The Big State League was a mid-level, Class B level circuit in American minor league baseball that played for 11 seasons, from 1947 through 1957. Its member clubs were exclusively based in Texas. The Corpus Christi Clippers (1955-1956), Texarkana Bears (1947, 1950) and Wichita Falls Spudders (1949, 1953) each won two league championships.
History It saw much change in its 11-year lifetime, with no team serving as a member in every single season. Waco came the closest, serving from 1947 to 1956. The league was known as an offense-oriented circuit.
The league debuted at the height of the short-lived postwar minor league baseball boom, in 1947, with eight clubs, all unaffiliated with Major League Baseball farm systems. Original teams were the: Austin Pioneers, Gainesville Owls, Greenville Majors, Paris Red Peppers, Sherman–Denison Twins, Texarkana Bears, Waco Dons and Wichita Falls Spudders.
Two clubs, Texarkana and Greenville, won more than 100 games in 1947, and four league members exceeded 100,000 in attendance. But beginning in 1953, the Big State League's teams struggled to reach six figures in that category. Only Corpus Christi drew over the 100,000 mark during the league's final five seasons, doing so on two occasions. The league was further weakened when a traditionally strong member, Austin, moved up to the AA Texas League in 1956.
The league began the 1957 campaign with only six clubs: the Victoria Rosebuds, Corpus Christi Clippers, Beaumont Pirates, Abilene Blue Sox, Port Arthur Redlegs and Wichita Falls Spudders. Its ranks were reduced to four when Wichita Falls disbanded in May, while the Port Arthur team moved to Temple that same month before folding in August. Of the surviving teams, Victoria, a Brooklyn Dodgers farm team, outlasted Corpus Christi, Beaumont and Abilene to win the league's last pennant and playoff championship.
J. Walter Morris served as League President from 1947 through 1950, Howard Green, took over from 1951 through 1955 and Hal Sayles was in charge the final two years, 1956–57.
Cities represented Abilene, Texas: Abilene Blue Sox 1956–1957, moved from West Texas–New Mexico League 1946–1955 Austin, Texas: Austin Pioneers 1947–1955 Beaumont, Texas: Beaumont Exporters or Beaumont Shippers (depending on source) 1956; Beaumont Pirates 1957 Bryan, Texas: Bryan Majors 1953; Bryan Indians 1954 Corpus Christi, Texas: Corpus Christi Clippers 1954–1957 Del Rio, Texas: Del Rio Indians 1954 Gainesville, Texas: Gainesville Owls 1947–1951 Galveston, Texas: Galveston White Caps 1954–1955, moved from Gulf Coast League 1950–1953 Greenville, Texas: Greenville Majors 1947–1950, moved from East Texas League 1946; Greenville Majors 1953 Harlingen, Texas: Harlingen Capitals 1954–1955, moved from Gulf Coast League 1951–1953 and Rio Grande Valley League 1950 Longview, Texas: Longview Cherokees 1952–1953 Lubbock, Texas: Lubbock Hubbers 1956, moved from West Texas–New Mexico League 1938–1942, 1946–1955 Paris, Texas: Paris Red Peppers 1947, moved from East Texas League 1946; Paris Panthers 1948; Paris Indians 1952–1953 Port Arthur, Texas: Port Arthur Sea Hawks 1955–1956, moved from Evangeline League 1954 and Gulf Coast League 1950–1953; Port Arthur Redlegs 1957 Sherman, Texas and Denison, Texas: Sherman–Denison Twins 1947–1951 Temple, Texas: Temple Eagles 1949–1954; Temple Redlegs 1957 Texarkana, Texas: Texarkana Bears 1947–1953, moved from East Texas League 1946 Texas City, Texas: Texas City Texans 1955; Texas City Exporters 1956 Tyler, Texas: Tyler East Texans 1951–1953; Tyler Tigers 1954–1955 Victoria, Texas: Victoria Eagles 1956; Victoria Rosebuds 1957, moved to Texas League 1958–1961 Waco, Texas: Waco Dons 1947; Waco Pirates 1948–1953, 1954–1956 Wichita Falls, Texas: Wichita Falls Spudders 1947–1953, moved to Longhorn League 1954; Wichita Falls Spudders 1956–1957
Standings & statistics
1947 to 1952 1947 Big State Leagueschedule
Team standingsWonLostPctGBAttendManagers Texarkana Bears10153.655-140,333 Vern Washington Greenville Majors10054.6491154,356 Harry Davis, Jr. Wichita Falls Spudders9261.601892,553 Bobby Goff Paris Red Peppers8074.51921112,449 Lloyd Rigby Sherman-Denison Twins6985.4483281,550Guy Sturdy Gainesville Owls6587.4283560,971 Leroy Gilchrist Austin Pioneers5599.35746106,099Beau Bell Waco Dons52101.3404852,577Red Barkley Total attendance 800,888 Season highlights Playoffs: Texarkana Bears beat the Paris Red Peppers 4 games to 0.; Wichita Falls Spudders over the Greenville Majors 4 games to 2. Finals:Texarkana Bears 4 games to 2 over the Wichita Falls Spudders. Vern Washington of the Texarkana Bears led all hitters with a .404 batting average. Buck Frierson of the Sherman-Denison Twins led the league in four categories: 188 runs scored, 248 hits, 197 RBI and 58 home runs. Vallie Eaves, Texarkana Bears pitched his team to 25 wins and Nathaniel Love of the Greenville Majors struck out 192 opposing batters. Jim Walkup of the Paris Red Peppers led the league with a 3.72 ERA.
