Milestones
Formed: January 22, 18881Baseball Contracts, The Bridgeport Morning News, Jan. 23, 1888
Status: Active
Level: Double-A
First Games: April 1, 18882Stray Bits, The St. Joseph Daily Gazette, Apr. 2, 1888
Seasons: 131 (as of 2026)
States: AR, KS, MO, NM, LA, MS, OK, TN, TX
Leadership
Trophy Case
Background
The Texas League has been operating steadily since 1902. It started in 1888 with teams in Austin, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Galveston, Houston, and San Antonio.3Baseball Contracts, The Bridgeport Morning News, Jan. 23, 1888
At the beginning, it was a rocky road for baseball in the Lone Star State. By the end of July, Dallas, Galveston, Houston, and San Antonio along with New Orleans and Birmingham from the Southern League, formed a new loop called the Southern Texas League.4As The Season Ages, The Daily True American, Jul. 27, 18885
It was back to being called the Texas League in 1889 and played for two more seasons. It did not operate in 1891 but returned in 1982, before taking another break. It returned in 1895 for five seasons before ceasing once again for 1900 and 1901. In 1902, the league started back up and has never looked back.
It was
MORE TO COME
Texas League Franchise List
| Franchise | Years Active | League Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque Dodgers | 1965-1971 | 1965-1967-1970 |
| Albuquerque Dukes | 1962-1964 | None |
| Alexandria Aces | 1972-1975 | None |
| Amarillo Giants | 1968-1974 | None |
| Amarillo Gold Sox | 1959-1963 | None |
| Amarillo Gold Sox | 1976-1982 | 1976 |
| Amarillo Sod Poodles | 2019-Present | 2019-2023 |
| Amarillo Sonics | 1965-1967 | None |
| Ardmore Rosebuds | 1961 | None |
| Ardmore Territorians | 1904 | None |
| Arkansas Travelers | 1966-Present | 1971-1977-1979-1980-1989-2001-2008-2024 |
| Austin Braves | 1965-1967 | 1966 |
| Austin Senators | 1888-1890 & 1897-1899 | None |
| Austin Senators | 1905 & 1907-1908 & 1911-1914 | 1907-1911 |
| Austin Senators | 1956-1964 | 1959 |
| Beaumont Exporters | 1920-1942 & 1946-1949 | 1932-1938 |
| Beaumont Exporters | 1953-1955 | None |
| Beaumont Golden Gators | 1983-1986 | 1983 |
| Beaumont Oilers | 1912-1917 & 1919 | None |
| Beaumont Roughnecks | 1950-1952 | None |
| Cleburne Railroaders | 1906 | 1906 |
| Corpus Christi Giants | 1958-1959 | 1958 |
| Corpus Christi Hooks | 2005-Present | 2006 |
| Corsicana Oil Citys | 1902-1904 | 1902-1904 |
| Corsicana Oilers | 1905 | None |
| Dallas Colts | 1898 | 1898 |
| Dallas Eagles | 1948-1957 | 1953 |
| Dallas Giants | 1903-1918 | 1903-1910 (Co-Champions)-1917-1918 |
| Dallas Griffins | 1902 | None |
| Dallas Hams | 1888 & 1890 & 1892 | 1888 |
| Dallas Marines | 1919 | None |
| Dallas Rangers | 1958 | None |
| Dallas Rebels | 1939-1942 & 1946-1947 | 1941-1946 |
| Dallas Steers | 1897 | None |
| Dallas Steers | 1922-1938 | 1926-1929 |
| Dallas Submarines | 1920-1921 | None |
| Dallas Tigers | 1889 | None |
| Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs | 1965-1971 | None |
| Denison-Sherman Twins | 1897 | None |
| El Paso Diablos | 1974-2004 | 1978-1986-1994 |
| El Paso Dodgers | 1972 | 1972 |
| El Paso Sun Kings | 1962-1970 & 1973 | 1968 |
| Fort Worth Cats | 1932-1942 & 1946-1958 | 1937-1939-1948 |
| Fort Worth Cats | 1964 | None |
| Fort Worth Panthers | 1888-1890 & 1892 & 1897-1898 & 1902-1931 | 1895-1905-1920-1921-1922-1923-1924-1925-1930 |
| Frisco RoughRiders | 2003-Present | 2004-2022 |
| Galveston Buccaneers | 1931-1937 | 1934 |
| Galveston Giants | 1888 | None |
| Galveston Pirates | 1912-1917 & 1919-1921 | None |
