Texas League

Last updated
Texas League
Texasleague.png
Classification
  • Double-A (1946–present)
  • Class A1 (1936–1942)
  • Class A (1921–1935)
  • Class B (1911–1920)
  • Class C (1904–1905, 1907–1910)
  • Class D (1902–1903, 1906)
Sport Baseball
Founded1902(122 years ago) (1902)
No. of teams10
CountryUnited States
Most recent
champion(s)		 Amarillo Sod Poodles (2023)
Most titles Houston Buffaloes (16)
Official website www.milb.com/texas

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.

Contents

The Texas League was founded in 1902, although it traces its lineage back to a predecessor founded in 1888.

History

20th century

The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892. It was refounded in 1895 and ran through 1899 (under the name Texas Association in 1895 and Texas-Southern League in 1896).

The Texas League was revived as a Class D league in 1902, moved to Class C in 1904 where it played through 1910 (except for 1906 as Class D again), played at Class B until 1920, and finally moved up to Class A in 1921. The Texas League, like many others, shut down during World War II. From 1959 to 1961, the Texas League and the Mexican League formed the Pan American Association. The two leagues played a limited interlocking schedule and post-season championship. By 1971, the Texas League and the Southern League had both decreased to seven teams. They played an interlocking schedule with the Southern League known as the Dixie Association. The two leagues played separate playoffs. The Texas League has operated its own schedule since 1972.

The term "Texas Leaguer" to describe a bloop hit, a soft fly ball that falls for a hit beyond the infielders' reach but too short for the outfielders to catch, has been extant since at least 1903 [1] and was common throughout American baseball in the 20th century and to some degree into the 21st. The source of the idiom is not known but among other theories has been attributed to Ollie Pickering's feat in a Texas League game of April 4, 1901, in which he made seven such hits in succession. Talk of this singular feat is supposed to have spread widely, bringing the term with it. [2]

21st century

Around the advent of the 21st century, the Texas League witnessed a great deal of change. Teams once known as the Jackson Mets, El Paso Diablos, Shreveport Captains, and Wichita Wranglers all relocated to new cities and bigger stadiums.

In 2019, the San Antonio Missions relocated to Amarillo, Texas, becoming the Amarillo Sod Poodles. At the same time, the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) moved to San Antonio to continue on as the Missions at the Triple-A level. [3]

The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. [4] [5] As part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, the Texas League was temporarily renamed to "Double-A Central" for the 2021 season. [6] Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, the league switched back to its historical name beginning with the 2022 season. [7]

Current teams

Texas League timeline

Texas League

League membersDixie AssociationPCLOther League

Complete list of Texas League teams (1902–present)

Note: • An "^" indicates that team's article redirects to an article of an active team in a different league

League champions and award winners

Hall of fame

See also

Related Research Articles

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.

The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Western Professional Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Collegiate League</span> The premier summer collegiate baseball league in Texas

The Texas Collegiate League (TCL) is a collegiate summer baseball league made up of teams from the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. The league's headquarters are in Coppell, Texas. Uri Geva, owner of the Brazos Valley Bombers, is the league's president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Association of Professional Baseball</span> Baseball league

The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor league affiliates. Joshua Schaub is the league commissioner. League offices are located in Moorhead, Minnesota. Though a separate entity, the league shared a commissioner and director of umpires with the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball during that league's existence. The American Association of Professional Baseball has 501(c)(6) tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. In 2020, as part of MLB's reorganization of the minor leagues, the American Association, together with the Atlantic League and the Frontier League, became an official MLB Partner League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potter County Memorial Stadium</span> Baseball stadium in Amarillo, Texas, US

Potter County Memorial Stadium is a baseball-only stadium in Amarillo, Texas. It was most recently home to the Texas AirHogs, a professional baseball team and member of the American Association, and the West Texas A&M Buffaloes baseball team, which is a member of the Division II Lone Star Conference. It was home to the Amarillo Dillas of United League Baseball until 2010. It broke ground in 1948, and opened in 1949. It is nicknamed Dilla Villa, dating back prior to Amarillo National Bank's purchase of naming rights when the Dillas made their first appearance in Amarillo in 1994.

