Tombstone
Born: 1977 – Lone Star League founding franchise
Folded: 1977
First Game: June 10, 1977 (L 6-3 vs. Victoria Rosebuds)
Last Game: August 27, 1977 (L 4-0 vs. Beeville Blazers)
Lone Star League Championships: None
Stadium
Ownership & Affiliation
Owner: Van Schley
Major League Affiliation: Independent
Attendance
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Source: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (3rd ed.), Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, 2007
Background
The Texas City Stars were an obscure independent minor league baseball team that lasted for only season in the summer of 1977. The Stars were part of the Lone Star League, a Texas-only circuit that played at the Class A level. All six Lone Star League clubs were “independent”, meaning they had no Major League parent club affiliations.
The Stars player-manager was 31-year old Dirty Al Gallagher, who was the 1965 1st round draft choice of the San Francisco Giants. Dirty Al played parts of four seasons in the Majors from 1970 to 1973 and was the only Stars player who had made it to the Big Leagues (or ever would).
The Stars had a record of 35-41 in their only season of play, good for 5th place in the six-team league. The league effectively folded when the first place Corpus Christi Seagulls refused to play in the playoffs for financial reasons.
“Liberation of the Player from the Antiquated Farm System”
The Texas City Stars were the first baseball team investment for owner Van Schley. In May 1977 Schley described the independent baseball philosophy to New West Magazine:
“The Lone Star League is the league of the future, the liberation of the player from the antiquated farm system – the master/slave relationship.”
As the quote prophesied, Schley went on to become one of the leading lights of the independent baseball movement. In the late 1980’s he backed the independent Salt Lake Trappers, playing against affiliated competition in the Pioneer League. Schley’s band of unsigned castoffs won a record 29 straight games and earned a big write up in Sports Illustrated. In 1993, Schley helped form the Northern League and its flagship franchise, the St. Paul Saints. More than 100 of Schley’s independent ball signings later went on to sign contracts with Major League organizations.
Trivia
The Texas City Stars were no-hit in the final game they ever played. Nick Baltz of the visiting Beeville Blazers hurled his complete game no-no at Robinson Stadium on Saturday evening, August 27th, 1977. It was the only nine-inning no-hitter in the Lone Star League’s brief history.
Voices
“The league was a poor-attendance zoo/circus performed in falling-apart ballparks. It was enema baseball… where most of the players could try to get baseball out of their systems.
“The Stars roster was filled largely with players released by Major League teams… guys whose careers had foundered in the minors, like second baseman Steve Verban who’d made it to double-A with the Cubs, Jeff McKay who’d hurled in the Giants system, and the endlessly amusing Rhod “The Stork” Wallace who’d once been a hot prospect in the Angels’ organization. When pressed on several fronts, Gallagher activated himself … both as a position player and as a pitcher.”
-Red Shuttleworth, Coach, 1977 (2014 FWiL Interview)
Downloads
August 1977 Stars vs. Beeville Blazers Program
August 1977 Texas City Stars vs. Beeville Blazers Scorecard
2014 Texas City Stars memories from former coach Red Shuttleworth
Links
Red Shuttleworth has a collection of terrific 35mm color photos of the Stars posted on his blog.
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17 Responses
My father was brought in from Spokane, Washington as General Manager. That was one crazy summer. I spent many hours at the weary ballpark and worked in the concession stands. Bill Murray would show up before batting practice with a grape Nehi in a glass bottle and ask me to bury it in the ice cooler for later. I was 13 and really didn’t know who he was. Each night when he dropped by he’d try to make me laugh. “Gunna make you laugh tonight, little lady,” in his best Carl Spackler voice. Most of the ball players lived in the apartment complex that we did. Definitely a ragtag crew. Wasn’t Red also the team bus driver?
No Les. Red was not the bus driver. I can’t remember the mans name, but the team called him “bussy”. He never left the ballpark for a road trip without his ice chest full of Lone Star beer strapped to the engine compartment right next to him. Also, red was no more of a coach than I was. He was the team trainer, [MD]. and not a very good one at that. I will never forget the team giving him hell when Gary “Thweatt Feet”, very fast man, as dad called him, fouled a ball off his foot, and Red running out to the plate and freezing his shoe with the can of freeze spray. He loved using that stuff.
