Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings

Last updated
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings
RGV WhiteWings.PNG
Information
League United League Baseball (2013–2014)
Location Harlingen, Texas
Ballpark Harlingen Field
Founded 1994
Disbanded2014
League championships2 (2000, 2014)
Division championships1 (2007)
Former name(s)
  • Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings (1994–2003, 2006–07, 2009–2014)
  • Harlingen WhiteWings (2008–2009)
Former league(s)
ColorsBlack, white, grey
   
Ownership Reunion Sports Group
ManagerChris Paterson
General ManagerDoug Robinson
Media Valley Morning Star
Website http://www.whitewingsbaseball.org/

The Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings was a professional baseball team based in Harlingen, Texas, in the United States. The WhiteWings was a member of United League Baseball, an independent professional league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball. From the 1994 season to 2014, the WhiteWings played its home games at Harlingen Field.

Contents

History

Baseball in the region of the Rio Grande Valley had been played before in the Gulf States League (Class A ball), which lasted one season (1976) with six teams, one of which played in Harlingen, Texas by the name of the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings. Eighteen years later, the Texas–Louisiana League was formed, done on the frustrations of Dallas businessman Byron Pierce and U.S. Congressman John Bryant of the Texas League not having plans for expansion. The Rio Grande Valley would receive a team as a charter member, which was called the WhiteWings and play at Harlingen Field, which had dimensions of 310' for the corners and 380' in center field for a crowd of 4,000. [1] The WhiteWings won the Texas–Louisiana League Championship in 2000, upsetting the San Angelo Colts and Amarillo Dillas to win the pennant under manager Eddie Dennis (two years later, the league rebranded as the Central Baseball League). After falling on hard times, the WhiteWings suspended operations in 2003. In late 2005, United League Baseball announced that the WhiteWings would resume play as the first charter member of the new league in 2006. They played the 2006 and 2007 seasons before deciding to rebrand in 2008. That year, they rebranded as the Harlingen WhiteWings. After three seasons, they changed the name back to the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings, announcing it as such in May 2009. [2]

In 2011 and 2012, the WhiteWings played in the North American League, where they made the playoffs twice. They returned to the ULB in 2013 and played two season, winning the championship in 2014, their final season. The team announced in 2015 that it was shutting down and would not a field a team for the upcoming season. [3]

Season-by-season record

Season
LeagueManagerWinsLossesPct.Result
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings
1976Gulf States LeagueTed Uhlaender3240.444
1994Texas-Louisiana LeagueAlan Ashby4048.455
1995Texas-Louisiana LeagueAlan Ashby5346.535
1996Texas-Louisiana LeagueJohn Pacella5048.510Lost in 1st Round
1997Texas-Louisiana LeagueMike Brumley3953.424
1998Texas-Louisiana LeagueEddie Dennis3648.429
1999Texas-Louisiana LeagueEddie Dennis4538.542
2000Texas-Louisiana LeagueEddie Dennis6349.563Won Championship (Amarillo) 3–1
2001Texas-Louisiana LeagueGeorge Scott4056.417
2002Central Baseball LeagueJohn Harris3759.385
2003Central Baseball LeagueJohn Harris4452.458
2006United League BaseballEddie Dennis3852.422
2007United League BaseballEddie Dennis5045.526Lost Finals (Alexandria) 4–0
Harlingen WhiteWings
2008United League BaseballAl Gallagher2062.244
2009United League BaseballEddie Dennis3941.488
2010United League BaseballEddie Dennis4745.511Lost Semifinals (Amarillo) 2–0
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings
2011North American LeagueEddie Dennis5137.580Won Semifinals (San Angelo) 4–0
Lost Finals (Edmonton) 4–1
2012North American LeagueEddie Dennis5144.537Lost Semifinals (Edinburg) 2–0
2013United League BaseballChris Paterson3243.427
2014United League BaseballChris Paterson5027.649Won Finals (Fort Worth) 3–0