| Galveston Sand Crabs | 1889-1890 & 1892 & 1897-1899 | 1890-1897 (Co-Champions)-1899 |
| Galveston Sand Crabs | 1907-1912 | None |
| Galveston Sand Crabs | 1922-1924 | None |
| Greenville Hunters | 1906 | None |
| Houston Babies | 1888 | None |
| Houston Buffaloes | 1896-1899 | 1896 |
| Houston Buffaloes | 1907-1942 & 1946-1958 | 1909-1910 (Co-Champions)-1912-1913-1914 (Co-Champions)-1928-1931-1940-1947-1951-1954-1956-1957 |
| Houston Mud Cats | 1889-1890 & 1892 | 1889-1892 |
| Houston Red Stockings | 1888 | None |
| Jackson Generals | 1991-1999 | 1993-1996 |
| Jackson Mets | 1975-1990 | 1981-1984-1985 |
| Lafayette Drillers | 1975-1976 | 1975 (Co-Champions) |
| Longview Cannibals | 1932 | None |
| Memphis Blues | 1968-1973 | 1969-1973 |
| Midland Angels | 1985-1998 | None |
| Midland Cubs | 1972-1984 | 1975 (Co-Champions) |
| Midland RockHounds | 1999-Present | 2005-2009-2014-2015-2016-2017 |
| Northwest Arkansas Naturals | 2008-Present | 2010-2021 |
| Oklahoma City Indians | 1909-1911 | None |
| Oklahoma City Indians | 1933-1942 & 1946-1957 | 1935 |
| Paris Eisenfelder's Homeseekers | 1902 | None |
| Paris Midlands | 1897 | None |
| Paris Parasites | 1903-1904 | None |
| Rio Grande Valley Giants | 1960-1961 | None |
| Round Rock Express | 2000-2004 | 2000 |
| San Antonio Bears | 1920-1928 | None |
| San Antonio Brewers | 1972-1976 | None |
| San Antonio Bronchos | 1899 | None |
| San Antonio Bronchos | 1907-1919 | 1908 |
| San Antonio Bullets | 1963-1964 | 1964 |
| San Antonio Cowboys | 1888 | None |
| San Antonio Dodgers | 1977-1987 | None |
| San Antonio Indians | 1929-1932 | None |
| San Antonio Missionaries | 1888 & 1892 & 1897-1898 | 1897 (Co-Champions) |
| San Antonio Missions | 1933-1942 & 1946-1962 | 1933-1950-1961 |
| San Antonio Missions | 1968-1971 | None |
| San Antonio Missions | 1988-2018 | 1997-2002-2003-2007-2011-2013 |
| San Antonio Missions | 2022-Present | None |
| Sherman-Denison Students | 1902 | None |
| Shreveport Braves | 1968-1970 | None |
| Shreveport Captains | 1971-2000 | 1990-1991-1995 |
| Shreveport Gassers | 1915-1924 | 1919 |
| Shreveport Sports | 1925-1932 | None |
| Shreveport Sports | 1938-1942 & 1946-1957 | 1942-1952-1955 |
| Shreveport SwampDragons | 2001-2002 | None |
| Springfield Cardinals | 2005-Present | 2012-2025 |
| Temple Boll Weevils | 1905-1907 | None |
| Texarkana Casketmakers | 1902 | None |
| Tulsa Drillers | 1977-Present | 1982-1988-1998-2018 |
| Tulsa Oilers | 1933-1942 & 1946-1965 | 1936-1949-1960-1962-1963 |
| Tyler Sports | 1932 | None |
| Victoria Giants | 1961 | None |
| Victoria Rosebuds | 1958-1961 | None |
| Victoria Toros | 1974 | 1974 |
| Waco Babies | 1889-1890 | None |
| Waco Cubs | 1925-1930 | None |
| Waco Navigators | 1906-1919 | 1914 (Co-Champions)-1915-1916 |
| Waco Steers | 1903 | None |
| Waco Texans | 1889 | None |
| Waco Tigers | 1892 & 1897 & 1902 & 1905 | None |
| Wichita Pilots | 1987-1988 | 1987 |
| Wichita Wind Surge | 2022-Present | None |
| Wichita Wranglers | 1989-2007 | 1992-1999 |
| Wichita Falls Spudders | 1920-1932 | 1927 |
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2 Responses
It appears that the 1884 Fort Worth team did not have a nickname. They were just referred to as The Fort Worths
Hi there – If you are interested, we’d like to send you a copy of our new book: TED SULLIVAN: BARNACLE OF BASEBALL. Irish-born Sullivan cut a colorful and controversial swath through the Texas League – even claimed to be the Father of the Texas League. Book is set to be released next month on McFarland press/publishers.