Texas-Louisiana League (1998-2000)
Tombstone
Born:
Died: Postseason 2000
First Game:
Last Game:
Texas-Louisiana League Championships: None
Stadium
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners: Texas-Louisiana League (Byron Pierce, Horn Chen, et al.)
Major League Affiliation: Independent
Attendance
Background
The Bayou Bullfrogs were an independent professional baseball team that played for three seasons in Lafayette, Louisiana. The team was alternately referred to as the “Lafayette Bullfrogs” and the “Lafayette Bayou Bullfrogs” in various press accounts at the time. The Bullfrogs played at Tigue Moore Field, home of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Ragin’ Cajuns baseball program.
The Bullfrogs were part of the Texas-Louisiana League, a centrally-owned and operated independent circuit founded in 1994. Decisions concerning the Bullfrogs were made at the league office, as T-L League clubs had neither local ownership nor Major League parent clubs.
Debut Season Turmoil
The Bullfrogs endured a rocky first season in 1998. The league hired Andy Skeels, a 32-year old veteran of 11 minor league campaigns, to manage the club. T-L League officials fired Skeels 33 games into the season. In Skeels’ view, he was fired for speaking out about grim working conditions in Lafayette. Bullfrogs players supported Skeels. They posted an open letter to the media publicizing their complaints about T-L League management and considered striking in support of their deposed leader. A few weeks after the dispute, the players’ most outspoken protester, former LSU shortstop Scott Bethea, bumped an umpire during an argument. League officials suspended Bethea for the rest of the 1998 season under the pretense that it was his second ump-bump incident of the season.
Notable Players
Lafayette native and resident Ron Guidry, the 1978 American League Cy Young Award winner with the New York Yankees, served as the Bullfrogs part-time pitching coach during the 1998 season. He did not travel with the team for road trips.
Three former Major League pitchers suited up for the Bullfrogs over the years. 34-year old Gary Eave and 29-year old Donny Elliott pitched for the club in 1998. Former LSU star Barry Manuel, who pitched parts of five seasons in the Majors, led the Bullfrogs staff with 53 appearances and 16 saves in 2000.
No Bullfrogs players ever advanced to the Majors after leaving Lafayette.
Demise
The Bullfrogs had a losing record in all three seasons of play and did not return for the T-L League’s final season of play in 2001. The Texas-Louisiana League changed its name to the Central Baseball League in 2002. The league disbanded after the 1995 season.
