Tombstone
Born: 1950 – Re-branded from Beaumont Exporters
Re-Branded: December 1952 (Beaumont Exporters)
First Game:
Last Game:
Texas League Champions: None
Stadium
Ownership & Affiliation
Owner:
Major League Affiliation: New York Yankees
Background
The Southeast Texas port city of Beaumont was a mainstay in the Class AA Texas League for the better part of four decades from 1920 to 1955. For most of this era, the city’s team was known as the ‘Exporters’. The exception was a three-year stretch from 1950 to 1952 when Beaumont’s ballclub was known as the ‘Roughnecks’.
The 1950 Roughnecks club was outstanding. Beaumont won the Texas League pennant with a 91-62 record with National Baseball Hall-of-Famer Rogers Hornsby at the helm as manager. The eventual champion San Antonio Missions upset Beaumont in the first round of the 1950 Texas League playoffs.
Beaumont third baseman Gil McDougald earned Texas League Player-of-the-Year honors for 1950. McDougald won American League Rookie-of-the-Year honors the following summer with the Yankees and went on to win 5 World Series and appear in six Major League All-Star games for New York.
Other notable players to play for Beaumont during the Roughnecks era included future Hall-of-Fame manager Whitey Herzog and pitcher Tom Sturdivant, who both played for the 1952 squad.
After the 1952 season, the Yankees withdrew their affiliation with Beaumont. The club reclaimed the ‘Exporters’ identity in December 1952 via a community Name-The-Team contest.
Beaumont Exporters Shop
Editor's Pick
The Texas League Baseball Almanac
By David King & Tom Kayser
Since forming in 1888, the Texas League has produced some of the most beloved American baseball players and seen more than its fair share of colorful events. In 1931, Houston pitcher Dizzy Dean pitched and won both ends of a double-header in Fort Worth, throwing a three-hit shutout in the second game. In 1906, center fielder Tris Speaker pitched for Cleburne to beat Temple 10-3. In 1998, Arkansas’ Tyrone Horne hit for the “homer cycle” in San Antonio, finishing to a standing ovation. “The Texas League Baseball Almanac” delivers day by day the record-breaking events, personal triumphs and memorable games that helped to shape baseball in the region. Join authors David King and Tom Kayser on a nine-inning trip down one of minor-league baseball’s most historic institutions, both in season and off.
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4 Responses
Beaumont Exporters won championships in 1932 and 1938 as the prime affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. From 1930 until 1942 they were in the playoffs almost every season.
The Beaumont Golden Gators won another Texas league championship for Beaumont in 1983 as the AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The city has a rich pro baseball past with several Major League hall of fame residents having played here.
enjoyed going to Exporter games in 1953-1955 in the Texas league mostly with one of my cousins. upon losing our texas league team after 4 decades we joined the class b big state league for the remaining 2 years of that circuit. when that league went defunct the stadium was sold and demolished in 1958. as a teenger by then, it really hurt to see that stadium go.
I am sure I have a 1950s Rogers Hornsby coach’s bar
Used by him
Has his stamp on knob and cleat marks with knotchs on the knob
Some on top I think was his and some around the outside I think they where my daddy’s after he got the bat
Not sure if he got it in person from Rogers but I believe he may have
He spoke of Rogers when I was a child and told me he had his bat
I found it the other day in a old building my dad had stuffin I
I can put my father in New York in 48and49
And in Beaumont tx in 1950
It’s stamped h117
Reg us patt off
Genuine
Louisville slugger
I think I remember measuring it at 34 and a hair
I’m not sure who should have it or who would want to see it
I know it one day needs to be preserved
My stepfather, Guy Morgan lived just a couple of blocks away from Stuart stadium.And my sister is married to Jerry Hornsby, a great nephew of Hall of Famer Rogers, who managed the Exporters during the 50s. I am personally a huge Texas Rangers fan and look forward to the day they become World Champions.