West Texas League

West Texas LeagueClassification| Class D (1920–1922, 1928–1929)

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Sport| Minor League Baseball
First season| 1920
Ceased| 1929
President| Walter Morris (1920–1921)
Gordon W. Northern (1922)
Lloyd B. Thomas (1922)
J. McCallister Stevenson (1928)
E.E. Lowrie (1928)
D.L. Snodgrass (1929)
No. of teams| 17
Country| United States of America
Most titles| 1
Abilene Eagles (1920)
Sweetwater Swatters (1921)
Amarillo Gassers (1922)
San Angelo Red Snappers (1928)
Midland Colts (1929)
Related
competitions| Panhandle-Pecos Valley League

The West Texas League was a Class D level minor league baseball league that existed from 1920 to 1922 and from 1928 to 1929.

## 1920-1922

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The following teams played in 1920: Abilene Eagles, Ranger Nitros, Mineral Wells Resorters, Cisco Scouts, Gorman Buddies/Sweetwater Swatters and Eastland Judges.

The Abilene Eagles beat the Ranger Nitros in the playoffs to win the league championship.[1]

For the 1921 season, the Swatters, Eagles, Resorters, Nitros and Scouts returned to the league. The Resorters moved to Ballinger to become the Ballinger Bearcats. The Cisco Scouts changed their name to the Cisco Orphans. The Eastland Judges left the league and a new team, the San Angelo Bronchos, joined. The Abilene Eagles won their second championship in a row, beating the Swatters.[1]

There were multiple new teams in 1922: the Amarillo Gassers, Lubbock Hubbers, Clovis Buzzers and Stamford Colonels. No team represented Ballinger, Cisco or Mineral Wells. Amarillo won the league championship, beating the Buzzers.[2]

The league ceased play following the 1922 season and never reformed.[2]

## 1928-1929

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The league began play again in 1928, lasting until 1929. The following teams played in 1928: San Angelo Red Snappers, Coleman Bobcats, Abilene Aces, Midland Colts, Lubbock Hubbers and Hamlin Pied Pipers/Big Spring Springers.[2]

The Lubbock Hubbers were the only returning team from the 1922 season. The Red Snappers beat the Aces to take the league championship.[2]

New teams for the 1929 season included the San Angelo Sheep Herders and Big Spring Cowboys. The Ballinger Bearcats returned to the league. Coleman won the league championship.

## Cities represented

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* Abilene, TX: Abilene Eagles 1920–1922; Abilene Aces 1928–1929
* Amarillo, TX: Amarillo Gassers 1922
* Ballinger, TX: Ballinger Bearcats 1921, 1929
* Big Spring, TX: Big Spring Springers 1928; Big Spring Cowboys 1929
* Cisco, TX: Cisco Scouts 1920–1921
* Clovis, NM: Clovis Buzzers 1922
* Coleman, TX: Coleman Bobcats 1928–1929
* Eastland, TX: Eastland Judges 1920
* Gorman, TX: Gorman Buddies 1920
* Hamlin, TX: Hamlin Pied Pipers 1928
* Lubbock, TX: Lubbock Hubbers 1922, 1928
* Midland, TX: Midland Colts 1928–1929
* Mineral Wells, TX: Mineral Wells Resorters 1920–1921
* Ranger, TX: Ranger Nitros 1920–1922
* San Angelo, TX: San Angelo Bronchos 1921–1922; San Angelo Red Snappers 1928; San Angelo Sheep Herders 1929
* Stamford, TX: Stamford Colonels 1922
* Sweetwater, TX: Sweetwater Swatters 1920–1922[2]

## Standings & statistics

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1920 West Texas League schedule

Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers

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Abilene Eagles | 70 | 50 | .583 | \-- | Bugs Young / Ed Kizziar
Ranger Nitros | 66 | 60 | .524 | 7.0 | Jim Galloway
Mineral Wells Resorters | 60 | 60 | .500 | 10.0 | Charley Stis / Bill Burns
Cisco Scouts | 55 | 61 | .474 | 13.0 | Jack York / Tom Carson
Gorman Buddies / Sweetwater Swatters | 51 | 58 | .467 | 13.5 | Bert Hise
Eastland Judges | 54 | 67 | .446 | 16.5 | Jimmy Maloney

Gorman (36–44) moved to Sweetwater August 7, first home game August 15.
Playoff: Abilene 4 games, Ranger 3.[2]

Player statistics Player | Team | Stat | Tot |  | Player | Team | Stat | Tot

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Jim Galloway | Ranger | BA | .341 |  | Henry Meade | Mineral Wells | W | 20
Charles Gressett | Gorm/Sweet | Runs | 77 |  | John Kolzelnick | Cisco | S0 | 200
Joe Bratcher | Cisco/East | Hits | 126 |  | Carl Hill | Abilene | PCT | .778 14–4
Jim Galloway | Ranger | HR | 9[2]

1921 West Texas League schedule

Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers

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Sweetwater Swatters | 72 | 55 | .567 | \-- | Pop-Boy Smith / Earl Fleharty
Abilene Eagles | 70 | 57 | .551 | 2.0 | Grady White / Hub Northen
San Angelo Bronchos | 69 | 59 | .539 | 2.5 | Luke Robinson
Mineral Wells Resorters /
Ballinger Bearcats | 57 | 72 | .442 | 15.5 | Roy Brashear / Vernon Brown /
Albert Briscoe / Jim Flagg / Pop-Boy Smith
Ranger Nitros | 37 | 43 | .463 | NA | Fletcher "Sled" Allen
Cisco Scouts | 27 | 47 | .365 | NA | Joshua L. Billings / Jimmy Flagg

