List of Texas League champions

The Texas League of Minor League Baseball is a Double-A baseball league in the United States. The circuit was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892. After two years of dormancy, it was revived as the Texas Association in 1895, the Texas-Southern League in 1896, and the Texas League from 1897 to 1899. With the exception of three years during World War II (1943–1945) and one year during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020), the Texas League has been in continual operation since 1902.

A league champion is determined at the end of each season. Champions have been determined by postseason playoffs, winning the regular season pennant, or being declared champion by the league office. From 1952 to 1964, the league recognized both a pennant winner and a playoff winner; they were declared co-champions. For the 2019 season, the first-half and second-half winners within each division (North and South) met in a best-of-five series to determine division champions. Then, the North and South Division winners played a best-of-five series to determine a league champion.[1] In 2021, the Double-A Central held a best-of-five series between the top two teams in the league, regardless of division standings, to determine a league champion.[2] As of 2022, the winners of each division from both the first and second halves of the season meet in a best-of-three division series, with the winners of the two division series meeting in a best-of-three championship series.[3]

The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[4] and the league ceased operations before the 2021 season in conjunction with Major League Baseball's (MLB) reorganization of Minor League Baseball.[5] In place of the Texas League, MLB created the Double-A Central, which was divided into two divisions.[6] Prior to the 2022 season, MLB renamed the Double-A Central as the Texas League, and it carried on the history of the league prior to reorganization.[7]

Key

[edit]
^
Indicates pennant winner (1952–1964, 1966)
Indicates playoff winner (1952–1964, 1966)
Indicates pennant and playoff winner (1952–1964, 1966)

