across the city. The fire at the AutoZone store that was damaged earlier in the evening led to a series of other acts of arson. Among the losses to fire was Midtown Corner, an under-construction, $ 30 million redevelopment project for 189 units of affordable housing , which was destroyed by fire. Across
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#17328451075981236-450: A police officer with the department, Chauvin had received 17 complaints, but only faced discipline once. At 12:41 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, Minneapolis police released a statement about the arrest and murder of Floyd several hours prior. They said that a suspected money forger had "physically resisted" arrest and suffered "medical distress" after being handcuffed by officers, leading to his death. The statement made no mention that Floyd
1339-487: A standard protocol, pending further investigation. The Minneapolis police department's initial statement, which mis-characterized the circumstances of Floyd's death, was perceived as being radically different from what was recorded on bystander videos, and fueled public outrage. By late morning on May 26, a makeshift memorial had been set up in Minneapolis outside the Cup Food store at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue ,
1442-641: A superior player at that level, the team won 16 matches and lost only to the Nationals of Washington, D.C., on their historic tour. For 1868 he added four players from the East and one from the crosstown Buckeye club, a vanquished rival. The easterners, at least, must have been compensated by club members if not by the club. When the NABBP permitted professionalism for 1869, Harry augmented his 1868 imports (retaining four of five) with five new men, including three more originally from
1545-498: Is also in the Hall. The Wrights are one of only two pairs of brothers in the Hall, alongside Paul and Lloyd Waner . Born in Sheffield, England , he was the eldest of five children of professional cricketer Samuel Wright and his wife, Annie Tone Wright. His family emigrated to the U.S. when he was nearly three years old, and his father found work as a bowler, coach, and groundskeeper at
1648-597: Is now unsafe. Please, help us keep the peace. ..." Frey also reached out to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz that night and requested the help of the Minnesota National Guard , but the city government was reportedly unaware of the timeline and logistics of troop deployment, and delegated tactical coordination to the police force. However, knowing that it would take some time for the National Guard to mobilize, Frey and city leaders began discussing ways to deescalate
1751-663: The Boogaloo movement , a far-right extremist movement, began discussions online about how to exploit the events to start a second American Civil War that would be blamed on Black Lives Matter. Michael Robert Solomon of New Brighton , a Minneapolis suburb, recruited at least five Boogaloo adherents to join him in Minnesota, including Ivan Harrison Hunter of Boerne, Texas , and Benjamin Ryan Teeter of Hampstead, North Carolina . The group made plans to meet in Minneapolis at 6:00 p.m. on May 28 at
1854-529: The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension also opened an investigation of the incident. Bob Kroll , president of the Minneapolis police officer's union, said the firing of the officers occurred without due process and offered "full support of the officers" during the investigations. Hennepin County Attorney Michael O. Freeman , the official responsible for bringing criminal charges against
1957-615: The Seventh-inning stretch in a game he watched. From an invitation in 1870 by Ivers Whitney Adams , the founder and President of the Boston Red Stockings, Wright moved from managing the "Cincinnati Red Stockings" to work professionally with the first-ever base ball team in Boston, the " Boston Red Stockings ". The team was to play in the newly formed National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , now known more often as simply
2060-505: The St George's Cricket Club in New York. Harry dropped out of school at age 14 to work for a jewelry manufacturer, and worked at Tiffany's for several years. Both Harry and George , 12 years younger, assisted their father, effectively apprenticing as cricket "club pros". Harry played against the first English cricket team to tour overseas in 1859 . Both brothers played baseball for some of
2163-460: The Twin Cities were 75 percent for white families, but only 23 percent for black families, one of the largest disparities in the nation. By 2018, unemployment for black people in Minnesota had reached a historic low of 6.9 percent, but it was still three times higher than the rate for white people. Though black residents made up just 6 percent of Minnesota's population, they were nearly 37 percent of
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#17328451075982266-482: The University Avenue business corridor. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tracked 164 structure fires due to arson in the Twin Cities region during the riots. Governor Tim Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard in response to civil unrest. The 7,123 troops activated represented the largest deployment of the state's forces since World War II . By early June 2020, violence in
