West Texas–New Mexico League Explained

West Texas–New Mexico League
Sport:Minor League Baseball
President:Milton Price (1937–1942, 1946–1951)
Ray Winkler (1952)
Hal Sayles (1953–1955)
Inaugural:1937
Teams:18
Country:United States of America
Continent:or
Continents:-->
Folded:1955
Most Champs:3
Lubbock Hubbers (1938, 1939, 1947)
Albuquerque Dukes (1949, 1950, 1953)
Pampa Oilers (1946, 1954, 1955)
Classification:Class D (1937–1942)
Class C (1946–1955)
Class B (1955)

The West Texas–New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955, with a hiatus from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. The league started as a Class D level league, upgraded to Class C in 1946 and then a final advancement to Class B level status in 1955. League franchises were based exclusively in New Mexico and Texas.

History

The West Texas–New Mexico League began play in 1937 as a Class D level league, with Milton Price serving as president.[1] The Hobbs Drillers, Midland Cardinals, Monahans Trojans, Odessa Oilers, Roswell Sunshiners and Wink Spudders were the charter members in beginning league play on May 4, 1937.[2] [3]

The Lubbock Hubbers (1938, 1939, 1947), Albuquerque Dukes (1949, 1950, 1953) and Pampa Oilers (1946, 1954, 1955) each won three league championships.[1]

Cities represented

Abilene Apaches 1939; Abilene Blue Sox 1946–1955

Albuquerque Dukes 1942; Albuquerque Dukes 1946–1955, moved to Western League 1956–1958

Amarillo Gold Sox 1939–1942; Amarillo Gold Sox 1946–1955, moved to Western League 1956–1958

Big Spring Barons 1938–1940; Big Spring Bombers 1941; Big Spring Pirates 1942

Borger Gassers 1939–1942, 1946–1954

Clovis Pioneers 1938–1942, 1946–1955, moved to Southwestern League 1956

El Paso Texans 1955, moved to Southwestern League 1956–1957, moved from Arizona–Texas League 1952–1954

Hobbs Drillers 1937; Hobbs Boosters 1938

Lamesa Lobos 1939–1941; Lamesa Dodgers1942; Lamesa Lobos 1946–1952

Lubbock Hubbers 1938–1942, 1946–1955, moved to Big State League 1956–1958

Midland Cardinals 1937–1938; Midland Cowboys 1939–1940

Monahans Trojans 1937

Odessa Oilers 1937, 1940

Pampa Oilers 1939–1942, 1946–1955, moved to Southwestern League 1956–1957

Plainview Ponies 1953–1955, moved to Southwestern League 1956–1957

Roswell Sunshiners1937

Wichita Falls Spudders 1941–1942

Wink Spudders 1937–1938

Standings & statistics

1937 to 1942

1937 West Texas–New Mexico League - https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61517715/1937-west-texas-new-mexico-league/ schedule]

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Wink Spudders6850.576-D.E. Perry / Joe Tate
5562.47012.5Neal Rabe
5564.46213.5Paul Trammel / Charles Bryan
4574.37823.5Ned Pettigrew / Fincher Withers
2817.622NACharles Bryan
4125.621NAWray Query / Joe Davis
Odessa withdrew June 17; Midland withdrew July 9.
Playoffs: Wink 3 games, Hobbs 0: Roswell 3 games, Monahans 2;
Finals: Wink 3 games, Roswell 0.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Robert HoodWinkBA.372Red HayWinkW18
Robert HoodWinkRuns137Marshall ScottRoswellW18
Mel ReistOdes/MonaHits182Gene DevineRoswellSO218
Robert HoodWinkRBI145Red HayWinkERA3.97
Robert HoodWinkHR30Marshall ScottRoswellPCT.750 18-6

