SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. ............)*
Tropical Sportswear International
.............................................................................
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock
.............................................................................
(Title of Class of Securities)
89708P102
.............................................................................
(CUSIP Number)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting
person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of
securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which
would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not
be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that
section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act
(however, see the Notes).
89708P102
CUSIP No. ...............................................
_____________________________________________________________________________
1) Names of Reporting Persons I. R. S. Identification Nos. of Above
Persons (entities only)
Minnesota Life Insurance Company
.............................................................................
41-0417830
_____________________________________________________________________________
2) Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)
a) ..........................................................
b) ..........................................................
____________________________________________________________________________
3) SEC Use Only ......................................................
____________________________________________________________________________
Minnesota
4) Citizenship or Place of Organization................................
____________________________________________________________________________
453,900
Number of 5) Sole Voting Power ...........................................
Shares Bene- _______________________________________________________________
ficially
Owned by 6) Shared Voting Power..........................................
Each Report- _______________________________________________________________
ing Person
With
<PAGE>
453,900
7) Sole Dispositive Power.......................................
_______________________________________________________________
8) Shared Dispositive Power
____________________________________________________________________________
9) Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
453,900
____________________________________________________________________________
10) Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain
Shares (See Instructions)
............................................................................
____________________________________________________________________________
5.96
11) Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row 9..............
____________________________________________________________________________
IC
12) Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)..................
Item 1(a): Tropical Sportswear International
Item 1(b): 4902 W. Waters Avenue, Tampa, FL 33634
Item 2(a): Minnesota Life Insurance Company
Item 2(b): 400 Robert Street North, St. Paul, MN 55101
Item 2(c): Minnesota
Item 2(d): Common
Item 2(e):
Item 3: This statement is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b) or
13d-2(b) and the person filing, Minnesota Life
Insurance Company, is an insurance company as defined in
section 3(a)(19) of the Act.
Item 4(a): 453,900
Item 4(b): 5.96%
Item 4(c)(i): 453,900
Item 4(c)(ii) 0
Item 4(c)(iii): 453,900
Item 4(c)(iv): 0
Item 5: Not Applicable
Item 6: Various persons have the right to receive or the power to
direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds
from the sale of, the common stock of Tropical Sportswear
International. No one person's interest in the common
stock of Tropical Sportswear International is more than
five percent of the total outstanding common stock.
Item 7: Not Applicable
<PAGE>
Item 8: Advantus Capital Management, Inc., 400 Robert Street
North, St. Paul Minnesota 55101, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Minnesota Life Insurance Company, 400
Robert Street North, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101, and an
investment adviser registered under Section 203 of the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, is the beneficial owner
of 453,900 shares or 5.96% of the common stock
outstanding of Tropical Sportswear International ("the
Company") as a result of acting as investment adviser to
several persons.
Minnesota Life Insurance Company through its control of
Advantus Capital Management, Inc., has sole power to vote
and to dispose of the 453,900 shares owned by persons
advised by Advantus Capital Management, Inc.
The filing of this Schedule 13G shall not be construed as
an admission that the reporting person or any of its
affiliates is, for the purposes of Section 13(d) or 13(g)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the beneficial
owner or any securities covered by this Schedule 13G. In
addition, the filing of this Schedule 13G shall not be
construed as an admission that the reporting person or
any of its affiliates is the beneficial owner of any
securities covered by this Schedule 13G for any other
purposes than Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.
Item 9: Not Applicable
Item 10: By signing below I certify that, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above
were acquired in the ordinary course of business and were
not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the
effect of changing or influencing the control of the
issuer of such securities and were not acquired in
connection with of as a participant in any transaction
having such purpose or effect.
Signature
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete
and correct.
2/08/99
Date
/s/ William N. Westhoff
______________________________________________
Signature
William N. Westhoff, President
Name/Title
EXHIBIT A
JOINT FILING AGREEMENT
The undersigned persons acknowledge and agree that the foregoing
statement on Schedule 13G is filed on behalf of each of the undersigned and
that all subsequent amendments to this statement on Schedule 13G shall be
filed on behalf of each of the undersigned without the necessity of filing
additional joint acquisition statements. The undersigned acknowledge that
each shall be responsible for the timely filing of such amendments, and for
the completeness and accuracy of the information concerning it contained
herein, but shall not be responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the
information concerning the other, except to the extent that it knows or has
reason to believe that such information is inaccurate.
Dated: February 8, 1999
Advantus Capital Management, Inc.
/s/ William N. Westhoff
__________________________________________________
By: William N. Westhoff
Name and Title: President
Minnesota Life Insurance Company
/s/ Dianne Orbison
_________________________________________________
By: Dianne Orbison
Name and Title: Second Vice President
