Temple Boll Weevils

Last updated
Temple Boll Weevils
Minor league affiliations
Class Class C, Class D
League Texas League, South Texas League
Team data
Previous parks
Woodson Field

The Temple Boll Weevils were a minor league baseball team which played their home games at Woodson Field in Temple, Texas as a member of the Texas League from 1905 to 1907. [1] [2] Local newspapers took to calling them the "Cotton Bugs," a nickname coined by the Galveston Daily News . [3]

History

The team finished with a record of 71-59 in its debut season in 1905, behind the Fort Worth Panthers by just a half game for second place in the league. [3] After Temple got off to a slow start in the following season and Temple manager Con Lucid resigned, owner J.E. Edens sold the team to the Temple Baseball Association, a local stock company headed by Temple mayor Fred P. Hamill, who replaced Lucid with manager Fred Moore. [2] [3] [4] With the Texas League struggling financially, it decided in mid-season to drop the Boll Weevils. The Temple Baseball Association, having only recently spent $3,000 to buy the team, filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the league. [3] In 1907 the Texas League took on several teams from the South Texas League and resurrected another incarnation of the Boll Weevils with players being contributed by the other teams. Due in part to poor performance and lacking fan support, 1907 would be their final season. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas League</span> American sports league in minor league baseball

The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the state of Texas; the five North Division teams are located in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The league temporarily operated for the 2021 season as Double-A Central before reassuming its original moniker in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmer Flick</span> American baseball player (1876–1971)

Elmer Harrison Flick was an American professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1910 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics, and Cleveland Bronchos/Naps. In 1,483 career games, Flick recorded a .313 batting average while accumulating 164 triples, 1,752 hits, 330 stolen bases, and 756 runs batted in (RBIs). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kannapolis Cannon Ballers</span> Minor league baseball team

The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and play their home games at Atrium Health Ballpark. The team was established in 1995 as the Piedmont Phillies. From 1996 to 2000, they were known as the Piedmont Boll Weevils. From 2001 to 2019, they were known as the Kannapolis Intimidators, after Kannapolis native NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, who was known as "The Intimidator," purchased a share of the team before the 2001 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Tenney</span> American baseball player (1871–1952)

Frederick Tenney was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned 20 seasons, 17 of which were spent with the Major League Baseball (MLB) Boston Beaneaters/Doves/Rustlers and the New York Giants (1908–1909). Described as "one of the best defensive first basemen of all time", Tenney is credited with originating the 3-6-3 double play and originating the style of playing off the first base foul line and deep, as modern first basemen do. Over his career, Tenney compiled a batting average of .294, 1,278 runs scored, 2,231 hits, 22 home runs, and 688 runs batted in (RBI) in 1,994 games played.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel McGaha</span> American basketball player and baseball manager

Fred Melvin McGaha was an American coach and manager in Major League Baseball as well as a professional basketball player. Born in Bastrop, Louisiana, he stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 198 pounds (90 kg). McGaha graduated from the University of Arkansas and played a season of professional basketball with the New York Knicks of the NBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Buffaloes</span> Minor league baseball team

The Houston Buffaloes, Houston Buffalos, or Buffs were an American minor league baseball team, and were the first minor league team to be affiliated with a Major League franchise, which was the St. Louis Cardinals. The club was founded in 1888, and played in the Texas League at various levels throughout the majority of its existence. Most recently, from 1959 through 1961, the team played in the Triple-A American Association as the top affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Buffaloes derived their nickname from Buffalo Bayou, the principal waterway through Houston to the Houston Ship Channel, outlet to the Gulf of Mexico. The team's last home was Buffalo Stadium, built in 1928. Before that, they played at West End Park from 1905–1928, and at Herald Park prior to that.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youngstown Ohio Works</span> US baseball team

The Youngstown Ohio Works baseball team was a minor league club that was known for winning the premier championship of the Ohio–Pennsylvania League in 1905, and for launching the professional career of pitcher Roy Castleton a year later. A training ground for several players and officials who later established careers in Major League Baseball, the team proved a formidable regional competitor and also won the 1906 league championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cy Falkenberg</span> American baseball player (1879-1961)

Frederick Peter "Cy" Falkenberg was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1903 to 1917 for the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League, the Washington Senators, Cleveland Naps, and Philadelphia Athletics of the American League and the Indianapolis Hoosiers, Newark Peppers, and Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the Federal League.

Dode Criss was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher and pinch hitter who played his entire career from 1908 to 1911 with the St. Louis Browns of the American League. He is considered by historian Bill James as the first player to be used as a pinch hitter regularly.