2369-586: The murder of George Floyd , sometimes called the Minneapolis riots or the Minneapolis uprising , began on May 26, 2020, and within a few days had inspired a global protest movement against police brutality and racial inequality . The initial events were a reaction to a video filmed the day before and circulated widely in the media of police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes while Floyd struggled to breathe, begged for help, lost consciousness, and died. Public outrage over
2472-464: The "Red Caps" now, in deference to the resurrected Red Stockings name for the new Cincinnati Club . Although they once again stumbled in their first year in a new league, finishing fourth in 1876, they went on to win two more pennants in the following two seasons with Wright at the helm. The team finished second in 1879, but then slipped badly, finishing sixth in the next two seasons, which wound up being Wright's last two seasons in Boston. After leaving
2575-644: The 1893 season, his contract was not renewed. The National League, in recognition of Wright's standing, offered him the position of Chief of Umpires. During his career, Wright had often served as umpire, even for games involving rival teams, due to his high ethical standards. In 23 seasons of managing in the National Association and National League, Wright's teams won six league championships (1872–1875, 1877, 1878). They finished second on three other occasions, and never finished lower than sixth. Wright finished his managerial career with 1,225 wins and 885 losses for
2678-528: The Cub Food grocery store on 26th Avenue South off East Lake Street, near the epicenter of heavy rioting and looting. During the riots, the Boogaloo members were seen driving around Minneapolis, carrying firearms, and openly discussing a willingness to commit violent acts against police officers. Late at night on May 28, the focus of demonstrators shifted to the Minneapolis third precinct police station building at
2781-477: The East. No one but Harry Wright himself remained from 1867; one local man and one other westerner joined seven easterners on the famous First Nine . The most important of the new men was brother George, probably the best player in the game for a few years, the highest paid man in Cincinnati at $ 1400 for nine months. George at shortstop remained a cornerstone of Harry's teams for ten seasons. The Red Stockings toured
2884-523: The Knickerbocker club all but withdrew from official competition, and Wright joined Gotham of New York , primarily playing shortstop. Here, he joined his brother George, who had become a member of the team the previous year. During the winter of 1864/65, the Wrights played the curious game of "ice base ball". Wright left New York on March 8, 1865, bound for Cincinnati , where he had been hired on salary at
2987-500: The May 25 incident between Floyd and the police were known, thousands more rallied at the street intersection, and organizers emphasized keeping the gathering peaceful. Police estimated the size of the crowd at approximately 8,000 people. Frey and Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo held an afternoon press conference on May 26 to express solidarity with the community's growing sense of anger. Frey called for charges to be filed against
3090-415: The Millers in 1933. Ted Williams also made a bit of a splash here in 1938, on his way up to the major leagues, registering 43 round-trippers to lead the league. Willie Mays was enjoyed by the Minneapolis fans for only a month or so in 1951 before the parent club New York Giants brought the young ballplayer to the big leagues. Nicollet Park, which had opened with a big win 60 years earlier, went out with
3193-630: The Millers moved to Metropolitan Stadium in the suburb of Bloomington . The park also held early National Football League games as the Minneapolis Marines and Minneapolis Red Jackets played home games there during the 1920s. In 1944 the Minneapolis Millerettes of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League called Nicollet Park home. Nicollet Park was also the place that the cereal Wheaties
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3296-400: The Minneapolis home of Hennepin County Attorney Michael O. Freeman . Throughout the day state and local officials discussed the possibility of deploying more state patrols and National Guard troops, but anticipated it would not be needed until Saturday, May 30 when larger protests were planned. However, state officials were unsure if Minneapolis city officials had a plan in place to deal with
3399-481: The Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area had resulted in at least two deaths, 604 arrests, and more than $ 500 million in damage to approximately 1,500 properties, the second-most destructive period of local unrest in U.S. history, after the 1992 Los Angeles riots . Violent protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul over Floyd's murder largely subsided after May 30, 2020. The Minnesota National Guard and