1948 Season Big State Leagueschedule Team standings Won Lost Pct. GB Attend Managers Sherman-Denison Twins9451.648-117,046 Jose Rodriquez Wichita Falls Spudders8462.57510½130,138 Marcus Carrola Waco Pirates8264.56212½82,762Buster Chatham Austin Pioneers7967.54115½163,666Prince Oana Gainesville Owls6977.47325½80,479 Babe Peebles / Jackie Reid Paris Panthers6285.42233½72,636Homer Peel Texarkana Bears6083.4203370,508 Ed Borom Greenville Majors5293.35942½67,334Buddy Hancken / Nat Love Total attendance 784,569 Season highlightsPlayoffs: Sherman-Denison Twins 4 games Austin Pioneers 1; Wichita Falls Spudders 4 games Waco Pirates 0 Finals:Sherman-Denison Twins 4 wins Wichita Falls Spudders 3 wins. Vern Washington of the Texarkana Bears again led the league in hitting, this time with a .384 average. Donald Cena of the Waco Pirates scored 142 runs to lead that stat. The trio from Wichita Falls Spudders of Paul Brotherton with 218 hits, Jack Bradsher, with 152 RBI and Albert McCarty with 32 HR, led those departments. Thomas Finger of the Wichita Falls Spudders had 21 wins to lead all pitchers and Glenn Blackwood who split time with the Greenville Majors and the Wichita Falls Spudders led the league with 176 strikeouts. Rafael Rivas of the Sherman-Denison Twins had a 2.33 ERA.
1949 Big State Leagueschedule Team standings Won Lost Pct GB Attend ManagersWichita Falls Spudders9058.608-128,400 Jack Bradsher Texarkana Bears8661.5853½96,522George Archie Austin Pioneers8662.5624188,193Prince Oana Waco Pirates7672.5141495,825Buddy Hancken Sherman-Denison Twins7078.4732077,474Lloyd Brown / Pete Appleton Greenville Majors6682.4462458,500Red Davis Gainesville Owls5989.3993166,544Ray Taylor / Lon GoldsteinTemple Eagles5889.39531½72,624Barney White / Homer Peel Total attendance 784,082 Season highlights Playoffs:Waco Pirates over the Wichita Falls Spudders 4 games to 2; Texarkana Bears over the Austin Pioneers 4 games to 1.Finals: Waco Pirates 4 games to 1 over the Texarkana Bears. Frank Saucier of the Wichita Falls Spudders led the league in hitting with an average of .446 and his teammate Al McCarty scored 132 runs. Frank Carswell of the Texarkana Bears had the most hits with 229 and also led in RBI with 145. Conklyn Meriwether of the Greenville Majors had 27 HR. 3 pitchers had an even 20 wins: Elwood Moore and George Estock of the Austin Pioneers and Sidney Peterson of Wichita Falls Spudders. William Pierro of the Waco Pirates struck out 275 batters and John Whitehead of the Sherman-Denison Twins led with a 2.73 ERA.
