Tombstone
Formed: February 9, 19581ASSOCIATED PRESS. “New WT-NM League Forms.” The Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, TX). February 10, 1958
Disbanded: January 10, 19622UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL. “3-Year Old Class D Sophomore League Folds.” The Daily News (Galveston, TX). January 11, 1962
Level: Class D
First Game: April 28, 1958
Last Game: August 29, 1961
Seasons: 4
States & Provinces: 2
(New Mexico & Texas)
Leadership
Trophy Case
Background
The Sophomore League was a low-level (Class D) minor league loop that operated in West Texas and New Mexico from 1958 to 1961.
The Sophomore League fielded six clubs during its final season in the summer of 1961. After the season, the Albuquerque Dukes and the El Paso Sun Kings defected to the Class AA Texas League. Reduced to just four teams, the final nail in the league’s coffin came when the Pittsburgh Pirates declined to renew their working agreement with the Hobbs, New Mexico ball club in late 1961. The league officially shuttered in January 1962.
Sophomore League Franchise List
| Franchise | Years Active | League Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque Dukes | 1960-1961 | None |
| Alpine Cowboys | 1959-1961 | 1959 |
| Artesia Dodgers | 1961 | None |
| Artesia Giants | 1958-1960 | None |
| Carlsbad Potashers | 1958-1961 | None |
| El Paso Sun Kings | 1961 | None |
| Hobbs Cardinals | 1958-1959 | None |
| Hobbs Pirates | 1960-1961 | 1960-1961 |
| Midland Braves | 1958-1959 | 1958 |
| Plainview A's | 1958-1959 | None |
| Roswell Pirates | 1959 | None |
| San Angelo Pirates | 1958-1959 | None |
Sophomore League Shop
Contains Affiliate Links
Bush League Boys: The Postwar Legends of Baseball in the American Southwest
by Toby Smith