3502-619: The National Association. The Red Stockings finished third in the NA's inaugural season. Wright, now 36 years old was the second-oldest player in the league, behind Nate Berkenstock , aged 38. As the team's regular center fielder , Wright played 30 of the team's 31 games at that position. He also pitched in nine games in relief of Albert Spalding , notching one win. In 1872, the Red Stockings won its first championship, beating Maryland's Lord Baltimore Club by 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 games. They won again
3605-471: The National Guard is to protect people, to protect people safely demonstrating, and to protect small business owners." Walz also said it would take guard troops a few days to fully mobilize. State and federal prosecutors called a press conference in the late afternoon at a regional FBI office in Brooklyn Center , a Minneapolis suburb. It was anticipated that there they might reveal a major development in
3708-561: The Red Caps, Wright quickly picked up with the Providence Grays , one of the stronger NL teams of the era. In 1882, his first season as Grays manager, the team finished in second place, just three games behind the powerful Chicago White Stockings led by Cap Anson . The team dropped to third the following year, and Wright moved on again. While in Providence, Wright instituted the concept of
3811-543: The Union Cricket Club. When baseball boomed less than a year later in 1866, the first full peacetime season, he became, in effect, club pro at the Cincinnati Base Ball Club, although he is commonly called simply a baseball "manager" from that time. By now, Wright was 31, probably past his athletic prime. Cincinnati fielded a strong regional club in 1867. With Wright working as the regular pitcher, and still
3914-468: The bank, along with an apartment complex containing at least 200 units of affordable housing. There was a plaque detailing the ballpark's history, though with the bank's demolition, it has been removed. †= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time 1 = A team used the stadium when their permanent stadium was unable to be used as a result of damage. Harry Wright William Henry "Harry" Wright (January 10, 1835 – October 3, 1895)
4017-472: The building. Bryce Williams of Staples and Davon Turner of Saint Paul worked together to light a Molotov cocktail , and then Turner took it into the building. Dylan Robinson of Brainerd then helped light a second Molotov cocktail . Branden Wolf of Saint Paul pushed materials into a fire at the building's entrance, intending to accelerate the flames. One of the Boogaloo adherents who had converged in Minneapolis, Ivan Hunter of Texas, participated in
4120-461: The built-in pun on " right field ", and added to it by describing one hit in the opener as a home run "knocked by the right-fielder, across right field, out of Wright Field." The club owners were not enamored of the name, and it was soon renamed "Nicollet Park", the name "Nicollet" being ubiquitous in Minneapolis then and now. The wooden ballpark was replaced by a steel and concrete structure in 1912. Lights were installed in 1937. The first night game
4223-482: The bystander's video. Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said it was "vile and heartbreaking" and all of the officers present at the scene of Floyd's arrest should be held accountable. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar called for an independent investigation. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz promised, "We will get answers and seek justice." The four officers at the scene of Floyd's murder were placed on paid administrative leave ,
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4326-613: The case against the officers who were at the scene of Floyd's murder. After a long delay, however, Hennepin County Attorney Michael O. Freeman announced that his office needed more time to investigate and that there was other evidence that might result in no criminal charges being filed. In responding to the anticipation created by the media briefing and its two-hour delayed start, U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald said, "I thought we would have another development to talk to you about, but we don't". Weeks later, on June 9, 2020, it
4429-502: The champion Detroit club . Unfortunately, that was to be the high-water mark of Wright's tenure in Philadelphia, as the team hovered in the middle of the pack, finishing between third and fifth every year from 1888 until 1893 (although he missed a large portion of the 1890 season due to problems with his eyesight ). During Wright's tenure in Philadelphia, he often clashed with team owners Al Reach and Colonel John I. Rogers . After
4532-416: The chaos. Hunter shot 13 rounds at the building using an AK-47-style gun and entered the building to loot and help set it on fire. Two hours later, Hunter sent a text message to Steven Carrillo, the perpetrator of the 2020 boogaloo murders , and encouraged him to, “Go for police buildings”. Many others illegally entered the building. Surrounded by a crowd of about 1,000 people, the station burned until
4635-430: The city by the weekend. To quell riotous behavior, Mayor Frey declared a state of emergency to allow for more flexibility in the city's response. Frey and Arradondo also began quietly preparing for the contingency of surrendering the third precinct station in Minneapolis if violence escalated. Few people knew of the plan outside of some officers stationed there and nearby business owners who had heard rumors and noticed
