The Kenosha Kingfish are a baseball team that plays in the collegiate summer Northwoods League. Based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Kingfish play their home games at Simmons Field.
History Background Prior to the establishment of the Kingfish, Simmons Field had been the home of multiple amateur and minor league baseball teams over the years, including the Kenosha Comets (AAGPBL), Kenosha Twins (Midwest League), and Kenosha Mammoths (Frontier League).
The city had previously been host to the Kenosha Kroakers, one of the five original Northwoods League (NWL) franchises, who played in the NWL from 1994-1998 and had several players go on to MLB careers, including Clint Barmes, George Sherrill, and Bobby Kielty.
After the announcement of the NWL's return to Kenosha, fans submitted suggestions for the team's name, and the winning suggestion of 'Kingfish' was revealed at the team's launch party on November 23, 2013.
2014: Inaugural season The Kingfish opened their inaugural 2014 season on the road, and played their first home series at the newly renovated Simmons Field on the weekend of May 31 and June 1. They finished the 2014 season with a 41–30 record in the Northwoods League South Division, narrowly missing the playoffs by half a game.
2015: First championship The Kingfish finished 2015 with a regular season record of 48–24. After beating the La Crosse Loggers 7–2 in Game 1 of the Divisional Playoffs and the Madison Mallards 2–1 in a close Game 2, the Kingfish defeated the St. Cloud Rox, in 2 games, to win their first Northwoods League Summer Collegiate World Series.
2016: Hosting All-Star Game 2016 was notable in that the Kingfish hosted the NWL All Star Game and a Home Run Derby in which contestants hit home runs off a pier into Lake Michigan. Among those playing in the All-Star Game were Daulton Varsho, Caleb Boushley, and Mason McCoy. 2016 was also the Kingfish's highest attendance in a season.
2020: Covid-19 Pod Season Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Northwoods League created several hyper-regional "pod" divisions, many of which included new alternate identities of existing teams. The K-Town Bobbers joined the Kingfish in the Kenosha Division, with all games being played at Simmons Field. The Bobbers were not a new NWL franchise but rather a one-year alternate identity managed by the Kingfish. Future MLB All-Star Drake Baldwin suited up for the Bobbers. The season culminated in a victory by Kingfish in the "Battle of Kenosha."
Alternate identities The Kingfish have adopted numerous alternate identities for single-game promotions over the years.
Kenosha Keepers For this promotion, the Kingfish temporarily adopted the name Kenosha Keepers in recognition of Kenosha’s lighthouses and lighthouse keepers.
Kenosha Kickers The Kingfish hosted a Home Alone night, which they rebranded to the Kenosha Kickers, a scene from the movie, that included a jersey auction after the game.
Kenosha Twins
The Kenosha Twins were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Kenosha, from 1984 to 1992. They began playing in the Midwest League in 1984. The team played their home games at Simmons Field. The Twins won two championships, in 1985 and 1987, and were Northern Division champions for the first half of the 1988 season. In 2024, the Kingfish honored the 40th anniversary of the team moving to Kenosha with a jersey auction at the end of the game.
Kenosha Comets
The Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team that played from 1943 through 1951 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. They played their home games at Simmons Field. In 2023, they rebranded as the Comets wearing green jerseys with a white K in the middle and in the hats, a white K, for Kenosha.
Mascot King Elvis the First, an orange fish, is the mascot of the Kingfish. Before home games, he rides an ATV from the left field foul pole. He used to ride a zipline down the left field foul pole to deliver the ball for the first pitch. In 2022, Green Bay Packers player A. J. Dillon went viral for doing an oklahoma drill, knocking out Elvis’ head.
Alumni in MLB The following is a list of Kingfish and Bobbers players who have gone on to play in Major League Baseball.
Name MLB teams played for Years with Kenosha MLB Debut Rico Garcia Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, New York Mets, New York Yankees 2014–2015 August 27, 2019 Brett Harris Oakland Athletics / Athletics, Boston Red Sox 2020 (Bobbers) May 3, 2024 Will Wagner Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres 2018 August 12, 2024 Drake Baldwin Atlanta Braves 2020 (Bobbers) March 27, 2025 Colton Gordon Houston Astros 2018 May 14, 2025 Ryan Fitzgerald Minnesota Twins 2014 May 16, 2025 Carson McCusker Minnesota Twins 2018 May 16, 2025
Yearly attendance Year Attendance 2014 72,838 2015 82,019 2016 87,991 2017 86,291 2018 84,482 2019 83,176 2020 8,255 2021 67,529 2022 73,946 2023 82,350 2024 85,153 2025 86,341 2026 78,808
References
External links Kenosha Kingfish official site Northwoods League official site