West Texas League

Last updated
West Texas League
Classification Class D (1920–1922, 1928–1929)
Sport Minor League Baseball
Inaugural season1920
Ceased1929
PresidentWalter Morris (1920–1921)
Gordon W. Northern (1922)
Lloyd B. Thomas (1922)
J. McCallister Stevenson (1928)
E.E. Lowrie (1928)
D.L. Snodgrass (1929)
No. of teams17
Country United States of America
Most titles1
Abilene Eagles (1920)
Sweetwater Swatters (1921)
Amarillo Gassers (1922)
San Angelo Red Snappers (1928)
Midland Colts (1929)
Related
competitions
Panhandle-Pecos Valley League

The West Texas League was a Class D level minor league baseball league that existed from 1920 to 1922 and from 1928 to 1929.

Contents

1920-1922

The following teams played in 1920: Abilene Eagles, Ranger Nitros, Mineral Wells Resorters, Cisco Scouts, Gorman Buddies/Sweetwater Swatters and Eastland Judges.

The Abilene Eagles beat the Ranger Nitros in the playoffs to win the league championship. [1]

For the 1921 season, the Swatters, Eagles, Resorters, Nitros and Scouts returned to the league. The Resorters moved to Ballinger to become the Ballinger Bearcats. The Cisco Scouts changed their name to the Cisco Orphans. The Eastland Judges left the league and a new team, the San Angelo Bronchos, joined. The Abilene Eagles won their second championship in a row, beating the Swatters. [1]

There were multiple new teams in 1922: the Amarillo Gassers, Lubbock Hubbers, Clovis Buzzers and Stamford Colonels. No team represented Ballinger, Cisco or Mineral Wells. Amarillo won the league championship, beating the Buzzers.[ citation needed ]

The league ceased play following the 1922 season.

1928-1929

The league began play again in 1928, lasting until 1929. The following teams played in 1928: San Angelo Red Snappers, Coleman Bobcats, Abilene Aces, Midland Colts, Lubbock Hubbers and Hamlin Pied Pipers/Big Spring Springers.

The Lubbock Hubbers were the only returning team from the 1922 season. The Red Snappers beat the Aces to take the league championship.

New teams for the 1929 season included the San Angelo Sheep Herders and Big Spring Cowboys. The Ballinger Bearcats returned to the league. Coleman won the league championship.

Cities represented

Standings & statistics

1920 West Texas League schedule

Team StandingsWLPCTGBManagers
Abilene Eagles 7050.583--Bugs Young / Ed Kizziar
Ranger Nitros 6660.5247.0 Jim Galloway
Mineral Wells Resorters 6060.50010.0 Charley Stis / Bill Burns
Cisco Scouts 5561.47413.0Jack York / Tom Carson
Gorman Buddies / Sweetwater Swatters 5158.46713.5Bert Hise
Eastland Judges 5467.44616.5Jimmy Maloney

Gorman (36–44) moved to Sweetwater August 7, first home game August 15.
Playoff: Abilene 4 games, Ranger 3.[ citation needed ]

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Jim Galloway RangerBA.341Henry MeadeMineral WellsW20
Charles GressettGorm/SweetRuns77John KolzelnickCiscoS0200
Joe Bratcher Cisco/EastHits126Carl HillAbilenePCT.778 14–4
Jim Galloway RangerHR9[ citation needed ]

1921 West Texas League schedule

Team StandingsWLPCTGBManagers
Sweetwater Swatters 7255.567-- Pop-Boy Smith / Earl Fleharty
Abilene Eagles 7057.5512.0Grady White / Hub Northen
San Angelo Bronchos 6959.5392.5Luke Robinson
Mineral Wells Resorters /
Ballinger Bearcats
5772.44215.5 Roy Brashear / Vernon Brown /
Albert Briscoe / Jim Flagg / Pop-Boy Smith
Ranger Nitros 3743.463NA Fletcher "Sled" Allen
Cisco Scouts 2747.365NAJoshua L. Billings / Jimmy Flagg