4738-503: The city's white population by many measures of well-being, such as health outcomes, academic achievement, income, and home ownership. The result of discriminatory policies and racism over the course of the city's history, racial disparity was described by author Tom Webber in Minneapolis: An Urban Biography as the most significant issue facing Minneapolis in the first decades of the 2000s. By 2015, homeownership rates in
4841-479: The city. At the location of Floyd's murder, protesters were led through prayer and a series of chants. By late morning, a group of protesters blocked the nearby intersection. Some protesters left memorials by the Cup Foods store, while some spray painted the words "Justice for Floyd" and " Black Lives Matter " on the street surface. No police were present and the scene was described as peaceful. A protest occurred outside
4944-455: The civil unrest. A crowd of about 1,000 people converged outside the Minneapolis third police precinct station at the intersection of East Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue on May 27. By 6:15 p.m., skirmishes had broken out in the crowd as demonstrators had begun throwing objects at the police station and officers fired chemical irritants to push them back. By 6:25 p.m. police received reports of looting as another crowd of people began ransacking
5047-426: The conditions that led to civil disorder in Minneapolis. George Floyd's murder was viewed by some residents as a continuation of a history of police violence in Minneapolis, where 11 people were killed by police officers between 2010 and 2020, including Floyd. In 2015, the killing of Jamar Clark , a black man, by a Minneapolis police officer led to controversy and protests; it was later determined by prosecutors that
5150-481: The content of the video gave way to widespread civil disorder in Minneapolis , Saint Paul , and other cities in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area over the five-day period of May 26 to 30 after Floyd's murder. Minneapolis sustained extensive damage from rioting and looting during the protests—largely concentrated on a 5-mile (8.0 km) stretch of Lake Street south of downtown —including
5253-461: The continent undefeated in 1869 and may have been the strongest team in 1870, but the club dropped professional base ball after the second season, its fourth in the game. As it turned out, the Association also passed from the scene. During this early era, the rules of the sport for many years prohibited substitution during games except by mutual agreement with opponents, and the role of a team manager
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#17328451075985356-478: The deal, he was willing to go to prison for more than 10 years. The deal fell apart shortly before it was going to be announced after William Barr , the U.S. Attorney General , rejected the arrangement fearing that it would be viewed as too lenient by protestors. The deal was contingent on the federal government's approval because Chauvin, who had asked to serve his time in a federal prison , wanted assurance he would not face federal civil rights charges. Details about
5459-412: The decision to fire upon the crowd because some officers kept weapons in their vehicles that could be taken. In response to being fired upon, demonstrators threw rocks, water bottles, and miscellaneous objects towards the officers. The unruly crowd clashing with the police numbered in the hundreds, a noted contrast from the larger, peaceful group gathered earlier in the day, who were estimated to number in
5562-438: The destruction of the city's 3rd police precinct building, which was overrun by demonstrators and set on fire. At cost of $ 350 million, approximately 1,300 properties in Minneapolis were damaged by the civil unrest, of which nearly 100 were entirely destroyed. Saint Paul suffered damages that totaled $ 82 million and affected 330 buildings, including 37 properties that were heavily damaged or destroyed, with most destruction along
5665-490: The early evening at the Hennepin County Government Center building in Minneapolis, and then marched through the city's downtown area where store fronts had been boarded up and the state patrol maintained a heavy presence; no violence was reported from the march. Hundreds of demonstrators returned to the area near the third precinct police station, where Frey and Arradondo had reduced the street presence of
5768-435: The early morning hours of May 29 when firefighting crews reached the area and eventually extinguished fires. The several-hundred-member contingent of state patrol and National Guard troops on the ground in Minneapolis that night primarily escorted fire trucks and protected a Federal Reserve building and areas of downtown Minneapolis. Walz later remarked that the city had not given directions specifying where to deploy troops as
5871-471: The evening. A smaller group that broke away from the main protest breached the fence of the station parking lot, climbed on the building, painted graffiti, threw rocks and bottles at officers, broke a window of the building, and broke a window of an unoccupied police car . Some protesters tried to stop the vandalism, with a scuffle breaking out in the crowd. Recently elected city council member Jeremiah Ellison , who had participated in prior protests against