1950 Big State League Team standings Won Lost Pct GB Attend Managers Texarkana Bears9351.646-83,604George Archie Gainesville Owls8263.56611½56,890 James Adair Wichita Falls Spudders8066.54814103,439Hack Miller Temple Eagles7470.51419105,081Lou Finney Greenville Majors7571.5141950,511 Bill Gann Waco Pirates7276.4862385,173Buddy Hancken Sherman-Denison Twins5491.37239½48,762Homer Peel Austin Pioneers5294.35642116,941Prince Oana / David Sarver Total attendance 650,401 Season highlights:Playoffs: Texarkana Bears over Temple Eagles 4 to 2; Greenville Majors over Wichita Falls Spudders 4 to 2.Finals: Texarkana Bears over Greenville Majors 4 to 2. Frank Carswell of the Texarkana Bears was the leading hitter with an even .400 average. His teammate Lou Fitzgerald scored 138 runs and their teammate Milan Vacelich had 144 RBI. The Waco Pirates slugger John Powers busted 39 four baggers. Junior Bunch had 19 wins for the Temple Eagles. The strikeout leader, Jodie Phipps of the Texarkana Bears struck out 173 batters. Carmen Ferullo of the Wichita Falls Spudders led the league with a 2.89 ERA.
1951 Big State Leagueschedule Team standings Won Lost Pct GB Attend Managers Gainesville Owls8958.605-50,771 Hal Van Pelt Temple Eagles8860.5951½112,022Bill Herring / Jack Bradsher Sherman-Denison Twins7968.5371060,059Bill Capps Austin Pioneers7572.51014147,161Thomas Jordan Waco Pirates7573.50714½61,371Walt Tauscher Texarkana Bears7177.48018½57,640Prince Oana / Joe Phipps Gabby Lusk Wichita Falls Spudders6682.44623½73,415Bruce Ogrodowski / Cecil McClung Tyler East Texans47100.3204241,541Hal Epps / Joe Kracher / Gale Pringle Total attendance 604,100 Season highlights: Playoffs: Gainesville Owls 4 games, Austin Pioneers 2; Sherman-Denison Twins 4 games, Temple Eagles 1. Finals: Gainesville Owls 4 games, Sherman-Denison Twins 1. Les Goldstein of the Temple Eagles led all hitters with a .376 average and his teammate Frederick Bell had 216 hits. Bobby Phillips of the Wichita Falls Spudders scored 128 runs and Dean Stafford of the Sherman-Denison Twins led the league in both RBI, with 151 and home runs with 32. Lee Roy Jones of the Austin Pioneers and George O'Donnell of the Waco Pirates had 22 wins each and Robert Upton of the Gainesville Owls led in strikeouts with 209 and also with an ERA of 2.54.
1952 Big State Leagueschedule Team standings Won Lost Pct GB Attend Managers Temple Eagles8562.578-101,906Salty Parker Tyler East Texans8463.571173,337 Bill Capps Texarkana Bears8265.559379,275Tony York Austin Pioneers8166.5514149,601Thomas Jordan Paris Indians7968.537677,761Red Davis Wichita Falls Spudders7770.524895,240Frank Mancuso Longview Cherokees7176.4831459,913Clem Hausmann / Lou Fitzgerald Waco Pirates29118.1975632,966Tedd Gullic Total attendance 669,999 Season highlights: Playoffs: Austin Pioneers 4 games, Temple Eagles 1; Tyler East Texans 4 games, Texarkana Bears 2. Finals: Tyler East Texans 4 games, Austin Pioneers 0. Bob Van Enman of the Wichita Falls Spudders led in hitting with a .387 average. His teammate Billy Queen scored 157 runs while Buck Frierson of the Paris Indians had 222 base hits. Roy Sanner of the Texarkana Bears had 165 RBI and Dean Stafford of the Paris Indians /Tyler East Texans busted 47 home runs. John Andre of the Austin Pioneers led the league with 25 wins and Gale Pringle of the Tyler East Texans had 164 strikeouts and a 2.93 ERA.
1953 to 1957 1953 Big State Leagueschedule Team standings Won Lost Pct GB Attend Managers Wichita Falls Spudders8558.594-71,247Whitey Wietelmann Tyler East Texans8163.5634½50,273 Bill Capps Texarkana Bears7868.5348½89,604Chuck Hawley Waco Pirates /Longview Cherokees7768.531932,646Buster Chatham Temple Eagles7273.4971466,341Salty Parker / Len Goldstein Greenville Majors/Bryan Majors7077.4761730,051Jim Adair / Clyde McDowell Austin Pioneers6977.47317½73,229Al Unser Paris Indians4896.33347½40,658Red Davis Total attendance 454,049