Big State League
Encyclopedia
The Big State League was a mid-level, Class B circuit in American
minor league baseball
that played for 11 seasons, from 1947 through 1957. Its member clubs were exclusively based in Texas
. It saw a lot of transition in its 11-year lifetime, with no team serving as a member in every single season. Waco came the closest, serving from 1947-1956. The league was known as an offense-oriented circuit.
The league debuted at the height of the short-lived postwar
minor league baseball boom, in 1947
, with eight clubs, all unaffiliated with Major League Baseball
farm systems. Two clubs, Texarkana
and Greenville
, won more than 100 games, and four league members exceeded 100,000 in attendance. But beginning in 1953
, the Big State League's teams struggled to reach six figures in that category. Only Corpus Christi
drew over the 100,000 mark during the league's final five seasons, doing so on two occasions. The league was further weakened when a traditionally strong member, Austin
, moved up to the AA Texas League
in 1956
.
The league began the 1957
campaign with only six clubs, and its ranks were reduced to four when Wichita Falls
disbanded in May, while the Port Arthur
team moved to Temple
that same month before folding in August. Of the surviving teams, Victoria
, a Brooklyn Dodgers
farm team, outlasted Corpus Christi, Beaumont
and Abilene
to win the league's last pennant and playoff championship.
J. Walter Morris served as League President from 1947 through 1950,
Howard Green, took over from 1951 through 1955 and Hal Sayles was in
charge the final two years, 1956-57.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
that played for 11 seasons, from 1947 through 1957. Its member clubs were exclusively based in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It saw a lot of transition in its 11-year lifetime, with no team serving as a member in every single season. Waco came the closest, serving from 1947-1956. The league was known as an offense-oriented circuit.
The league debuted at the height of the short-lived postwar
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
minor league baseball boom, in 1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
, with eight clubs, all unaffiliated with Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
farm systems. Two clubs, Texarkana
Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue...
and Greenville
Greenville, Texas
Greenville is the county seat, and the largest city, of Hunt County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,557....
, won more than 100 games, and four league members exceeded 100,000 in attendance. But beginning in 1953
1953 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 14 at Crosley Field: National League, 5-1-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce *College World Series: Michigan...
, the Big State League's teams struggled to reach six figures in that category. Only Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
drew over the 100,000 mark during the league's final five seasons, doing so on two occasions. The league was further weakened when a traditionally strong member, Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, moved up to the AA Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
in 1956
1956 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers ; Don Larsen, MVP*All-Star Game, July 10 at Griffith Stadium: National League, 7-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cienfuegos *College World Series: Minnesota...
.
The league began the 1957
1957 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees ; Lew Burdette, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Busch Stadium: American League, 6-5-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: California...
campaign with only six clubs, and its ranks were reduced to four when Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
disbanded in May, while the Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
team moved to Temple
Temple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
that same month before folding in August. Of the surviving teams, Victoria
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
, a Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
farm team, outlasted Corpus Christi, Beaumont
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
and Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
to win the league's last pennant and playoff championship.
J. Walter Morris served as League President from 1947 through 1950,
Howard Green, took over from 1951 through 1955 and Hal Sayles was in
charge the final two years, 1956-57.
Cities Represented
- Abilene, TX Abilene Blue SoxAbilene Blue SoxThe Abilene Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team that operated in the West Texas-New Mexico League from 1946-1955 and the Big State League from 1956-1957. The Abilene Blue Sox are considered to be in the top 100 Minor League Baseball teams of all-time. They were an affiliate of the Brooklyn...
1956-1957, moved from West Texas-New Mexico LeagueWest Texas-New Mexico LeagueThe West Texas-New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955. The league was not active in 1943-1945 because of World War II...
1946-1955 - Austin, TX Austin Pioneers 1947-1955
- Beaumont, TX Beaumont Exporters or Beaumont Shippers (depending on source) 1956; Beaumont Pirates 1957
- Bryan, TX Bryan Majors 1953; Bryan Indians 1954
- Corpus Christi, TX Corpus Christi Clippers 1954-1957
- Del Rio, TX Del Rio Indians 1954
- Gainesville, TX Gainesville OwlsGainesville OwlsThe Gainesville Owls were a Big State League and Sooner State League baseball team based in Gainesville, Texas, USA. They were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs from 1953 to 1955....
