Wichita Falls Spudders | |
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Minor league affiliations | |
Class |
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League |
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Major league affiliations | |
Team |
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Minor league titles | |
Dixie Series titles (1) | 1927 |
League titles (2) |
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First-half titles (1) |
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Second-half titles (2) |
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Team data | |
Name |
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Ballpark | Athletic Park |
The Wichita Falls Spudders were a minor league baseball team that formed in 1920 and played its last game in 1957. They were based in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The first Spudders team ran from 1920–1932 and played in the Texas League as an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Browns. In 1927, they won the league championship and the Dixie Series, a postseason interleague championship between the winners of the Southern Association and the Texas League. [1] That team moved to Longview, Texas in 1932 and became the Longview Cannibals. They moved to the Dixie League in 1933 and then the West Dixie League from 1934–1935 and the East Texas League from 1936–1939. They were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox from 1934–1939. The team disbanded after the 1939 season.
A second team, also called the Spudders operated from 1941–1942 in the West Texas–New Mexico League as an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
The Third Spudders team operated from 1947–1954 as part of the Big State League (1937–1953) and Longhorn League (1954). This team was affiliated with the St. Louis Browns (1948–1951), Boston Braves/Milwaukee Braves (1952–1953) and Washington Senators (1954). They moved away and became the Sweetwater Spudders for the 1955 season.
The final Spudders team operated from 1956–1957 in the Big State League as an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers. They disbanded halfway through the 1957 season.
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.
The Atlanta Crackers were Minor League Baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1966.
The Western League was the name of several American sports leagues in Minor League Baseball. This article concentrates on the Western Leagues that operated from 1900 to 1937 and from 1947 to 1958.
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues formed in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Northern League was a name used by several minor league baseball organizations that operated off and on between 1902 and 1971 in the upper midwestern United States and Manitoba, Canada. The name was later used by the independent Northern League from 1993 to 2010.
The Big State League was a mid-level, Class B level circuit in American minor league baseball that played for 11 seasons, from 1947 through 1957. Its member clubs were exclusively based in Texas. The Corpus Christi Clippers (1955-1956), Texarkana Bears and Wichita Falls Spudders each won two league championships.
The Beaumont Exporters was the predominant name of a minor league baseball team located in Beaumont, Texas that played between 1920 and 1957 in the Texas League and the Big State League. Beaumont rejoined the Class AA Texas League (1983-1986) and evolved into today's Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
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.
The Nashville Vols were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963. They were established as charter members of the Southern Association (SA) in 1901. Known as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they became the Nashville Volunteers in 1908. Nashville remained in the Southern Association until the circuit disbanded after the 1961 season. The team sat out the 1962 campaign but returned for a final season in the South Atlantic League (SAL) in 1963 before ceasing operations altogether. Over 62 seasons, the Vols played 9,015 regular-season games and compiled a win–loss record of 4,569–4,446 (.507). They qualified for postseason playoffs on 16 occasions in which they had a record of 108–74–1 (.593). Combining all 9,198 regular-season and postseason games, Nashville's all-time record was 4,677–4,520–1 (.509).
The Shreveport Sports were a professional Minor League Baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the United States. The Sports fielded a team from 1925 to 1935, 1938 to 1942, 1946 to 1957, and 1959 to 1961. They were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox in 1939, 1942, and 1946.
The Longview Cannibals were a semi-pro and minor league baseball team based in Longview, Texas, USA that existed on-and-off from 1895 to 1939. In 1912, they officially joined the professional South Central League. From 1923 to 1926, in 1931 and from 1936 to 1939, they played in the East Texas League. In 1927, they played in the Lone Star League; in 1932, the Texas League; in 1933 the Dixie League; and from 1934 to 1935, the West Dixie League.
The East Texas League was a Texas–based minor league baseball league that existed between 1916 and 1950. The East Texas League played as a Class D level league in 1916 and from 1923 to 1926. The league became a Class C level league from 1936 to 1940, 1946 and 1949 to 1950. The Tyler Trojans and Henderson Oilers each won three league championships.
The Dixie Series was an interleague postseason series between the playoff champions of Minor League Baseball's Southern Association (SA) and Texas League (TL). The best-of-seven series was held at the conclusion of each season from 1920 to 1958, with the exception of 1943 to 1945 due to World War II. It was revived by the Dixie Association for one year in 1967, pitting the Texas League champion against the Southern League (SL) champion.
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 Austin Pioneers were a minor league baseball team based in Austin, Texas from 1947 to 1955. The Pioneers were founding members of the Class B level Big State League, qualifying for the playoffs in five seasons and hosting home games at Disch Field.
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).
The Wichita Indians were a minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas. The "Indians" played as members of the Class A level Western League from 1950 to 1955, winning the 1955 league Championship. The Wichita Indians were an affiliate of the 1950 St. Louis Browns in 1950, Cleveland Indians from 1951 to 1952, St. Louis Browns in 1953 and Baltimore Orioles in 1954 and 1955.
Minor league baseball teams were based in Muskogee, Oklahoma in various seasons between 1905 and 1957. The final team, the Muskogee Giants, played as members of the Western Association (1951–1954) and the Sooner State League (1955–1957). Earlier Muskogee teams played as members of the Missouri Valley League (1905), South Central League (1906), Oklahoma-Arkansas-Kansas League (1907–1908), Western Association (1909–1911), Oklahoma State League (1912), Western Association, Southwestern League (1921–1923), Western Association (1924–1932), Western League (1933), Western Association and Sooner State League (1955–1957). Muskogee never captured a league championship, making league finals on multiple occasions.