League champions

[edit]
Score and finalist information is presented when postseason play occurred. The lack of this information indicates a league champion by virtue of finishing the season in first place or missing information.
Year Champion Score Finalist
1888 Dallas Hams
1889 Houston Mud Cats
1890 Galveston Sand Crabs
1891 Not in operation
1892 Houston Mud Cats
1893 Not in operation
1894 Not in operation
1895 Fort Worth Panthers 7–6 Dallas Steers
1896 Houston Buffaloes 5–2 Galveston Sand Crabs
1897[a] Galveston Sand Crabs
San Antonio Bronchos
1898 None awarded
1899 Galveston Sand Crabs
1900 Not in operation
1901 Not in operation
1902 Corsicana Oil Citys
1903 Dallas Giants 7–3 Waco Steers
1904 Corsicana Oil Citys 11–8 Fort Worth Panthers
1905 Fort Worth Panthers
1906 Cleburne Railroaders
1907 Austin Senators
1908 San Antonio Bronchos
1909 Houston Buffaloes
1910[b] Dallas Giants
Houston Buffaloes
1911 Austin Senators
1912 Houston Buffaloes
1913 Houston Buffaloes
1914[c] Waco Navigators
Houston Buffaloes
1915 Waco Navigators
1916 Waco Navigators
1917 Dallas Giants
1918 Dallas Giants
1919 Shreveport Gassers 4–2 Fort Worth Panthers
1920 Fort Worth Panthers
1921 Fort Worth Panthers
1922 Fort Worth Panthers
1923 Fort Worth Panthers
1924 Fort Worth Panthers
1925 Fort Worth Panthers
1926 Dallas Steers
1927 Wichita Falls Spudders
1928 Houston Buffaloes 3–1 Wichita Falls Spudders
1929 Dallas Steers 3–1 Wichita Falls Spudders
1930 Fort Worth Panthers 3–2 Wichita Falls Spudders
1931 Houston Buffaloes
1932 Beaumont Exporters 3–0 Dallas Steers
1933 San Antonio Missions 4–2 Galveston Buccaneers
1934 Galveston Buccaneers 4–2 San Antonio Missions
1935 Oklahoma City Indians 4–1 Beaumont Exporters
1936 Tulsa Oilers 4–3 Dallas Steers
1937 Fort Worth Cats 4–2 Oklahoma City Indians
1938 Beaumont Exporters 4–3 San Antonio Missions
1939 Fort Worth Cats 4–1 Dallas Rebels
1940 Houston Buffaloes 4–1 Oklahoma City Indians
1941 Dallas Rebels 4–2 Tulsa Oilers
1942 Shreveport Sports 4–3 Beaumont Exporters
1943 Not in operation
1944 Not in operation
1945 Not in operation
1946 Dallas Rebels 4–1 Fort Worth Cats
1947 Houston Buffaloes 4–2 Dallas Rebels
1948 Fort Worth Cats 4–2 Tulsa Oilers
1949 Tulsa Oilers 4–3 Fort Worth Cats
1950 San Antonio Missions 4–2 Tulsa Oilers
1951 Houston Buffalos 4–0 San Antonio Missions
1952 Dallas Eagles^
1952 Shreveport Sports 4–1 Oklahoma City Indians
1953 Dallas Eagles 4–1 Tulsa Oilers
1954 Shreveport Sports^
1954 Houston Buffalos 4–1 Fort Worth Cats
1955 Dallas Eagles^
1955 Shreveport Sports 4–3 Houston Buffalos
1956 Houston Buffalos 4–1 Dallas Eagles
1957 Dallas Eagles^
1957 Houston Buffalos 4–3 Dallas Eagles
1958 Fort Worth Cats^
1958 Corpus Christi Giants 4–3 Austin Senators
1959 Victoria Rosebuds^
1959 Austin Senators 3–0 San Antonio Missions
1960 Rio Grande Valley Giants^
1960 Tulsa Oilers 3–0 Victoria Rosebuds
1961 Amarillo Gold Sox^
1961 San Antonio Missions 3–0 Austin Senators
1962 El Paso Sun Kings^
1962 Tulsa Oilers 3–1 Austin Senators
1963 San Antonio Bullets^
1963 Tulsa Oilers 3–1 San Antonio Bullets
1964 San Antonio Bullets 3–1 Tulsa Oilers
1965 Albuquerque Dodgers 3–1 Tulsa Oilers
1966 Arkansas Travelers^ - -
1966 Austin Braves 1–0 Albuquerque Dodgers
1967 Albuquerque Dodgers
1968 El Paso Sun Kings 3–1 Arkansas Travelers
1969 Memphis Blues 3–0 Amarillo Giants
1970 Albuquerque Dodgers 3–1 Memphis Blues
1971 Arkansas Travelers 2–0 Amarillo Giants
1972 El Paso Sun Dodgers 3–0 Alexandria Aces
1973 Memphis Blues 3–2 San Antonio Brewers
1974 Victoria Toros 3–0 El Paso Diablos
1975[d] Midland Cubs
Lafayette Drillers
2–2
1976 Amarillo Gold Sox 3–0 Shreveport Captains
1977 Arkansas Travelers 2–0 El Paso Diablos
1978 El Paso Diablos 3–0 Jackson Mets
1979 Arkansas Travelers 3–0 San Antonio Dodgers
1980 Arkansas Travelers 3–0 San Antonio Dodgers
1981 Jackson Mets 3–0 San Antonio Dodgers
1982 Tulsa Drillers 3–0 El Paso Diablos
1983 Beaumont Golden Gators 3–0 Jackson Mets
1984 Jackson Mets 4–2 Beaumont Golden Gators
1985 Jackson Mets 4–0 El Paso Diablos
1986 El Paso Diablos 4–0 Jackson Mets
1987 Wichita Pilots 4–2 Jackson Mets
1988 Tulsa Drillers 4–2 El Paso Diablos
1989 Arkansas Travelers 4–3 Wichita Wranglers
1990 Shreveport Captains 4–2 San Antonio Missions
1991 Shreveport Captains 4–2 El Paso Diablos
1992 Wichita Wranglers 4–0 Shreveport Captains
1993 Jackson Generals 3–0 El Paso Diablos
1994 El Paso Diablos 4–0 Jackson Generals
1995 Shreveport Captains 4–1 Midland Angels
1996 Jackson Generals 4–0 Wichita Wranglers
1997 San Antonio Missions 4–3 Shreveport Captains
1998 Tulsa Drillers 4–3 Wichita Wranglers
1999 Wichita Wranglers 4–0 Tulsa Drillers
2000 Round Rock Express 3–1 Wichita Wranglers
2001[e] Arkansas Travelers 2–0 Round Rock Express
2002 San Antonio Missions 4–3 Tulsa Drillers
2003 San Antonio Missions 4–1 Frisco RoughRiders
2004 Frisco RoughRiders 4–1 Round Rock Express
2005 Midland RockHounds 3–1 Arkansas Travelers
2006 Corpus Christi Hooks 3–1 Wichita Wranglers
2007 San Antonio Missions 3–1 Springfield Cardinals
2008 Arkansas Travelers 3–2 Frisco RoughRiders
2009 Midland RockHounds 3–1 Northwest Arkansas Naturals
2010 Northwest Arkansas Naturals 3–1 Midland RockHounds
2011 San Antonio Missions 3–0 Arkansas Travelers
2012 Springfield Cardinals 3–1 Frisco RoughRiders
2013 San Antonio Missions 3–2 Arkansas Travelers
2014 Midland RockHounds 3–2 Tulsa Drillers
2015 Midland RockHounds 3–0 Northwest Arkansas Naturals
2016 Midland RockHounds 3–1 Northwest Arkansas Naturals
2017 Midland RockHounds 3–2 Tulsa Drillers
2018 Tulsa Drillers 3–0 San Antonio Missions
2019 Amarillo Sod Poodles 3–2 Tulsa Drillers
2020 None (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic)[4]
2021 Northwest Arkansas Naturals[8] 3–0 Wichita Wind Surge
2022 Frisco RoughRiders 2–0 Wichita Wind Surge
2023 Amarillo Sod Poodles 2–1 Arkansas Travelers
2024 Arkansas Travelers 2–1 Midland RockHounds

