| Cushing Refiners | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class | Class D (1921, 1923–1925) |
| League | Southwestern League (1921) Oklahoma State League (1923–1924) Southwestern League (1925) |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (0) | None |
| Team data | |
| Name | Cushing Oilers (1921) Cushing Refiners (1923–1925) |
| Ballpark | Speedway Park (1921) Cushing Ball Park (1923–1925) |
The Cushing Refiners was the final moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Cushing, Oklahoma in 1921 and from 1923 to 1925. Cushing played as members of the Class D level Southwestern League in 1921, Oklahoma State League from 1923 to 1924 and Southwestern League in 1925.
Baseball Hall of Fame member Carl Hubbell made his professional debut with the 1923 Cushing Refiners.
Minor league baseball began in Cushing, Oklahoma in 1921. On August 3, 1921, the Parsons Parsons of the Class D level Southwestern League moved from Parsons, Kansas to Cushing. Parsons was 26–57 at the time of the move. The team finished the 1921 season as the Cushing Oilers. The team was 8–53 in Cushing, before finishing 8th with an overall record of 34-110. The team was managed by G. C. "Kitty" Knight and Lefty Wilson. In 1922, the Southwestern League became a Class C League and Cushing did not return. [1]
The Cushing Refiners joined the Oklahoma State League for the 1923 season. The Refiners finished in 2nd place in the eight–team league with a 67–53 record, 2.0 games behind the 1st place Duncan Oilers. The Refiners were managed by Ned Pettigrew. In 1923, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Carl Hubbell made his professional debut for the Cushing Refiners. Pettigrew had given Hubbell a tryout and subsequently signed him to a contract to play for Cushing. Hubbell was age 20 in 1923 and had worked for an oil company after graduating from high school in Meeker, Oklahoma. [2] [3] [4]
In 1924, the Oklahoma State League permanently folded on July 8, 1924. The Cushing Refiners were 49–27 and in 3rd place when the league folded. The Refiners were again managed by Ned Pettigrew. [5] [6]
After the Oklahoma State folded, the Cushing Refiners rejoined the six–team Class D level Southwestern League in 1925. The Oilers were 64–65 and finished 4th in the Southwestern League, 9.5 games behind the 1st place Salina Millers. The manager was Frank Thompson. The Cushing franchise was replaced by Ponca City Poncans in the 1926 Southwestern League. There has not been another minor league team in Cushing. [7]
The 1921 Cushing Oilers were noted to have played home games at Speedway Park. The ballpark was reportedly located north of town on North Little Avenue, where a bowling alley currently stands. [8]
Starting in 1923, the Cushing Refiners reportedly played home games at a new facility called Cushing Ball Park. That ballpark was noted to have been located on West Moses Street on the southeast corner of the railroad crossing for the now-abandoned Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad tracks, which intersected West Moses between Violet and Puckett Avenues. [9] [10]
| Year(s) | # Yrs. | Team | Level | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 1 | Cushing Oilers | Class D | Southwestern League |
| 1923–1924 | 2 | Cushing Refiners | Oklahoma State League | |
| 1925 | 1 | Southwestern League | ||
 |
| Year | Record | Manager | Finish | Playoffs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 34–110 | G.C. Knight/Lefty Wilson | 8th | Parsons (26–57) moved to Cushing Aug 3 |
| 1923 | 65–53 | Ned Pettigrew | 2nd | None held |
| 1924 | 49–27 | Ned Pettigrew | 3rd | League disbanded July 8 |
| 1925 | 64–65 | Frank Thompson | 4th | None held |
The Southwestern League was the name of four former minor league baseball leagues that operated in the Southwestern United States. The second league, also known as the Oklahoma State League, was in operation for the 1904 season. The third league operated from 1921 to 1926. The fourth league, formerly the Longhorn League, operated from 1956 to 1957 before changing its name to the Sophomore League.
The Oklahoma State League was a Class D level minor baseball league based in Oklahoma that existed in 1912 and again from 1922 to 1924. L.S. Dodds (1912), Leo Meyer (1912), C.E. Plott (1922), E.A. Daniels (1922–1924) and A.L. Ragan (1924) served as presidents of the league. Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell played in the league, making his professional debut with the 1923 Cushing Refiners.
Jim Ned Pettigrew was an American Major League Baseball player who pinch hit in two games for the Buffalo Buffeds in 1914. He was a Minor League Baseball outfielder from 1905 to 1921, and managed in the minors as well.
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