Throwback Thursday: RedHawks' Doug Simunic vs. umpires

Tonight, the RedHawks will take the field against the St. Paul Saints in St. Paul, kicking off their 20th season of pro baseball in Fargo-Moorhead.

In many ways, the story of the RedHawks is the story of Doug Simunic, a catcher and first baseman drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1976 who had a long career in minor league baseball and a year managing in Winnipeg before settling down here. He has been the team's only manager.

Simunic's tenure has been 19 seasons of consistently good teams and five championships, but winning hasn't been Simunic's only consistency. On June 7, 1996, the RedHawks made their home debut at the unfinished and yet-to-be-named Newman Outdoor Field, sustaining a 15-7 loss against the Madison Black Wolf. The Forum was on hand and photographer Bruce Crummy got a shot of Simunic mixing it up with umpire Ben Franson.

This spirited debate with umpiring crews would become a mainstay of Simunic's managerial style. It was also the beginning of a long love affair between the animated Simunic and Forum photographers, who for 19 seasons have captured the many moods of our beloved bench captain. (Use the buttons on the image above to cycle through the photos.)

1/5: June 9, 2004: FM RedHawks Manager Doug Simunic challenges a call by umpire Todd Shields. Ann Arbor Miller / The Forum

2/5: July 17, 2013: Simunic throws his hands up in the air and waves them around while questioning a call by umpire John Sahlberg. Dave Wallis / The Forum

3/5: July 27, 2008: Simunic argues with 3rd base umpire Clark Davis after being ejected from the game. Carrie Snyder / The Forum

4/5: August 23, 2009: Simunic argues with home plate umpire Darin Perius before getting ejected in the fourth inning in a game against the Gary Southshore Railcats. Dave Wallis / The Forum

5/5: June 18, 2014: Simunic argues a call with third base umpire Harrison Silverman during play against Rockland at Newman Outdoor Field. David Samson / The Forum