| File:Texasleague.png Texas League logo | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1902 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country(ies) | USA |
| Most recent champion(s) | Tulsa Drillers (2018) |
| Most titles | Houston Buffaloes (16) |
| Official website | Official website |
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its four South Division teams are actually based in Texas; the four North Division teams are located in surrounding states of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. The league maintains its headquarters in San Antonio.
The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892. It was called the Texas Association in 1895, the Texas-Southern League in 1896 and again as the Texas League from 1897–1899. It 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 League's name is well known due to its association with a particular aspect of the game. A bloop single that drops between the infielders and outfielders has been called a Texas Leaguer since the 1890s, despite no evidence that it originated in the Texas League, or was any more common there than elsewhere.[1] There is a common thread throughout Civil War anecdotes that refer to a game played 30 years earlier in the Sabine Pass area. As the story goes, a Union soldier hit a ball over the outfielder's head, leading him into a long chase for the ball which resulted in a bullet wound from a nearby sniper. After the incident, hits were only awarded for balls that landed between the infielders and outfielders.[citation needed]
Team moves[]
In recent years, the Texas League has witnessed a great deal of change. Teams once known as the Jackson Mets, El Paso Diablos, Shreveport Captains, and Wichita Wranglers have 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 moved to San Antonio to continue on as the Missions at the Triple-A level.[2]
Current teams[]
Current team locations:
| Division | Team | MLB Affiliation | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Arkansas Travelers | Seattle Mariners | North Little Rock, Arkansas | Dickey–Stephens Park | 7,200[3] |
| Northwest Arkansas Naturals | Kansas City Royals | Springdale, Arkansas | Arvest Ballpark | 7,305[4] | |
| Springfield Cardinals | St. Louis Cardinals | Springfield, Missouri | Hammons Field | 10,486[5] | |
| Tulsa Drillers | Los Angeles Dodgers | Tulsa, Oklahoma | ONEOK Field | 7,833[6] | |
| South | Amarillo Sod Poodles | San Diego Padres | Amarillo, Texas | Hodgetown | 6,631[7] |
| Corpus Christi Hooks | Houston Astros | Corpus Christi, Texas | Whataburger Field | 7,050[8] | |
| Frisco RoughRiders | Texas Rangers | Frisco, Texas | Dr Pepper Ballpark | 10,316[9] | |
| Midland RockHounds | Oakland Athletics | Midland, Texas | Security Bank Ballpark | 6,669[10] |
Current team rosters[]
Texas League timeline[]
League members Dixie Association Other Current League Other Defunct League
- In 1971, the Southern League and Texas League were each down to seven teams, so they formed the Dixie Association for one season. They played interlocking schedules but held their own separate playoffs.
Complete list of Texas League teams (1902–present)[]
Current team names are in bold.
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League champions and award winners[]
Hall of fame[]
See also[]
References[]
Sources[]
- Baseball in the Lone Star State: Texas League's Greatest Hits, Tom Kayser and David King, Trinity University Press 2005
Notes[]
- ↑ Popik, Barry. "Barry Popik". http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/texas_leaguer_texas_league_hit. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ↑ "San Antonio to join PCL beginning in 2019". June 21, 2017. https://www.milb.com/pacific-coast/news/san-antonio-to-join-pcl-beginning-in-2019/c-237847412/t-209979204. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ↑ "Dickey-Stephens Park". Arkansas Diamonds: The Ballparks of Arkansas and Their History. Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150505040708/http://ballparks.baseballyakker.com/?page_id=96. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ↑ Bergeron, Angela (2008). "Feature Story - August 2008". Engineering News-Record (McGraw-Hill). Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140227045226/http://southcentral.construction.com/features/archive/2008/0808_feature3.asp. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ↑ Mock, Joe. "Hammons Field in Springfield, Missouri". Baseball Parks. http://www.baseballparks.com/indepth/springfield. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ↑ "ONEOK Field". Tulsa Sports Commission. 2010. http://www.tulsasports.org/general/909/stadiums. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ↑ Reichard, Kevin (April 10, 2019). "Sod Poodles Launch Crowd-Pleasing Ballpark". August Publications. https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/04/10/sod-poodles-launch-crowd-pleasing-ballpark/.
- ↑ Goldberg-Strassler, Jesse (November 19, 2012). "Whataburger Field / Corpus Christi Hooks". Ballpark Digest. http://ballparkdigest.com/201211195865/minor-league-baseball/visits/whataburger-field-corpus-christi-hooks. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ↑ Goldberg-Strassler, Jesse (November 14, 2012). "Dr Pepper Ballpark / Frisco RoughRiders". Ballpark Digest. http://ballparkdigest.com/201211145835/minor-league-baseball/visits/dr-pepper-ballpark-frisco-roughriders. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Security Bank Ballpark". Stadiums USA. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160508150020/http://www.stadiumsusa.com/stadium/Securitybank-ballpark-79706/Midland+Rockhounds+. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
External links[]
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