Cornelius Cecil Lucid was a 19th-century Irish born Major League Baseball pitcher and coach. He played from 1893 to 1897 in the National League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West End Park (Houston)</span> Former baseball park in Houston, Texas

West End Park was a baseball park in Houston from 1905 to the 1940s. It was the primary ballpark for the city when it was constructed, and the city's first venue for Negro Major League games. From 1909 through 1910 and again in 1915, it also served as the spring training facility of the St. Louis Browns as well as the 1914 New York Yankees of the American League and the 1906 through 1908 St. Louis Cardinals of the National League in Major League Baseball. After its use by its primary tenant, the Houston Buffaloes of the Texas League, the ballpark was sold to what is now known as the Houston Independent School District for its use until it was demolished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Adams (baseball)</span> American baseball player (1878-1955)

Reuben Alexander "Rick" Adams was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned over 13 seasons, including one in Major League Baseball with the Washington Senators (1905). In his one major league season, Adams went 2–5 with a 3.59 earned run average (ERA), three complete games, one shutout and 25 strikeouts in 11 games, six starts. Adams also played in the minor leagues with the Spokane Blue Stockings (1901), Tacoma Tigers (1901), Paris Eisenfelder's Homeseekers (1902), New Orleans Pelicans (1902–1903), Montreal Royals (1904), Temple Boll Weevils (1905), Cleburne Railroaders (1906), Denver Grizzlies (1907–1910), Houston Buffaloes (1911), Denison Blue Sox (1913) and Denison Champions. Over his minor league career, Adams went 169–125 in 280 games. He batted and threw left-handed.

The Enterprise Boll Weevils were a minor league baseball team based in Enterprise, Alabama. The "Boll Weevils" played as members of the Class D level Alabama State League from 1947 to 1950 and the renamed Alabama-Florida League in 1951 and 1952, winning the 1950 league pennant. The 1936 Enterprise Browns played one season in the Alabama-Florida League, preceding the Boll Weevils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Short (baseball)</span> American baseball player and manager

Harry H. Short was a minor league baseball player and manager. He played on two Texas League championship Austin Senators teams, and led the league in stolen bases in 1907 with 78.

The Temple Eagles were a minor league baseball team based in Temple, Texas. From 1949 to 1954, the Eagles played exclusively as members of the Class B level Big State League, winning the 1952 league pennant and qualifying for the playoffs in three seasons. Temple hosted home minor league games at the American Legion Park

The Corsicana Oilers was the primary nickname of the minor league baseball teams based in Corsicana, Texas. In the seasons between 1902 and 1928, Corsicana teams played as members of the Texas League (1902–1905), North Texas League (1907), Central Texas League, Texas-Oklahoma League (1922), Texas Association (1923–1926) and Lone Star League (1927–1928), winning five league championships. Corsicana hosted minor league home games at Oil City Park and Athletic Park.

The Marlin Marlins were a minor league baseball team based in Marlin, Texas. The "Marlins" played in 1916 and 1917 as members of the Class D level Central Texas League, The Marlins were succeeded by the Marlin Bathers who played as members of the Class D level Texas Association from 1923 to 1925. Marlin hosted home minor league games at Marlin City Park.

The Tecumseh Indians were a minor league baseball team based in Tecumseh, Michigan. From 1906 to 1908, while hosting minor league home games at Athletic Park, Tecumseh teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level Southern Michigan League, winning the 1907 league championship.

Minor league baseball teams were based in Webb City, Missouri in various seasons between 1887 and 1912. Under numerous nicknames, Webb City teams played as members of the 1887 Southwestern League, 1891 Southwestern Missouri League, the Missouri Valley League in 1903 and 1905, Western Association from 1906 to 1909 and 1912 Missouri-Kansas League. Webb City hosted home minor league games at Sunset Park for the duration of their minor league play.

Minor league baseball teams were based in Brenham, Texas in three seasons between 1905 and 1915. The Brenham teams played as members of the South Texas League in 1905 and Middle Texas League in 1914 and 1915.

References

  1. Benoit, Patricia K. (2009). Historic Temple : an illustrated history (1st ed.). San Antonio, Tex.: Historical Pub. Network. p. 40. ISBN   9781893619968 . Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Coppedge, Clay (October 22, 2007). "Boll Weevils: A glance at pro baseball in Temple". Temple Daily Telegram. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hanzelka, Kris Rutherford ; foreword by Scott (2014). Baseball on the prairie : how seven small-town teams shaped Texas League history. The History Press. pp. 131–32. ISBN   9781609499358 . Retrieved 22 March 2015.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "1906 Temple Boll Weevils". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 22 March 2015.