Texas Thunder (baseball)

Last updated
Texas Thunder
McAllenThunder.PNG
Information
Location McAllen, Texas
Founded 2009
Folded 2013
Former name(s)
  • Texas Thunder (2013)
  • McAllen Thunder (2011–12)
  • Coastal Bend Thunder (2009–10)
Former league(s)
Former ballparks
ColorsNavy Blue, Cardinal Red, White
General ManagerDoug Leary

The Texas Thunder were a professional baseball team. The Thunder were a member of the United League Baseball, an independent professional league, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball.

Former logo, while in Robstown, Texas CoastalBendThunder.PNG
Former logo, while in Robstown, Texas

The team made its debut as the Coastal Bend Thunder in the United League Baseball in 2009, after the dissolution of the Coastal Bend Aviators of the American Association the previous year. The team played in Fairgrounds Field in Robstown, Texas. The team had financial difficulties and was locked out of their stadium by the city in December 2010 due to unpaid rent, utilities and stadium maintenance costs. [1]

For the following season, the team was adopted by McAllen, Texas and changed its name to the McAllen Thunder. They joined the new North American League and shared Edinburg Stadium with the Edinburg Roadrunners, who were owned by the same people. [2]

In 2013, after the dissolution of the North American League, the team rejoined the ULB, as a true travel team without a home stadium, known as the Texas Thunder. The team was dissolved during the season.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Complex League</span> American minor baseball league

The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the lowest rung on the North American minor-league ladder.

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

Edinburg is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Its population was 74,569 as of the 2010 census, and in 2019, its estimated population was 101,170, making it the second-largest city in Hidalgo County, and the third-largest city in the larger Rio Grande Valley region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Texas–Pan American</span> Public University in Edinburg, Texas

The University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) was a public university in Edinburg, Texas. Founded in 1927, it was a component institution of the University of Texas System. The university served the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas with baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. The Carnegie Foundation classified UTPA as a "doctoral research university". From the institution's founding until it was merged into the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), it grew from 200 students to over 20,000, making UTPA the 10th-largest university in Texas. The majority of these students were natives of the Rio Grande Valley. UTPA also operated an Upper Level Studies Center in Rio Grande City, Starr County, Texas. On August 15, 2014, Dr. Havidan Rodriguez was appointed interim President of UTPA, the institution's final leader.

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

The Kinston Indians were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League (CL) located in Kinston, North Carolina, from 1978 to 2011. They played their home games at Grainger Stadium, which opened in 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wintrust Field</span> Statidum located in Illinois

Wintrust Field is a stadium in Schaumburg, Illinois, formerly known as Boomers Stadium and Alexian Field. It is now home to the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League which began play in May 2012 and captured the first-ever professional baseball championship for Schaumburg in 2013. It is primarily used for baseball, and was the home field of the Schaumburg Flyers baseball team from 1999 through 2010 before the Boomers resurrected the facility for pro baseball in 2012.

<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">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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Arkansas Naturals</span> Minor league baseball team

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springdale, Arkansas. The team is a member of the Texas League, and serves as the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The Naturals play at Arvest Ballpark, which opened in 2008 and is located at the intersection of Gene George Boulevard and Watkins Avenue. The team relocated from Wichita, Kansas, in 2008, where they were known as the Wichita Wranglers.

Texas is home of several national sports league franchises among other professional sports, being the second most populated U.S. state. Since the state is located in the South Central United States, most teams are part of the Central / South or West league divisions, with the notable exception of the NFL Dallas Cowboys, which is an NFC East franchise.

Reunion Sports Group was an investor group which owned the former United League Baseball, an independent baseball league started in 2005. Owned by league co-founders John Bryant and Byron Pierce, who had left the original ownership group a few years back and then purchased the league out of bankruptcy in 2009, Reunion owned all of the franchises of United League Baseball, including the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings, Amarillo Dillas, San Angelo Colts, Laredo Broncos, Edinburg Roadrunners, and Coastal Bend Thunder. The group was also part of a partnership to build a proposed 10,000 seat baseball stadium to house an expansion team to begin play in 2010 in Dallas, Texas but this proposal never came to fruition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie Mahoney</span> Baseball player

Emily Marie Mahoney was an outfielder who played from 1947 through 1948 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 3" (1.60 m), 135 lb. (61 k), she batted and threw right-handed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Dallas</span>

The city of Dallas and the Dallas metropolitan division is home to teams in six major sports: the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, FC Dallas, and Dallas Wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rio Grande Valley FC Toros</span> Soccer team in Texas, US

Rio Grande Valley FC, also known as RGVFC or Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, is an American professional soccer team based in Edinburg, Texas operated by Lone Star, LLC. They joined the USL Championship in the 2016 season.

The Texas Valley League was a minor league baseball league that played in three different periods. The league was an Independent league from 1901 to 1908 and a Class D level league from 1927 to 1928 and in 1938. In every season of play, the Texas Valley League consisted of teams based exclusively in Texas.

The Beeville Orange Growers was the initial moniker of the minor league baseball teams that were based in Beeville, Texas between 1910 and 1977. The Beeville Orange Growers played exclusively as members of the Southwest Texas League in 1910 and 1911, winning the 1911 league championship. The Beeville "Bees" played in the 1926 Gulf Coast League, with the name revived for the 1976 Gulf States League team. The Beeville "Blaze" played as members of the 1977 Lone Star League.

The Edinburg Bobcats were a minor league baseball franchise based in Edinburg, Texas. In 1926 and 1927, the Bobcats played as members of two Class D level leagues. Edinburg played a partial season in the Gulf Coast League in 1926, winning the league championship and in the 1927 Texas Valley League. The Edinburg Bobcats hosted home minor league home games exclusively at the Edinburg High School Field.

The McAllen Dusters were a minor league baseball franchise based in McAllen, Texas. In 1977, the Dusters played as members of the Class A level Lone Star League, hosting home games at the McAllen High School Field. The Dusters finished last in 1977, which proved to be the final season of the league.

References