All-Stars

Players

1994

  • John O'Brien, 1B

1995

  • Tim Garland, LF
  • John O'Brien, 1b
  • Clint Davis, RP
  • Kyle Duke, SP
  • Jamie Cooley, C

1996

  • Lipso Nava, SS
  • John O'Brien, 1B

1997

  • Pat Koerner (Rookie of the Year)
  • Bryan Warner, OF (Most Valuable Player)
  • Ryan Whitaker, RHP

1998

  • Scott Emerson, Major League Baseball pitching coach Oakland Athletics
  • Jay Davis, OF
  • Jason Fawcett, RHP
  • Omar Ramirez, LF
  • Joe Stutz, RHP
  • Mark Swindell, 2b

1999

  • Sergio Cairo, OF
  • Eddie Fitzpatrick, C
  • Mario Rodriguez, RHP
  • Michael Decelle, OF

2000

  • Yfrain Linares, RHP (Pitcher of the Year)
  • Manny Lopez, OF
  • Hector Roa, 2B

2001

  • Carlos Duncan, OF
  • Tyrone Pendergrass, OF
  • Ty Ryburn, P

2002

  • John Ballon, 3B

2003
N/A

2006

  • Adam Clay, RHP

2007

  • Jermy Acey, 2B
  • Derek Bennett, RHP
  • Omar Bramasco, Utah
  • David Cardona, OF
  • Ryan Fox, DH
  • Kevin Griffin, C
  • Joe Rogers, LHP

2008

Past managers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harlingen, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Harlingen is a city in Cameron County in the central region of the Rio Grande Valley of the southern part of the U.S. state of Texas, about 30 miles (48 km) from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than 40 square miles (104 km2) and is the second-largest city in Cameron County, as well as the fourth-largest in the Rio Grande Valley. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 71,892.

The Central Baseball League, formerly the Texas–Louisiana League, was an independent baseball league whose member teams were not affiliated with any Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises.

Harlingen Field is a baseball park in Harlingen, Texas, that has been home to professional baseball, such as the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings and the Harlingen Giants, and high school baseball. It has undergone numerous expansions and renovations throughout its fifty-year history, most notably in the early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United League Baseball</span>

United League Baseball was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas. The league operated from 2006 to 2009. The league then temporarily merged with the Northern League and the Golden Baseball League to form the North American League from 2011–2012. However, after the North American League folded at the end of the 2012 season, ULB was reformed. It dissolved for a second time in January 2015.

UTRGV Baseball Stadium, originally Edinburg Stadium, is a stadium in Edinburg, Texas. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home of the UTRGV Vaqueros of college baseball. It was also the home to the Edinburg Roadrunners of the Texas–Louisiana League/Central Baseball League/United League Baseball. The Roadrunners disbanded before the 2014 season. The stadium, which opened in 2001, holds 4,000 people, expandable to 14,000-16,000 for concerts and other special events. It includes a 17.8' x 13.6' diamondvision scoreboard and luxury boxes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburg Roadrunners</span>

The Edinburg Roadrunners were a professional baseball team based in Edinburg, Texas, in the United States. The Roadrunners were a member of the United League Baseball, an independent professional league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball. They played in United League Baseball from 2006 to 2010 and the North American League from 2011 to 2012. They played their home games at Edinburg Stadium. The city refused to extend a lease for the 2014 season and with nowhere to play the team shut down.

The Rio Grande Valley Giants was an American minor league baseball franchise in the Double-A Texas League located in Harlingen, Texas, that played from the beginning of the 1960 season through June 10, 1961. As its nickname implies, the team was affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. It played its home games at Harlingen Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laredo Apaches</span>

The Laredo Apaches were a minor league baseball team from Laredo, Texas that existed in two different incarnations: 1949-53 and again in 1995.

