Midland RockHounds

Midland RockHounds Founded in 1972 Midland, Texas
Team logo Cap insignia
Class-level
AA
Minor league affiliations
Texas League South Division
Major league affiliations
Oakland Athletics (1999-Present) California / Anaheim Angels (1985-1998) Chicago Cubs (1972-1984)
Name
Midland RockHounds (1999-present) Midland Angels (1985-1998) Midland Cubs (1972-1984)
Colors
{{{colors}}}
Ballpark
Citibank Ballpark Christensen Stadium
Minor league titles
League titles	1975 (split), 2005, 2009
Division titles	1975, 2005, 2009, 2010
Owner(s)/Operated by: Miles Prentice & Bob Richmond
Manager: Aaron Nieckula
General Manager: Monty Hoppel

The Midland RockHounds are a minor league baseball team based in Midland, Texas, USA. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Citibank Ballpark, located in Midland. Opened in 2002, the stadium seats 6,669 fans. The RockHounds are the current champions of the Texas League South Division.

History

The RockHounds were previously known as both the Midland Cubs and Midland Angels during their years in existence. While Midland currently is the AA affiliate of the Oakland A's, they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs from 1972–1984, and then with the California Angels from 1985-1998.

Awards have followed the RockHounds throughout their history. The Midland franchise under the Angels won the Texas League Organization of the year in 1990 and 1994 and as the RockHounds in 2002. In 1995 Midland won AA's highest award, the Bob Frietas Award. General Manager Monty Hoppel has been named Executive of the Year with the franchise three times: in 1991, 1995, and 2002.

1995 marked the Midland franchises first ever playoff appearance as an affiliate for the Angels and their first playoff appearance overall in 20 years. It also became the first season the Midland franchise accumulated more than 200,000 fans in a season, a feat repeated in 1996. The feat surprised many in Minor League Baseball as the Midland-Odessa area only has over 200,000 residents total. Since moving to Citibank Ballpark, the RockHounds have averaged 250,000+ fans every season.

The RockHounds moved into what is now known as Citibank Ballpark, part of the Scharbauer Sports Complex on the west side of Midland, in 2002. Prior to that, their home had been what is now known as Christensen Stadium, in northeast Midland.

The Rockhounds won their first ever Texas League Championship in 2005. They shared the title back in 1975 as the Cubs. In 2006 they won the second half championship of the South Division, but they lost to the eventual champion Corpus Christi Hooks in the division playoffs.

In 2007, the RockHounds won the John H. Johnson President's Award, Minor League baseball highest award for a franchise, making them the third Texas League franchsise to do so after the El Paso Diablos and the Tulsa Drillers.

In 2009, the RockHounds won their second TL pennant, defeating the Northwest Arkansas Naturals three games to one in the Championship Series. In 2010, the RockHounds returned to the TL title game, but this time fell to the Naturals.

On the radio

The Midland Rockhounds have always had a play-by-play broadcast that has been available. KCRS (AM) had been the network to carry roughly 95% of the Rockhounds games since they debuted in 1972. Some afternoon games in 2008 didn't air on the radio due to contracts with Rush Limbaugh and others. For the 2009 season Gap Broadcasting announced the Rockhounds would have a new radio home, KFZX, also known as 102.1 Jack FM. For the 2010 season, the Rockhounds once again moved radio homes to KMRK 96.1 FM. In both cases Bob Hards remained the voice of the Rockhounds, a position he has currently done for 19 consecutive years. In 2013 the Rockhounds moved their games back to KCRS, though the weekday day games would be preempted for talk shows that were already scheduled.

Notable former Midland players

• Brett Anderson
• Garret Anderson
• Trevor Cahill
• Joe Carter
• Shawon Dunston
• Damion Easley
• Jim Edmonds
• Andre Ethier
• Darin Erstad
• Troy Glaus
• Rich Harden
• Billy Hatcher
• Mike Krukow
• Dennis Lamp
• Kevin Lyon
• Carlos Lezcano
• Randy Martz
• Mark McLemore
• Donnie Moore
• Karl Pagel
• Troy Percival
• Tim Salmon
• Lee Smith
• Bruce Sutter
• Huston Street
• Barry Zito

Awards and records

Former Midland Cub Bruce Sutter was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Former RockHound Mark Kiger is the first player in modern Major League Baseball history to make his playing debut in a postseason game. His first game was October 13, 2006 in game three of the 2006 American League Championship Series.

Current roster

Midland RockHounds roster
Players				Coaches/Other
Pitchers 15 Josh Bowman 22 Darren Byrd 45 Carlos Fisher 16 Frank Gailey 11 Carlos Hernandez 56 Arnold Leon * 46 Nate Long 33 Zach Neal 49 Kyler Newby 55 Sergio Perez 19 Murphy Smith 35 Paul Smyth 28 Jeff Urlaub		Catchers -- David Freitas 12 Ryan Lipkin  9 Nick Rickles Infielders 31 Anthony Aliotti  7 Dusty Coleman 30 Miles Head 25 Tyler Ladendorf 34 Jefry Marte 32 Tommy Mendonca 17 Darwin Perez Outfielders 29 Jeremy Barfield 40 Jake Goebbert 21 D'Arby Myers  5 Chad Oberacker		Manager 26 Aaron Nieckula Coaches 24 Brian McArn (hitting) 39 Don Schulze (pitching) 7-day disabled list * On Oakland Athletics 40-man roster ∞ Reserve list § Suspended list ‡ Restricted list # Rehab assignment Roster updated April 10, 2013 Transactions → More MiLB rosters → Oakland Athletics minor league players

External links

• Midland RockHounds official website