After all these years I just stumbled on to this site. John, Pugsley Davis. Your comment is absolutely hilarious and spot on. Too funny.
Sorry to burst your bubble Red.
I found my Texas City Stars Mini-Bat today and decided to do a search.
Thank you for sharing your personal stories!
I was happy to find this stat page too. http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=2f576c98
I attended several games as a youngster and remembered Bill Murray stopping by at Robinson Stadium. Found a couple more articles on Murray and comments from Red.
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a-bit-outside/story/bill-murray-snl-40th-anniversary-grays-harbor-loggers-1978-021515
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/10/28/baseballs-oddballs/7ca1c500-a18e-4640-a87e-83f258add349/
The bus driver for the Texas City Stars was Tommy Martin… a sometimes gospel singer who reputedly had also been a driver for Waylon Jennings.
I was NOT a trainer for the Stars. I was –as can be verified by manager Al Gallagher– the bullpen coach and by our 1b/OF Rhod “Stork” Wallace. I never used any can of freeze spray.
The bat boy I remember was a fat obnoxious kid….
Hi Red, I cant recall exactly what role you were designated but you were loved by us all. Except maybe Pugsley. LOL. It was a memorable year of great baseball, fun and shenanigans. Hoping this finds you well.
That was me. Might be why they called me pugsly.
Hey Red, did you happen to catch Jim Gattis coaching the Little League World Series? Quite a few years back, can’t remember the year, but very cool to see him. His son was pitching.
Former T.C Stars—
Remember those times well in ’77…Dirty Al and the crew.Was part of the crew for the first 6 days of pre-season..blew out hamstring but Mr.Davis (GM ) and Dirty Al kept me on as coach / whatever.. Local guy I guess..Enjoyed that summer as much as any in my 61 years in baseball..wow–cant believe ive been in the game that long..Scouting now for KC Royals on pro side..Used to run into Jeff McKay years ago ( he also scouted)..Van Schley and Bill Murray are true baseball GUYS
They just love the game..Loved coaching third base when Dirty Al was playing..Still in Texas–love the 85 * weather in Oct… Thanks to Red for keeping the Lone Star history a baseball memory..Still have a cap-helmet-poster from our nickel beer ( yes 5 cents) at Robinson Stadium..
See ya later Ron T..—-“Semi”” ????????
Unique time with unique team and special teammates, manager and owner. We had fun and came to get it done. As crazy as our off the field antics were, when the bell rang we were there to battle and win. Our Texas City fan base were as special as all involved on and off the field. Our move the next year to Grays Harbor just added to loads of great memories.
I used to be the bat boy on the visiting team.
I remember Bill Murraybeing at the games.
I remember my dad and uncle going to the games. Bill Murray was coming up the stand with a beer. My dad said” Hey Bill where’s our beer?” Bill Murray actually has went back down and came up with a beer for my dad and Uncle. We lived in Texas City for many many years.
Thanks for sharing, Gina. That’s a great story. Bill Murray was/is a friend of Texas City Stars owner Van Schley for decades and they invested in a number of minor league teams together up through the 2000’s. Interesting to hear that they were hanging out as early as the Texas City days. I worked as the General Manager of a team owned by Van (and also Bill) in Brockton, Massachusetts in 2006 and 2007. I loved working for Van and the couple of experiences I had with Bill coming to town were always great.
Andrew Crossley
Editor
FunWhileItLasted.net
I was 11 years old in ‘77 and grew up in Texas City. Actually lived just a few blocks down 29th Street from Robinson Stadium . I was lucky enough to go to a few Stars game that summer. Great memories.
Just stumbled across this article. I was hired by the Stars as a teenager to help market the team to local TC-LM business – visit local businesses and try to get them to put up a Stars poster in their window and buy tickets to give away or for their employees. Some liked the idea of having a local team, others thought it was sorta dumb. Didn’t make any money from that job, but it was fun and learned a lot. Crazy experience.