Arizona–Texas League
| Sport | Minor League Baseball, Class D |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1931 |
| Ceased | 1954 |
| No. of teams | 11 |
| Country |  Mexico United States |
| Most titles | 5 El Paso Texans |
The Arizona–Texas League was a Class D level American minor league baseball league that existed for nine seasons, from 1931–32, 1937–41, 1947–50 and 1952-54. In 1951, the Arizona-Texas loop merged with the Sunset League (based primarily in California but with teams in Nevada and New Mexico) to form the Southwest International League. However, the Arizona and Texas clubs played only that one season (1951) in the new circuit before seceding and reforming the A-TL in 1952. From 1928 to 1930, it was known as the Arizona State League.
History
After the 1930 season, the Arizona State League, which began play in 1928, changed their name and evolved into the 1931 Class D Arizona-Texas League. Arizona State League president Wilford S. Sullinger remained as president of the newly named league. Former Arizona State League members Bisbee Bees, El Paso Texans, Globe Bears, Phoenix Senators and Tucson Missions continued play in the 1931 Arizona-Texas League, joined by the Nogales Internationals.[1][2][3]
The Arizona–Texas League was the lowest level in the minor leagues, Class D, through 1939, and upgraded to Class C from 1940 onward. Its longest tenured clubs included:
The Arizona-Texas circuit also had teams in Mexico as early as 1931, although its name did not reflect this fact. Indios de Ciudad Juárez team was a member for seven years in the 1940s and 1950s. But in 1955, when the league lost its lone Texas franchise, in El Paso, its name was formally changed to the Arizona–Mexico League. In 1958, its Phoenix franchise moved all the way up to Class AAA when it received the old San Francisco Seals club after the Giants moved West. That signalled the end of the Class C Arizona–Mexico League; its final champion in 1958 was the Douglas Copper Kings, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
List of teams
- Albuquerque Cardinals (1937–1941)
- Albuquerque Dons (1932)
- Bisbee Bees (1931–1932; 1937–1941)
- Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings (1949–1950; 1952–1954)
- Bisbee-Douglas Miners (1948)
- Bisbee Yanks (1947)
- Cananea Mineros (1954)
- Chihuahua Dorados (1952)
- El Paso Texans (1931–1932; 1937–1941; 1947–1950; 1952–1954)
- Globe Bears (1931)
- Globe-Miami Browns (1947–1950)
- Juarez Indios (1947–1950; 1952–1954)
- Mesa Orphans (1947)
- Mexicali Eagles (1953–1954)
- Nogales Internationals (1931)
- Nogales Yaquis (1954)
- Phoenix Senators (1931–1932; 1947–1950; 1952–1953)
- Phoenix Stars (1954)
- Tucson Cowboys (1937–1941; 1947–1950; 1952–1954)
- Tucson Lizards (1932)
- Tucson Missions (1931)
Champion teams
- 1931 – El Paso Texans
- 1932 – Unknown
- 1937 – Albuquerque Cardinals
- 1938 – El Paso Texans
- 1939 – Albuquerque Cardinals
- 1940 – El Paso Texans
- 1941 – Tucson Cowboys
- 1947 – Globe-Miami Browns
- 1948 – Globe-Miami Browns
- 1949 – El Paso Texans
- 1950 – El Paso Texans
- 1952 – Juarez Indios
- 1953 – Tucson Cowboys
- 1954 – Phoenix Stars
References
- ^ "Arizona-Texas League - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Arizona_State_League%7C
- ^ "1931 Arizona-Texas League (AAL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- Johnson, Lloyd and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997.