Mineral Wells moved to Ballinger May 20; Cisco disbanded July 6; Ranger disbanded July 9
Playoffs: Sweetwater defeated San Angelo in a one game playoff for the first half title
Finals: Abilene 4 games, Sweetwater 2.[2]

Player statistics Player | Team | Stat | Tot |  | Player | Team | Stat | Tot

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Sam Langford | Min Wel/Bal | BA | .381 |  | Murray Richburg | Sweetwater | W | 31
Warwick Comstock | Abilene | Runs | 93 |  | Murray Richburg] | Sweetwater | S0 | 226
Sam Langford | Min Wel/Bal | Hits | 166 |  | Murray Richburg | Sweetwater | Pct | .721 31–12
Ed Conkrite | San Angelo | HR | 17[2]

1922 West Texas League schedule

Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers

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Amarillo Gassers | 86 | 52 | .623 | \-- | Billy Smith / Jack Meanor
Lubbock Hubbers | 79 | 56 | .585 | 5.5 | Sled Allen
Clovis Buzzers | 75 | 57 | .568 | 8.0 | Dutch Wetzel
Sweetwater Swatters | 62 | 72 | .463 | 22.0 | Pop-Boy Smith
Abilene Eagles | 61 | 72 | .459 | 22.5 | Charles Anderson
San Angelo Bronchos | 61 | 73 | .455 | 23.0 | Walt Alexander / Luke Robinson
Stamford Colonels | 56 | 76 | .424 | 27.0 | Tom Price / Poston Baker
Ranger Nitros | 56 | 78 | .418 | 28.0 | Bob Allen / Joe Clayton

Playoff: Amarillo 5 games, Clovis 1.[2]

Player statistics Player | Team | Stat | Tot |  | Player | Team | Stat | Tot

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Tom Pyle | Ranger | BA | .377 |  | F. J. Smith | Amarillo | W | 21
John King | Lubbock/Abiline | Runs | 116 |  | F.J Smith | Amarillo | S0 | 223
Tom Pyle | Ranger | Hits | 183 |  | Jim Sewell | Clovis | PCT | .778 14–4
Sam Langford | Lubbock | HR | 21[2]

1928 West Texas League schedule 1st half \- 2nd half

Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers

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San Angelo Red Snappers | 69 | 47 | .595 | \-- | Red Snapp
Coleman Bobcats | 67 | 49 | .578 | 2.0 | Bob Couchman
Abilene Aces | 61 | 54 | .530 | 7.5 | Les Tullos / Carl Williams
Midland Colts | 52 | 64 | .448 | 17.0 | Curley Maloney / Snipe Conley
Lubbock Hubbers | 48 | 63 | .432 | 18.5 | Bennie Brownlow / Ray Hill
Hamlin Pied Pipers /
Big Spring Springers | 46 | 66 | .411 | 21.0 | Army Magness /
Poston Baker / J.L. Thornton

Hamlin moved to Big Spring July 3.
Playoff: San Angelo 3 games, Abilene 2.[2]

Player statistics Player | Team | Stat | Tot |  | Player | Team | Stat | Tot

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Bob Sanguinette | Midland | BA | .394 |  | Jubilo Clements | San Angelo | W | 20
Garland Orr | Abilene | Runs | 121 |  | J.H. "Hokey" Garcia | San Angelo | S0 | 178
Garland Orr | Abilene | Hits | 171 |  | Clarence Williams | San Angelo | PCT | .737 14–5
Bob Sanguinette | Midland | HR | 35[2]

1929 West Texas League schedule

Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers

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Midland Colts | 67 | 52 | .563 | \-- | 14,687 | Kal Segrist, Sr. / John King
Coleman Bobcats | 62 | 56 | .525 | 4.5 | 12,922 | Honus Mitze / Jack Holloway
Ballinger Bearcats | 62 | 56 | .525 | 4.5 | 17,632 | Bill Bean / Ray Hill
San Angelo Sheep Herders | 55 | 61 | .474 | 10.5 | 15,288 | Walt Alexander
Abilene Aces | 55 | 64 | .462 | 12.0 | 7,604 | Carl Williams
Big Spring Cowboys | 54 | 66 | .450 | 13.5 | 15,288 | Jim Payne /
Ralph Rose / Nick Carter

Playoff: Coleman 3 games, Midland 3. Coleman won the title when Midland failed to appear for the seventh game.[2]

Player statistics Player | Team | Stat | Tot |  | Player | Team | Stat | Tot

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Ed Kallina | Midland | BA | .433 |  | Jimmie Parker | Ballinger | W | 18
Julian Flowers | Midland | Runs | 136 |  | Gene Moore | Midland | S0 | 147
Ed Kallina | Midland | Hits | 159 |  | Tom Vaughn | Ballinger | ERA | 2.11
Ed Kallina | Midland | HR | 44 |  | T. Baker | Midland | PCT | .867 13–2[2]

## References

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1. ^ a b "Minor League Baseball article".
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.