5974-468: The final year of the NA, the Red Stockings were an amazing 71-8, finishing a full 15 games ahead of the Athletics. Wright, now the oldest player in the league, continued to play regularly in center field for Boston until 1874. After that, he played in just three more games, one in each of the next three seasons. In 1876, the Boston club joined the new National League . Sportswriters tended to refer to them as
6077-544: The focus on George Floyd, on advancing our movement and on preventing this from ever happening again." At 4 p.m. CDT, Governor Walz formally activated 500 National Guard troops and deployed them to the Twin Cities area, at Frey's request. Walz commented, "George Floyd's death should lead to justice and systemic change, not more death and destruction." Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan added, "the demonstration last night became incredibly unsafe for all involved. The purpose of
6180-427: The four involved officers worked. The Minnesota State Patrol began activating its Mobile Field Force, but it staged its officers in the nearby suburb of Richfield as the Minneapolis police declined assistance. At the Minneapolis police third precinct station on Minnehaha Avenue, protesters rallied peacefully with megaphones and signs on the steps at the building's entrance. The main protest group disbanded later in
6283-567: The game, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953 by the Veterans Committee . Wright was the first to make baseball into a business by paying his players up to seven times the pay of the average working man. He is the oldest former professional player in the Hall: a few other inductees were born before him, but none of them played professionally. His younger brother George Wright
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#17328451075986386-419: The handcuffs on the criminals instead of [on] us". Controversy had also erupted when police officers put up a " ghetto " Christmas tree at the fourth police precinct station in 2018. The police department had a history of not holding officers accountable for complaints and disciplinary actions. Of the 80 officers fired for misconduct in the 20 years prior to the murder of Floyd, around half were reinstated. As
6489-399: The intersection of East Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue. Some protesters threw objects at the officers guarding the building, who responded by firing rubber bullets in the crowd. Demonstrators began tearing down fencing that surrounded the precinct station and police responded with tear gas. As tensions in the area mounted, Frey gave the order to evacuate the station, a tactic he later said
6592-593: The involved officers who killed Floyd, and said, "Whatever the investigation reveals, it does not change the simple truth that he should be with us this morning." Arradondo added, "Being Black in America should not be a death sentence." In an unprecedented move in Minneapolis for swiftness, Arradondo fired the four officers who had been present at the scene of Floyd's arrest and murder, a move supported by Frey. Protesters and Floyd's family called for murder charges for all four officers involved and swift judicial consequences, as
6695-613: The leading clubs during the amateur era of the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP). Harry was already 22 when the baseball fraternity convened for the first time in 1857, at which time he joined the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club . He did not play in a game with the Knickerbockers until July 8, 1858, playing the outfield against Excelsior of Brooklyn . The Knickerbockers lost the game, 31–13. In 1863,
6798-420: The local press. In 1955, the Millers had a team with particular home run prowess, setting the league record by decimating their own franchise record of 217 by smashing 241 home runs. The Millers collected 163 (nearly 68%) of those four-baggers at Nicollet Park. With the all-time league home run record in tow, the Millers went on to become the American Association champions that year. Joe Hauser hit 69 homers for
6901-654: The main protest site near the city's third police precinct building, Calvin Horton Jr., a 43-year-old man from Minneapolis, was fatally shot by the owner of the Cadillac Pawn & Jewelry shop who believed he was burglarizing his business. Including Horton, five people were struck by gunfire in Minneapolis that night, but he was the only reported fatality. Frey made an emotional plea just before midnight on May 27, saying, "Please, please, Minneapolis. We cannot let tragedy beget more tragedy. The activity around Lake and Hiawatha
7004-512: The morning. By 3:11 a.m. the police department said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would join local officials in the investigation of the incident. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey held a 6:45 a.m. press conference, and said in reaction to the bystander video he had seen, "What we saw was horrible. Completely and utterly messed up." By mid-morning several public officials released statements condemning what they viewed in
