1991 Kane County Cougars

The Wausau Timbers (single A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles) ceased to be after the 1990 season. Emerging from the flames of the 1991 season were the Kane County Cougars (single A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles).

My beautiful wife and I had been married for about a year and a half. So, like young newlyweds, we'd head out to the ballpark with some friends of ours. We lived in DuPage County. Kane County was just to the west. A pleasant drive.

I don't remember much about the games, although a few players from that season went on to make it to the Majors. They went 68-67 that first season.

The next season they went 61-76, but they did have a penny smashing machine. I'm a sucker for those things. Actually, they are a nice souvenir. Cheap. Small. And you feel like a real man when you crank that handle around and out pops a coin thinner than Twiggy*.

In case your eyes are failing you, here's what it looks like under the magnifying glass...

The Cougars are now a part of the Oakland A's organization and have had over 8,000,000 fans attend games.

My wife and I are still together. We're a few months shy of celebrating 20 years of marriage. I think I'm luckier.

* Okay, that didn't really make sense because all coins are thinner than Twiggy. Except those stone coins from Yap. But you can't carry those around easily.