The San Luis Atleticos are a professional independent baseball team based in San Luis, Arizona, representing that city and Mexico. They play in the developmental Arizona Winter League, a short-season instructional winter league affiliated with the Golden Baseball League and play in the International Division, as well as the Saskatchewan Silver Sox, Team Canada and Western Canada Miners. The team will play their home games in 2009 at Joe Orduno Field in San Luis. Their team colors are green and gold, similar to the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. They are managed by former Toronto Blue Jays farmhand Eddie Dennis, who now manages the United League's Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings team.

The Gulf States League was a Class A level American minor baseball league that existed for one season — 1976 — and was based in the American states of Texas and Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros</span>

The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros is a collegiate athletic program that represents the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The Vaqueros inherited the NCAA Division I status of the Texas–Pan American Broncs and compete in the Western Athletic Conference.

The Corpus Christi Clippers was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Corpus Christi, Texas between 1910 and 1959. Corpus Christi teams played as members of the Southwest Texas League (1910–1911), Gulf Coast League (1926), Texas Valley League (1927–1928), Rio Grande Valley League (1931), Texas Valley League (1938), Rio Grande Valley League (1949–1950), Gulf Coast League (1951–1953), Big State League (1954–1957), Rio Grande Valley League (1949–1950) and Texas League (1958–1959).

Minor league baseball teams were based in Harlingen, Texas in various seasons between 1931 and 2014. Harlingen teams played as members of the 1931 Rio Grande Valley League, 1938 Texas Valley League, 1950 Rio Grande Valley League, the Gulf Coast League from 1951 to 1953, Big State League in 1954 and 1955, Texas League in 1960 and 1961, 1976 Gulf States League and 1977 Lone Star League, winning four league championships. The Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings played in various leagues between 1994 and 2014. The Harlingen minor league home ballpark was Harlingen Field.

The Seguin Toros were a minor league baseball team based in Seguin, Texas. In 1976, the Toros played in the only season of the 1976 Class A level Gulf States League, advancing to the league finals in their only season of play. Seguin hosted minor league home games at the Fairgrounds Ball Park, now named Smokey Joe Williams Field in honor of Smokey Joe Williams.

The Corpus Christi Seagulls were a minor league baseball team based in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1976 and 1977. The Seagulls played as members of the Class A level Gulf States League in 1976 and Lone Star League in 1977, winning the league championship in both seasons under player/manager Leo Mazzone. The Seagulls hosted minor league home games at Cabaniss Field.

Playing a partial season in 1931, the La Feria Nighthawks were a minor league baseball team based in La Feria, Texas. La Feria played as members of the Class D level Rio Grande Valley League in their only season of minor league play. The team was established when the Corpus Christi Seahawks franchise moved to La Feria during the season. The Nighthawks won the second–half pennant and lost in the league finals. La Feria played home games in Harlingen, Texas.

The San Benito Saints were a minor league baseball team based in San Benito, Texas. In 1931, San Benito played as members of the Class D level Rio Grande Valley League, finishing in last place in their only season of minor league play. The Saints hosted home games at the San Benito Base Ball Park.

The Robstown Rebels were a minor league baseball team based in Robstown, Texas in 1949 and 1950. Preceded by the 1949 Robstown Cardinals, the Robstown teams played exclusively as members of the Rio Grande Valley League, playing partial seasons in both years. Robstown hosted home minor league games at the Sun Sport Ball Park.

The McAllen Packers were a minor league baseball franchise based in McAllen, Texas. In 1938, the Packers played as members of the Class D level Texas Valley League, hosting home games at Legion Park.

The McAllen Giants were a minor league baseball franchise based in McAllen, Texas. In 1949 and 1950, the Giants played as members of the Class D level Rio Grande Valley League, hosting home games at Paris Field. The Giants qualified for the 1949 playoffs, before finishing last in 1950, which proved to be the final season of the league.

References

  1. "Play Ball, Y'all". April 2000.
  2. "It's the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings (again)". 13 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  3. "Flown the coop: Harlingen's WhiteWings cease operations". valleymoringstar.com. February 9, 2015.
  4. "2001 Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings Statistics".