Mineral Wells moved to Ballinger May 20; Cisco disbanded July 6; Ranger disbanded July 9
Playoffs: Sweetwater defeated San Angelo in a one game playoff for the first half title
Finals: Abilene 4 games, Sweetwater 2.[ citation needed ]

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Sam Langford Min Wel/BalBA.381Murray RichburgSweetwaterW31
Warwick ComstockAbileneRuns93Murray Richburg]SweetwaterS0226
Sam Langford Min Wel/BalHits166Murray RichburgSweetwaterPct.721 31–12
Ed ConkriteSan AngeloHR17[ citation needed ]

1922 West Texas League schedule

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Amarillo Gassers 8652.623--Billy Smith / Jack Meanor
Lubbock Hubbers 7956.5855.5 Sled Allen
Clovis Buzzers 7557.5688.0 Dutch Wetzel
Sweetwater Swatters 6272.46322.0 Pop-Boy Smith
Abilene Eagles 6172.45922.5Charles Anderson
San Angelo Bronchos 6173.45523.0Walt Alexander / Luke Robinson
Stamford Colonels 5676.42427.0Tom Price / Poston Baker
Ranger Nitros 5678.41828.0Bob Allen / Joe Clayton

Playoff: Amarillo 5 games, Clovis 1.[ citation needed ]

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Tom PyleRangerBA.377F. J. SmithAmarilloW21
John KingLubbock/AbilineRuns116F.J SmithAmarilloS0223
Tom PyleRangerHits183Jim SewellClovisPCT.778 14–4
Sam Langford LubbockHR21[ citation needed ]

1928 West Texas League schedule 1st half - 2nd half

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
San Angelo Red Snappers 6947.595-- Red Snapp
Coleman Bobcats 6749.5782.0Bob Couchman
Abilene Aces 6154.5307.5Les Tullos / Carl Williams
Midland Colts 5264.44817.0Curley Maloney / Snipe Conley
Lubbock Hubbers 4863.43218.5Bennie Brownlow / Ray Hill
Hamlin Pied Pipers /
Big Spring Springers
4666.41121.0Army Magness /
Poston Baker / J.L. Thornton

Hamlin moved to Big Spring July 3.
Playoff: San Angelo 3 games, Abilene 2.[ citation needed ]

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Bob SanguinetteMidlandBA.394Jubilo ClementsSan AngeloW20
Garland OrrAbileneRuns121J.H. "Hokey" GarciaSan AngeloS0178
Garland OrrAbileneHits171Clarence WilliamsSan AngeloPCT.737 14–5
Bob SanguinetteMidlandHR35[ citation needed ]

1929 West Texas League schedule

Team standingsWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Midland Colts 6752.563--14,687Kal Segrist, Sr. / John King
Coleman Bobcats 6256.5254.512,922Honus Mitze / Jack Holloway
Ballinger Bearcats 6256.5254.517,632Bill Bean / Ray Hill
San Angelo Sheep Herders 5561.47410.515,288Walt Alexander
Abilene Aces 5564.46212.07,604Carl Williams
Big Spring Cowboys 5466.45013.515,288Jim Payne /
Ralph Rose / Nick Carter

Playoff: Coleman 3 games, Midland 3. Coleman won the title when Midland failed to appear for the seventh game.[ citation needed ]

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Ed Kallina MidlandBA.433Jimmie ParkerBallingerW18
Julian FlowersMidlandRuns136 Gene Moore MidlandS0147
Ed Kallina MidlandHits159Tom VaughnBallingerERA2.11
Ed Kallina MidlandHR44T. BakerMidlandPCT.867 13–2[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

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

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

West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Angelo Regional Airport</span> Airport in San Angelo, Texas

San Angelo Regional Airport, serves San Angelo, in Tom Green County, Texas, United States. The airport covers 1,503 acres (608 ha) and has three runways. It has free parking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTXS-TV</span> ABC/CW affiliate in Sweetwater, Texas