1947-1951 - Galveston, TX Galveston White Caps 1954-1955, moved from Gulf Coast LeagueGulf Coast LeagueThe Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
1950-1953 - Greenville, TX Greenville Majors 1947-1950, moved from East Texas LeagueEast Texas LeagueThe East Texas League was a Texas-based league in minor league baseball that existed on-and-off from 1916 to 1950.-1916:In 1916, the first East Texas League began play. A Class-D league, it folded on July 19 of that season. The "league champions," by default, were the Palestine Athletics and Lufkin...
1946; Greenville Majors 1953 - Harlingen, TX Harlingen Capitals 1954-1955, moved from Gulf Coast LeagueGulf Coast LeagueThe Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
1951-1953 and Rio Grande Valley League 1950 - Longview, TX Longview CherokeesLongview CherokeesThe Longview Cherokees were a Big State League baseball team based in Longview, Texas that existed in 1952. They went 71-76 in their only year of existence.Clem Hausmann and Andy Anderson played for them....
1952-1953 - Lubbock, TX Lubbock HubbersLubbock HubbersThe Lubbock Hubbers were a minor league baseball team based in Lubbock, Texas, USA that existed on-and-off from 1922 to 1956. They played in the West Texas League , Panhandle-Pecos Valley League , West Texas-New Mexico League and Big State League...
1956, moved from West Texas-New Mexico LeagueWest Texas-New Mexico LeagueThe West Texas-New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955. The league was not active in 1943-1945 because of World War II...
1938-1942, 1946–1955 - Paris, TX Paris Red Peppers 1947, moved from East Texas LeagueEast Texas LeagueThe East Texas League was a Texas-based league in minor league baseball that existed on-and-off from 1916 to 1950.-1916:In 1916, the first East Texas League began play. A Class-D league, it folded on July 19 of that season. The "league champions," by default, were the Palestine Athletics and Lufkin...
1946; Paris Panthers 1948; Paris Indians 1952-1953 - Port Arthur, TX Port Arthur Sea HawksPort Arthur Sea HawksThe Port Arthur Sea Hawks were a Gulf Coast League , Evangeline League and Big State League baseball team based in Port Arthur, Texas, USA...
1955-1956, moved from Evangeline League 1954 and Gulf Coast LeagueGulf Coast LeagueThe Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
1950-1953; Port Arthur Redlegs 1957 - Sherman, TX and Denison, TX Sherman-Denison Twins 1947-1951
- Temple, TX Temple Eagles 1949-1954; Temple Redlegs 1957
- Texarkana, TX Texarkana Bears 1947-1953, moved from East Texas LeagueEast Texas LeagueThe East Texas League was a Texas-based league in minor league baseball that existed on-and-off from 1916 to 1950.-1916:In 1916, the first East Texas League began play. A Class-D league, it folded on July 19 of that season. The "league champions," by default, were the Palestine Athletics and Lufkin...
1946 - Texas City, TX Texas City Hubbers 1955; Texas City Exporters 1956
- Tyler, TX Tyler East Texans 1951-1953; Tyler Tigers 1954-1955
- Victoria, TX Victoria Eagles 1956; Victoria RosebudsVictoria RosebudsThe Victoria Rosebuds were a minor league baseball team in the Double-A Texas League located in Victoria, Texas, between 1958 and May 27, 1961, when the club was transferred to Ardmore, Oklahoma, because of attendance woes. Club owner Tom O'Connor, Jr., a local rancher, suffered a heart attack in...
1957, moved to Texas LeagueTexas LeagueThe Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
1958-1961 - Waco, TX Waco Dons 1947; Waco Pirates 1948-1953, 1954–1956
- Wichita Falls, TX Wichita Falls SpuddersWichita Falls SpuddersThe 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....
1947-1953, moved to Longhorn LeagueLonghorn LeagueThe Longhorn League was the name of a Minor league baseball circuit that operated from through in the Southwestern United States. In , it was renamed the Southwestern League and operated through before changing its name to the Sophomore League....
1954; Wichita Falls SpuddersWichita Falls SpuddersThe 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....
1956-1957