1938 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Lubbock Hubbers8049.620-
7158.5509.0William Ratliff
6762.51913.0Fincher Withers
6365.49216.5Joe Tate
5871.45022.0Charlie Barnabee
Hobbs Boosters4882.36932.5Neal Rabe
Playoffs: Lubbock 3 games, Wink 0: Clovis 3 games, Midland 1.
Finals: Lubbock 4 games, Clovis 1.
Total league attendance, 108,342
Player statistics!Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Cecil SmylyHobbsBA.367Ernest NelsonClovisW20
Cecil SmylyHobbsRuns182Jerry BlanchardLubbockSO265
Cecil SmylyHobbsHits194Red RobertsWinkERA3.08
Mal StevensLubbockRBI132George BryanLubbockPCT.688 11-5
Mal StevensLubbockHR31
Jake SuytarMidlandHR31
1939 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule
Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Lubbock Hubbers9048.652-
7859.56911.5
7464.53616.0
6573.47125.0Joe Tate
6275.45327.5Jimmy Kerr/
Charley Smith / Joe Piet
Clovis Pioneers6073.45127.5Dick Ratliff
6176.44528.5Fincher Withers / Charles Bryan
Amarillo Gold Sox5779.41932.0Neal Rabe
Total league attendance, 273,374
Abilene moved to Borger July 9.
Playoffs: Lubbock 3 games, Big Spring 0: Pampa 3 games, Lamesa 2.
Finals: Lubbock 4 games, Pampa 1.
Player Statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Gordon NellPampaBA.392Jodie MarekBig SpringW23
Gordon NellPampaRuns152Howard ParksAbil/BorgSO202
Gordon NellPampaHits207Lee HarrisLubbockERA2.97
Gordon NellPampaRBI189Lee HarrisLubbockPCT.818 18-4
Gordon NellPampaHR44
1940 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule
Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Pampa Oilers8356.601-
8258.5861.5
8159.5792.5
7960.5684.0
7169.50712.5Joe Tate
Midland Cowboys5981.42124.5
Clovis Pioneers5880.42024.5Howard Taylor
4595.32138.5Tony Rego / Stanley Bolton
Total league attendance, 240,679
Big Spring moved to Odessa June 20.
Playoffs: Borger 3 games, Pampa 0: Lubbock 3 games, Amarillo 0.
Finals: Borger 4 games, Lubbock 3.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Edwin SchwedaLubbockBA.422Rex DilbeckPampaW23
Grover SeitzPampaRuns163Willie RamsdellBig Spring/OdessaW23
William ScopetoneBig Spring/BorgerHits217Russell CriderAmarilloSO266
Gordon NellBorgerRBI175Pat RalshLubbockERA3.25
Gordon NellBorgerHR40Pat RalshLubbockPCT.833 20-4
1941 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule
Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Big Spring Bombers9145.669-Joe Tate
8947.6542.0
7658.56714.0
7264.52919.0Claude Jonnard
6178.43931.5
Lamesa Lobos5980.42433.5Sam Scaling
Pampa Oilers5579.41035.0
Wichita Falls Spudders4395.31249.0Sammy Hale / Neal Rabe
Total Attendance, 183,395.
Playoffs: Big Spring 3 games, Amarillo 0: Clovis 3 games, Borger 2.
Finals: Clovis 4 games, Big Spring 3.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Frank HargroveAmarilloBA.388Willie RamsdellBig SpringW25
James HaneyBig SpringRuns143Russell CriderAmarilloSO232
Stuart WilliamsBorgerHits210John McParlandPampaERA2.03
Dutch PratherPam/AmaRBI142Udell MooreBorgerPCT.824 14-3
Gordon NellBorgerHR28
1942 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule
Team StandingsWLPCTGBManagers
Clovis Pioneers5219.732-
4327.6148.5Joe Tate
3829.56712.0
3632.52914.5
3339.45819.5
Lubbock Hubbers3042.41722.5
Albuquerque Dukes2530.455NADixie Howell / E. Miller
Wichita Falls Spudders /
Big Spring Pirates
847.145NA
Wichita Falls moved to Big Spring May 22. The Pirates withdrew June 20.; Albuquerque withdrew June 23.
The league disbanded July 25.
Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot
Frank WarrenBorgerBA.402Kenneth WyattClovisW17
Leroy KoenigLubbockRuns88Kenneth WyattClovisSO129
Vincent CastinoLubbockHits106Kenneth WyattClovisERA2.09
Frank HargroveAmarilloRBI84Kenneth WyattClovisPCT1.000 17-0
Frank HargroveAmarilloHR22
[1]

External links

Sources

The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Second Edition.

Notes and References

  1. Book: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball . Lloyd . Johnson . Miles . Wolff . Third . . 2007 . 978-1932391176.
  2. Web site: 1937 West Texas-New Mexico League. Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. Web site: 1937 West Texas-New Mexico League (WTNML) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com. www.statscrew.com.