KTXS-TV is a television station licensed to Sweetwater, Texas, United States, serving the Abilene area as an affiliate of ABC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside low-power Comet affiliate KTES-LD. Both stations share studios on North Clack Street in Abilene, while KTXS-TV's transmitter is located near Trent, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Tech University System</span>

The Texas Tech University System is a state university system in Texas consisting of five universities in the state of Texas, of which three are general-academic universities, Texas Tech University, Angelo State University and Midwestern State University, and two health-related institutions, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, the Texas Tech University System is a $2.5 billion enterprise focused on advancing higher education, health care, research and outreach with approximately 21,000 employees, more than 63,000 students, nearly 370,000 alumni and an endowment valued at $1.7 billion. In its short history, the TTU System has grown tremendously and is nationally acclaimed, operating at 24 academic locations statewide and internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of San Angelo</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Texas, USA

The Diocese of San Angelo is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church covering 29 counties throughout Central and West Texas. It was founded on October 16, 1961. The Diocese of San Angelo is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area code 325</span> Area code in west-central Texas, United States

North American area code 325 is a state of Texas area code for telephone numbers in the Abilene and San Angelo areas. It was created, along with area code 432, on April 5, 2003, in a split from area code 915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Essair Airways</span>

Essair was incorporated in 1939, the first airline authorized by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to fly as a "local service" air carrier in the United States. It changed its name to Pioneer Air Lines in 1946 and served destinations in New Mexico and Texas. Pioneer and was acquired by and merged into Continental Airlines in 1955.

The West Texas–New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955, with a hiatus from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. The league started as a Class D level league, upgraded to Class C in 1946 and then a final advancement to Class B level status in 1955. League franchises were based exclusively in New Mexico and Texas.

Central High School is a public high school in San Angelo, Texas. It is part of the San Angelo Independent School District. The school serves grades 10–12, with a secondary campus for 9th grade. The secondary campus was incorporated as one school two campuses 2020-2021 school year. Its mascot is the Bobcat. The school serves much of San Angelo and the unincorporated community of Tankersley.

Texas Leadership Charter Academy (TLCA) has Charter school locations in San Angelo, Midland, Arlington, and Abilene. TLCA was approved to become a charter school in November 2008, and was established in August 2009. The TLCA mascot is the Eagle. The school colors are Carolina blue, black, and white.

The Longhorn League was the name of a Minor league baseball circuit that operated from 1947 through 1955 in the Southwestern United States. In 1956, it was renamed the Southwestern League and operated through 1957 before changing its name to the Sophomore League. Joe Bauman hit 72 home runs in 1954 to set the minor league record, while playing for the Roswell Rockets.

The Midland Indians were a minor league baseball team based in Midland, Texas. Between 1937 and 1959, Midland teams played as members of West Texas-New Mexico League (1937–1940), Longhorn League (1947–1955), Southwestern League (1956–1957) and Sophomore League (1958–1959), while hosting minor league games at City Park and then Christensen Stadium. Midland teams played as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals (1937–1938), Milwaukee Braves (1958–1959) and Washington Senators (1957).

The Panhandle–Pecos Valley League was a minor league baseball league that played in the 1923 season. The Class D level Panhandle–Pecos Valley League featured four teams based in New Mexico and Texas. The league permanently folded during its first season of play, with the Lubbock Hubbers capturing the only championship of the short–lived league.

Minor league baseball teams were based in Roswell, New Mexico in various seasons between 1923 and 1959, before resuming play in 2011. Roswell teams played as members of the Panhandle-Pecos Valley League in 1923, West Texas–New Mexico League in 1937, Longhorn League from 1949 to 1955, Southwestern League in 1956, Sophomore League in 1959 and Pecos League from 2011 to present. The 1959 Roswell Pirates were a minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rosewll hosted home games at League Park in 1937 and Fair Park Stadium.

References

  1. 1 2 "Minor League Baseball article".