7107-547: The next season, finishing four games ahead of the Philadelphia White Stockings . 1874 turned out to be Wright's last year as the team's regular center fielder. He had been the oldest player in the NA for three years running. It was also his third straight championship as a manager. That year, he organized what turned out to be a fairly disastrous attempt to take baseball back home to the British Isles. In 1875,
7210-401: The officers had acted in self defense and no charges were filed. In 2016, the killing of Philando Castile , a black man, in nearby Falcon Heights resulted in several weeks of protests and unrest; the resulting criminal case ended with a jury acquittal for the involved officer after a 10-month process. In 2017, the killing of Justine Damond , a white woman, led to a 12-year prison sentence for
7313-426: The police after the killing of black men, advised the mayor to not interfere with those vandalizing police property, hoping to spare the surrounding neighborhood from further damage. Police Chief Arradondo eventually ordered forces to respond, and police officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets to push demonstrators back, even though there were protesters who were not being violent. He later told reporters that he made
7416-513: The police and black community. The head of the police union representing Minneapolis officers, Bob Kroll , was a continuing source of controversy, having called Black Lives Matter a "terrorist organization" in 2016 after the officers involved in Clark's death were cleared of wrongdoing. His appearance at a political rally for Donald Trump 's presidential campaign in 2019 generated controversy when Kroll said that Trump would "let cops do their job, put
7519-405: The police officer, a black man, who shot her. In instances where Minneapolis police officers attempted to justify the aggressive use of force against residents, a pattern emerged in which the police department would release officer statements that were later contradicted by video and other evidence, as revealed by several civil rights and wrongful death lawsuits. Some felt that the judicial system
7622-529: The police officers, promised an expedited review of the case. The tone of protests, which were peaceful initially, shifted the afternoon of May 26. State officials began monitoring the events as protests began to escalate at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. By evening, the protest rally at the location of Floyd's murder became a two-mile (3.2 km), peaceful march to the Minneapolis Police Department 's third precinct police station where
7725-426: The police. By the evening, police reports said the crowd was "engaged in peaceful activity" as some were cooking food, listening to music, and socializing. It was not until after sunset that the crowd grew more restless, when looting resumed and a vehicle and building were set on fire. Multiple large, mobile crowds and chaos were reported across the city by nightfall. A crowd of 1,500 protesters were marching through
7828-475: The potential plea agreement were not publicly known during the initial period of unrest. The number of protests overwhelmed the law enforcement response. Thousands of people marched peacefully in the streets of Minneapolis and called for justice for George Floyd during the day on May 28. Sporadic looting was reported in the afternoon in Saint Paul's Midway neighborhood . A crowd of about 1,000 people rallied in
7931-509: The previous year. In 1885, the team finished above .500 for the first time, going 56–54 and finishing in third place, a distant 30 games behind the White Stockings and 28 games behind second-place New York Giants . Philadelphia continued to improve under Wright in 1886, finishing with a record of 71–43, although their position in the league fell to fourth. In 1887, the team finished in second place, just 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 games behind
8034-424: The relationship between the Minneapolis Police Department and the community, particularly the city's black residents, had deteriorated significantly. Several killings of residents by police officers and alleged displays of racial insensitivity by police leaders contributed to the tension. In the city's Powderhorn Park neighborhood, where Floyd was murdered, some argued there had been a persisting distrust between
8137-470: The riots to investigate the mysterious "Umbrella Man", police said he was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood , that the abrupt attack at AutoZone came during a mostly calm demonstration at the street intersection of the third police precinct station, and that the man intended to incite violence. Looting soon spread to several other businesses near the main protest site. Later in the evening on May 27,
8240-501: The same AutoZone store became the first building to be set on fire during the unrest. Some protesters attempted to put out the AutoZone fire, while others celebrated and took selfies . Another fire was started inside a nearby Cub Foods grocery store. By 9:24 p.m., Minneapolis police had run out of chemical irritants and Minnesota State Patrol officers abandoned attempts to stop the looting. Violence escalated at nightfall on May 27. At about 9:49 p.m., one mile (1.6 km) from
