Wednesday, July 16, Day 1:
After leaving a meeting at the Minnesota State Capitol (crossing that one off the list, if it counts) I head toward Sioux Falls. The Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association (Independent Minor League Baseball) are hosting the Winnipeg Goldeyes. I catch just a bit of the Wolves fourth summer league game against the Suns before heading out to the stadium. It looked bleak with Terrence Shannon Jr getting shut down. The Suns had a lead heading into the fourth quarter. Rob Dillingham was cooking, getting a 23/7/7 stat line while remaining fairly efficient. The Wolves came back in the fourth quarter to win by just four points, finishing the Vegas “regular season” 4-0, with only the semifinals and finals in between them and the Vegas crown.
Back in Sioux Falls I had perhaps even less consequential sports to watch. The Sioux Falls stadium itself is just about as nondescript as it gets. More modern than the old WPA stadiums but not modern enough to be at all charming. It can only be accessed via car and trash cans are strategically placed along the concourse to discourage not only littering but also an enjoyable view of the game.
There’s about 2,000 people in the crowd, most of which appears to be little league baseball teams along with their families. In groups of a dozen or more they chase after every foul ball, running across the concourse. No matter how far out of the stadium the ball was hit, or if it had already been handed by a small child, these packs move both ferouciously and predictability. It’s a weeknight and a little dreary, so the somewhat fatigued and dreary crowd isn’t a huge surprise.
Cade Torgeson started for the Canaries. He played his college ball for the Jamestown Jimmies in the NAIA division, a school of about 1,300 in Jamestown, North Dakota. He also got rostered in the Northwoods league for Bismarck in 2023 and 2024. His fastball was topping out at about 88 mph and while his numbers on the season weren’t great (with an ERA above 8) he pitched in and out of jams tonight. During one such jam with a runner on second Winnipeg’s third base coach got into an audible argument with the second base umpire. Things were said that I can’t repeat here, but it was awkward in such a small stadium and play momentarily stopped. Such is life in Independent League baseball I suppose.
Torgeson was facing off against Jesse Galindo, whose delivery went back and forth between sidearm and three quarters. His fastball topped out at about 87, it’s his fourth year in Independent League ball, but his first in the American Association. And Galindo had to go up against perhaps the most legendary Sioux Falls Canary of them all, Jabari Henry.
Henry was drafted in the 18th round of the MLB draft back in 2012. His career probably peaked in high A ball in 2014, when he hit 30 homers with a .982 OPS. But from 2015-2016 across two organizations he struggled with AA pitching. In 2017 he signed with Sioux Falls and has been playing for them ever since. When a young fan was asked who his pick was to get a hit (and free pizza as a result) he didn’t hesitate before picking Henry. The crowd always cheered a little bit louder and paid a little more attention when Henry was at the plate. Sure, the Goldeyes had a former big leaguer in Jacob Robson (seven at bats with the Tigers in 2021) but he was no Jabari Henry, statistically or culturally.
Henry was in the midst of what he says is probably his final year playing organized baseball. He’s already the all time HR leader in the American Association and is the Canaries bench coach. But he didn’t phone it in in 2025, just to get his HR record and call it a day. Henry hit 22 HR with a .963 OPS, his highest total since 2021. While today he didn’t guarantee that young fan a pizza by getting a hit he didn’t add to that total, but it was neat to see a community know and cheer for a specific player at this level.
The relievers come in, and remarkably even relievers in the American Association are throwing heat. Derrick Cherry, former Houston Cougar comes in for the Goldeyes and routinely gets up to 94-95 mph. And while the Canaries can’t do much with Cherry, they get an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to take a 3-1 lead. Their mascot, Harry Canary, a man that walks around, provides an effective and obnoxiously loud Harry Carry impersonation, seems satisfied. The Canaries make use of the insurance run but still hold on in the ninth to win 3-2.
The Wolves are 4-0. The Canaries win and look primed for a playoff run. And the next day I have to drive nine hours to get to a baseball game that’s somehow significantly more obscure than this one. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Anything Was Possible 
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