Joe Schleper Stadium, named for the storied Shakopee baseball figure, sits in Tahpah Park, just north of highway 169 during its short east-west course, before the road bends south toward Jordan. When I suggested we look for a cool downtown bar to have a beer at, Marty asked, “Is there a downtown Shakopee?” (There is, by the way, and Arnie’s is a great little place to have a drink.) A populous community sandwiched between the Minnesota River and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and its Mystic Lake Casino is just a bit too far out of the beltway to be a suburb, but close enough to serve as a destination for vomit-inducing thrill rides and gambling entertainment for both Twin Cities and southern Minnesota residents.
When folks in Minnesota think about Shakopee, the Valley Fair amusement park and Canterbury horse racing track usually come to mind well before any thoughts of baseball.