8343-472: The situation with demonstrators. Minneapolis City Council member Andrew Johnson , who represented the area by the third police precinct station, blamed the police for the unfolding destruction, arguing they prioritized defense of the third precinct building over business premises. Council member Jeremiah Ellison said in a media interview that night that the police should "sacrifice" the station, while council member Linea Palmisano expressed privately to
8446-502: The south section of the site included a Wells Fargo Bank branch, built originally as a major branch for Norwest Bank , and an external drive-up building positioned near what was once the center field corner. On the night of May 29, 2020, during the George Floyd protests , the bank and nearby drive-up building were looted and set on fire. As of 2021, the remains of these buildings have since been demolished and plans are underway to rebuild
8549-403: The state's prison population in 2016. By the 2020s, generations of the city's black residents had been unable to experience the same levels of comforts and asset accumulation as the white residents. The Atlantic said that years of disinvestment and abandonment of the area around Lake Street in Minneapolis and city officials ignoring the needs of the community's black residents were some of
8652-897: The station's parking lot being emptied of police squad cars and equipment. Businesses throughout the Twin Cities spent the day boarding up windows and doors to prevent looting. Among them, the Target Corporation announced closures for all of its area stores. Saint Paul police officers armed with batons and gas masks patrolled the city's busiest commercial corridor and kept looters out of a Target store near University Avenue while other business windows were smashed. Minneapolis preemptively shut down its light-rail system and bus service through Sunday, May 31 out of safety concerns. Officials pleaded with metro area residents to stay home Thursday night to prevent further property destruction. African American Saint Paul mayor Melvin Carter said, "Please stay home. Please do not come here to protest. Please keep
8755-400: The street from the apartment building, the manufacturing facility for 7-Sigma, a local high-tech company, also suffered extensive fire damage and part of the factory building collapsed. The response from firefighters in the area was delayed as crews required police escorts for protection from rioters. The Minneapolis fire department responded to approximately 30 fires overnight. Overnight in
8858-420: The street intersection where Floyd was murdered the day prior. The first organized protests emerged at the same location by midday. Some of the gathered protesters chanted, " I can't breathe ", words repeated multiple times by Floyd in the viral video. Many people carried homemade signs that read, " Black Lives Matter ," "Stop Killing Black People," and "I Can't Breathe." By the afternoon, as more details about
8961-598: The suburban City of Brooklyn Center , looters broke into several stores at the Shingle Creek Crossing shopping center. At about 1:00 am on May 28, a local police contingent amassed in the area to scatter vehicles that were circling the area, and police officers made three arrests. At a press conference on May 28, Chief Arradondo remarked that, in his view, the majority of protests the previous day were peaceful, but were "hijacked" by some who were looting and vandalizing businesses. Minneapolis city officials hoped that
9064-474: The thousands. Many protesters viewed the police response to the vandalism as an overreaction that only made the crowd angrier. Late at night on May 26, Minnesota State Patrol officers were deployed to the third precinct station building and to the home of Derek Chauvin in Oakdale, Minnesota , where another large crowd had gathered. Protests in Minneapolis resumed Wednesday, May 27 at several locations throughout
9167-465: The violence escalated on East Lake Street. State officials also remarked that the city's decision to abandon the precinct station was a misjudgment, allowing demonstrators to create a situation of "absolute chaos", in the words of Walz. The burning of the police station was one of the vividest images of the unrest spreading across the nation. Several days later, a Monmouth University Polling Institute poll found that 54 percent of Americans thought that
9270-495: The worst violence had already passed. Observing the events from near Washington, D.C., United States General Joseph L. Lengyel warned other high-ranking Pentagon officials that the situation in Minneapolis could escalate out of control and that the Minnesota National Guard and 200 military police officers should be ready and armed to intervene. Officials speculated that as many as 75,000 protesters could converge in
9373-419: The zenith of his powers as a base ball manager, and what he did for the development of the local end of the national game of base ball is a matter of history. It was here that he passed the evening of his life, beloved by all whose good fortune it was to know him. Here it was that he had his little home stake, and here in the impressive silence of beautiful West Laurel Hill his mortal remains lie buried. His work
9476-416: Was an American professional baseball player, manager , and developer. He assembled, managed, and played center field for baseball's first fully professional team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings . He is credited with introducing innovations such as backing up infield plays from the outfield and shifting defensive alignments based on hitters' tendencies. For his contributions as a manager and developer of