The Beaumont Golden Gators were a minor league baseball team in the double A Texas League from 1983 to 1986. Owned by insurance man Ted Moor, the team was an affiliate of the San Diego Padres for their entire tenure. Future Major League Baseball players John Kruk, Roberto Alomar, Joey Cora, Ozzie Guillén, Sandy Alomar Jr., Shane Mack, and Benito Santiago all played at one time for the Golden Gators. The team played its home games at Vincent-Beck Stadium on the campus of Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas and won the 1983 Texas League championship. Their uniforms were a gaudy gold, white, and green and the hats were of the historic pillbox variety with a white B surrounded by a golden triangle. The cities of Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange are known in local parlance as the "Golden Triangle." The oil bust in 1986 caused the local economy to falter and Moor sold the team to a group that moved them to Wichita, Kansas before the 1987 season, becoming the Wichita Pilots. The team spent 21 seasons in Wichita, being renamed the Wichita Wranglers in 1989, before moving to Springdale, Arkansas and becoming the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Prior to their time in Beaumont the team had been the Amarillo Gold Sox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Jones (baseball)</span> American baseball player

James Condia Jones is an American professional baseball coach, and former pitcher. He played eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and Montreal Expos, and two seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Yomiuri Giants in 1994 and 1995. Jones is the pitching coach for the Amarillo Sod Poodles, the Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the San Diego Padres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double-A (baseball)</span> Second-highest level of competition in Minor League Baseball

Double-A is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League Baseball, organized into three leagues: the Eastern League, the Southern League, and the Texas League.

The Texas-Southern League was a sports league of minor league baseball teams that operated from 1895 to 1899, primarily in Texas. During the 1896 season, the league renamed itself as the Texas Association. History of the Texas-Southern League / Texas Association prior to 1900 follows.

The Texas Colored League was a minor league Negro baseball league organized in 1919 and lasted until 1926. The league did not play a schedule in 1922.

Hodgetown is a baseball park in downtown Amarillo, Texas. It is the home ballpark of the Amarillo Sod Poodles, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Texas League. It opened on April 8, 2019, and can seat 6,631 people. The park is named in honor of Amarillo pharmacist, businessman, philanthropist, and 26th Mayor of Amarillo Jerry Hodge. Hodgetown is the most elevated Double-A ballpark at approximately 3,600 feet above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarillo Sod Poodles</span> Minor league baseball team

The Amarillo Sod Poodles, nicknamed the Soddies, are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Amarillo, Texas, and play their home games at Hodgetown in downtown Amarillo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Mountain Vibes</span> Minor league baseball team

The Rocky Mountain Vibes are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, an MLB Partner League. They are located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and play their home games at UCHealth Park.

The Waco Tigers were a minor league baseball team based in Waco, Texas. Between 1892 and 1905, the Tigers played in four non–consecutive seasons as members of the Texas League, with three of the seasons being partial seasons of play. The Waco Tigers hosted home minor league games at Padgitt Park until 1905, when the Tigers began play at Katy Park. The Tigers were succeeded by the 1906 Waco Navigators, who continued Waco's membership in the Texas League through 1919.

The Texas League Manager of the Year Award is an annual award given to the best manager in Minor League Baseball's Texas League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, and members of the media have previously voted as well. Though the league was established in 1888, the award was not created until 1955. The Texas League suspended operations during World War II from 1943 to 1945. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the Double-A Central in 2021 before reverting to the Texas League name in 2022.

References

Sources

Notes

  1. ↑ "Texas leaguer (definition)". Merriam=Webster Dictionary. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ David Courtney (March 2020). "The Texanist: Where Did the Phrase "Texas Leaguer" Come From?". Texas Monthly. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  3. ↑ "San Antonio to join PCL beginning in 2019". Pacific Coast League. June 21, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  4. ↑ "A Message From Pat O'Conner". Minor League Baseball. March 13, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  5. ↑ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  6. ↑ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Dickey-Stephens Park". Arkansas Diamonds: The Ballparks of Arkansas and Their History. Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  9. ↑ Bergeron, Angela (2008). "Feature Story - August 2008". Engineering News-Record . McGraw-Hill. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  10. ↑ Mock, Joe. "Hammons Field in Springfield, Missouri". Baseball Parks. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  11. ↑ "ONEOK Field". Tulsa Sports Commission. 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ Reichard, Kevin (April 10, 2019). "Sod Poodles Launch Crowd-Pleasing Ballpark". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  13. ↑ Goldberg-Strassler, Jesse (November 19, 2012). "Whataburger Field / Corpus Christi Hooks". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  14. ↑ Goldberg-Strassler, Jesse (November 14, 2012). "Dr Pepper Ballpark / Frisco RoughRiders". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Security Bank Ballpark". Stadiums USA. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.