Championship wins by team

[edit]

Active Texas League teams appear in bold.

Wins Team Championship years
16 Houston Mud Cats/Buffaloes 1889, 1892, 1896, 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1928, 1931, 1940, 1947, 1951, 1954, 1956, 1957
13 Dallas Hams/Giants/Submarines/Steers/Rebels/Eagles 1888, 1903, 1910, 1917, 1918, 1926, 1929, 1941, 1946, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957
13 Fort Worth Panthers/Cats 1895, 1905, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1930, 1937, 1939, 1948, 1958
13 San Antonio Bronchos/Bullets/Missions 1897, 1908, 1933, 1950, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2013
9 Arkansas Travelers 1966, 1971, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1989, 2001, 2008, 2024
9 Tulsa Oilers/Drillers 1936, 1949, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1982, 1988, 1998, 2018
8 Shreveport Gassers/Sports/Captains 1919, 1942, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1990, 1991, 1995
7 Midland Cubs/RockHounds 1975, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
6 El Paso Sun Kings/Sun Dodgers/Diablos 1962, 1968, 1972, 1978, 1986, 1994
5 Jackson Mets/Generals 1981, 1984, 1985, 1993, 1996
4 Amarillo Gold Sox/Amarillo Sod Poodles 1961, 1976, 2019, 2023
4 Austin Senators/Braves 1907, 1911, 1959, 1966
4 Galveston Sand Crabs/Buccaneers 1890, 1897, 1899, 1934
3 Waco Navigators 1914, 1915, 1916
3 Wichita Pilots/Wranglers 1987, 1992, 1999
3 Albuquerque Dodgers 1965, 1967, 1970
3 Beaumont Exporters/Golden Gators 1932, 1938, 1983
2 Corsicana Oil Citys 1902, 1904
2 Memphis Blues 1969, 1973
2 Northwest Arkansas Naturals 2010, 2021
2 Corpus Christi Giants/Hooks 1958, 2006
2 Frisco RoughRiders 2004, 2022
2 Victoria Rosebuds/Toros 1959, 1974
1 Cleburne Railroaders 1906
1 Lafayette Drillers 1975
1 Oklahoma City Indians 1935
1 Rio Grande Valley Giants 1960
1 Round Rock Express 2000
1 Springfield Cardinals 2012
1 Wichita Falls Spudders 1927

Notes

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  • a Galveston and San Antonio were declared co-champions.
  • b Dallas and Houston were declared co-champions.
  • c Waco and Houston were declared co-champions.
  • d Midland and Lafayette were declared co-champions.
  • e Arkansas was declared champion after playoffs were cancelled in the wake the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which caused a stoppage in professional baseball.[9]

References

[edit]
General
  • "League Champions". Texas League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  • "Team Records". Texas League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
Specific
  1. ^ "Playoff Procedures". Texas League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  2. ^ Heneghan, Kelsie (July 1, 2021). "Playoffs Return to the Minor Leagues". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  3. ^ "MiLB Playoff Procedures". MiLB.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  4. ^ a b "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  5. ^ Reichard, Kevin (February 12, 2021). "Minor League Baseball Overhaul Unveiled". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  6. ^ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  7. ^ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  8. ^ Horrorbin, Jordan (September 25, 2021). "Hicklen's Slam Powers Northwest Arkansas to Title". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  9. ^ "Round Rock Express Baseball Club" (PDF). 2015 Round Rock Express Media Almanac. Minor League Baseball. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2016.