9579-592: Was an honor to Philadelphians, who will doubtless turn and give substantial evidence of their appreciation of that honor." Wright was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2005. His brother George is also a member of both Halls; a third brother, Sam , also played professionally. George Floyd protests in Minneapolis%E2%80%93Saint Paul Local protests over
9682-534: Was an unarmed African-American man who died while he was being detained by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020, shortly after 8:00 p.m. CDT , near the Cup Foods grocery store at the intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds, while three other officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, assisted Chauvin with Floyd's arrest and held concerned onlookers back. Floyd could be heard repeatedly on
9785-504: Was first advertised. Augsburg University 's football team played their home games at Nicollet from 1946 to 1950. The New York Giants and Green Bay Packers played a preseason game on August 29, 1948, at Nicollet Park. In 1955, the ballpark closed. Currently, a condominium building with a Hennepin County Medical Center clinic is located on the north portion of the former baseball park's site, bordered by Lake Street. Until 2020,
9888-513: Was in the southwest corner. A small ticket office building with a Spanish-style roof stood outside the right field corner, at the Nicollet-31st intersection. Because of its location, the field dimensions at Nicollet Park favored left-handed batters. The park was considered a "homer haven" because of its official distance down the right-field line, listed as 279 feet. In fact, the distance was actually closer to 260 feet, but this never made it out of
9991-655: Was inconsistent in that it did not hold white police officers who killed black men accountable for their actions; the video of Floyd begging for relief while being pinned by Chauvin generated further concern and anger from both white and black residents in the city. Floyd's murder was also the third in a string of widely reported and highly publicized incidents in which unarmed black Americans were killed in 2020, including Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County, Georgia on February 23 and Breonna Taylor in Louisville on March 13. By 2020,
10094-425: Was not as specifically geared toward game strategy as in the modern era; instead, managers of the period combined the role of a field manager with that of a modern general manager in that they were primarily responsible for signing talented players and forming a versatile roster, as well as establishing a team approach through practice and game fundamentals. In 1869, Wright became the first to make written mention of
10197-456: Was played on July 16, with the Millers hosting the arch-rival St. Paul Saints . The teams had also played the previous night, in Lexington Park 's first night game. The ballpark was on a small block bounded by Nicollet Avenue on the east, 31st Street on the south, Blaisdell Avenue on the west and Lake Street (or 30th Street) on the north in the present-day Lyndale neighborhood . Home plate
10300-584: Was profound and his death reverberated through the sport. The National League dedicated April 13, 1896, as "Wright Day" and the receipts of eight games played that day dedicated to the establishment of a memorial in Wright's memory. Albert Spalding , then age 46, agreed to appear at the game in Rockford, Illinois, and Henry Chadwick , age 80, scored the exhibition game in Cincinnati to honor Wright. The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "Harry Wright came to [Philadelphia] in
10403-413: Was revealed that state and federal prosecutors — on the afternoon of the delayed press conference — had been trying to negotiate a plea deal with former officer Derek Chauvin that would have included state murder charges and federal civil rights charges. It was later reported that Chauvin believed that the case against him was so devastating that he agreed to plead guilty to third-degree murder. As part of
10506-470: Was to deescalate the situation and prevent further loss of life. Officers retreating from the building loaded into squad vehicles and had to smash through a parking lot gate to escape, as it had been padlocked at some point by protesters. Demonstrators then moved in and threw bottles and debris at the fleeing officers who eventually made their way to a rendezvous site three blocks away. Demonstrators tore away fencing intended to stop trespassers from entering
10609-526: Was unarmed or that Chauvin had kneeled on his neck for over nine minutes. At about the same time the police released their initial statement, Darnella Frazier , a bystander at the scene of Floyd's murder, uploaded a 10-minute video of the incident to Facebook and Instagram . The graphic video captured Floyd—while laying face down, handcuffed, and pinned by Chauvin's knee—saying he could not breathe and begging for his life as he lost consciousness. The video quickly went viral . Official reaction came early in
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