Fort Worth Cats (Texas League)

Last updated
Fort Worth Cats
Minor league affiliations
Class
  • AA (1964)
  • AAA (1959)
  • AA (1946–1958)
  • A1 (1936–1942)
  • A (1921–1935)
  • B (1911–1920)
  • C (1907–1910)
  • D (1906)
  • C (1904–1905)
  • D (1902–1903)
  • C (1896–1898)
  • B (1892, 1895)
League
Major league affiliations
Team
Minor league titles
Dixie Series titles (8)
  • 1920
  • 1921
  • 1923
  • 1924
  • 1925
  • 1930
  • 1937
  • 1939
League titles (13)
  • 1895
  • 1905
  • 1920
  • 1921
  • 1922
  • 1923
  • 1924
  • 1925
  • 1930
  • 1937
  • 1939
  • 1948
  • 1958
First-half titles (6)
  • 1906
  • 1920
  • 1921
  • 1922
  • 1924
  • 1925
Second-half titles (9)
  • 1895
  • 1904
  • 1919
  • 1920
  • 1921
  • 1922
  • 1924
  • 1925
  • 1930
Team data
Name
  • Fort Worth Cats (1936–1942, 1946–1959, 1964)
  • Fort Worth Colts (1897)
  • Fort Worth Panthers (1888–1890, 1892, 1895–1896,1898, 1902–1935)
Ballpark
  • LaGrave Field (1926–1964)
  • Panther Park (1915–1925)
  • Morris Park (1911–1914)
  • Haines Park (1907–1910)

The Fort Worth Cats (originally the Fort Worth Panthers) were a minor league baseball team that mostly played in the Texas League from 1888 through 1964. They were affiliated with the Indianapolis Indians in 1933, the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1946 to 1956, and the Chicago Cubs from 1957 to 1958. The team joined the American Association in 1959 and then merged with the Dallas Rangers in 1959 to become the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers. The teams separated again in 1964 when the Cats rejoined the Texas League, but they merged again the following year and became the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs. The 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, and 1925 Panthers teams were selected as #4 among the top 100 minor league teams of all time. [1]

Contents

History

The Fort Worth Panthers, also called the Fort Worth Cats, played mostly in the Texas League from its founding in 1888 until 1959. The club won league championships in 1895 and 1905. During the late 1910s and early 1920s, Major League Baseball teams would play in Fort Worth against the Panthers on their way from spring training to their home parks. Texas fans enjoyed watching such major leaguers as Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Rogers Hornsby play in their home town.

The Panthers had a winning streak from 1919 to 1925 when they won the regular season title seven years straight. In 1919 they failed to win the playoff for the season, but won the pennant and represented the Texas League in the Dixie Series for the next six years. The Dixie Series was a championship series between the league champions of the Southern Association and Texas Leagues, both of which had established themselves as some of the best in baseball. Amon Carter and other fans would arrange special trains to ensure that avid fans had transportation to these games. Five of the first six championships were won by Fort Worth with their only loss coming in 1922 to Mobile. [2]

Doyle Williams, an FBI agent who portrayed Governor John Connally in the Warren Commission's 1964 reenactment of the Kennedy Assassination, briefly played in the Cats organization in the mid-1930s. [3] [4] The club won both the Texas League and the Dixie Series in 1930, 1937, and 1939. Rogers Hornsby was the Cats' manager in 1942, but World War II put an end to much of minor league baseball.

Following the War, the Cats became a minor league franchise of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1948, the Dodgers sent Bobby Bragan to manage the team, which won its last Texas League, but lost the Dixie Series to Birmingham. The first African American player to play for the team was Maury Wills in 1955.

When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1957, it caused them to shuffle their minor league teams. The Fort Worth franchise was traded to the Chicago Cubs. In 1959, Fort Worth left the Texas League to join the American Association, but they merged with the Dallas Rangers the following year. Fort Worth regained a Texas League franchise for 1964 only, after which there was no professional baseball in Fort Worth for 36 years until a new Fort Worth Cats franchise was founded.

Year-by-year record

YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs
188821–26--Mike O'Connor / Mike FirieTeam disbanded June 28
188945–515thJim Horsfield / Paddy WelshLeague disbanded August 12
189017–285thJohn FogartyLeague disbanded June 10
189580–402ndJosh Reilly / Sport McAllister / Duke JantzenLeague Champs
189672–28-- Charlie Meyers Team disbanded August 2
189810–10NAJess Reynolds
190248–623rd Ted Sullivan none
190349–594th Con Lucid / Fred Scatzke / Billy Disch
190471–301stCharlie WillsLost League Finals
190572–591stAl Hubbard / Charlie Willsnone League Champs
190678–461st (t)Frederick CanenderCould not field team for playoffs
190761–785thWalter Salm / Walt Bolesnone
190868–745thDan Curtis / Henry Deitersnone
190973–716thFrederick Cavendernone
191076–623rd Walter Morris none
191180–672nd Walter Morris none
191259–817th Walter Morris none
191370–836th Walter Morris (34–39) / William Nance (36–44)none
191471–775thWilliam Nance (42–43) / Jake Atz (29–34)none
191581–723rdWilliam Nance (31–31) / Jake Atz (50–41)none
191671–755th Jake Atz (47–34) / Otto McIvor (24–41)none
191790–712nd Jake Atz none
191847–392nd Jake Atz League suspended operations July 7
191994–601st Jake Atz Lost League Finals
1920108–401st Jake Atz none League Champs
1921107–511st Jake Atz none League Champs
1922109–461st Jake Atz none League Champs
192396–561st Jake Atz none League Champs
1924109–411st Jake Atz none League Champs
1925103–481st Jake Atz League Champs
192683–733rd Jake Atz none
192777–794th Jake Atz none
192883–733rd Jake Atz
192984–764th Jake Atz (41–39) / Frank Snyder (43–37)
193084–694th Frank Snyder League Champs
193190–703rd Art Phelan
193268–814th Dick McCabe / Art Phelan
193363–887th Walter Holke (14–22) / Jake Atz (49–66)
193459–927th Del Pratt
193564–958th Johnnie Heving / Harry McCurdy
193676–785th Harry McCurdy / Homer Peel
193785–743rd Homer Peel League Champs
193861–998th Homer Peel / Cecil Coombs / Jackie Reid
193987–744th Bob Linton League Champs
194052–1088th Bob Linton
194178–765th Bob Linton
194284–683rd Rogers Hornsby Lost in 1st round
1946101–531st Ray Hayworth Lost League Finals
194795–582nd Les Burge Lost in 1st round
194892–611st Les Burge / George Dockins / Bobby Bragan League Champs
1949100–541st Bobby Bragan Lost League Finals
195088–642nd Bobby Bragan Lost in 1st round
195184–774th (t) Bobby Bragan
195286–752nd Bobby Bragan Lost in 1st round
195382–723rd Max Macon Lost in 1st round
195481–804th Al Vincent Lost League Finals
195577–846th Tommy Holmes
195684–703rd Clay Bryant Lost in 1st round
195770–846th Gene Handley
195889–641st Lou Klein Lost in 1st round
196451–896th Alex Grammas

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References

  1. ↑ "Top 100 Teams". MiLB.com. 2001. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Official Website of the Fort Worth Cats". Archived from the original on 2008-08-23. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
  3. ↑ The Dolphus Starling, Minnie Lee Williams family: an autobiography 1990, Call number 929.2 WILLIAMS, Ft. Worth Public Library
  4. ↑ "John F. Kennedy Assassination Homepage :: Warren Commission :: Hearings :: Volume V :: Page 132".
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