The Dallas–Fort Worth Spurs were an American minor league baseball team in the Texas League from 1965–1971.Franchise History since 1902 at texas-league.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. 12/30/09 The team played in Turnpike Stadium in Arlington, Texas.The History of Baseball in Fort Worth at fwcats.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. 12/30/09
The Spurs were created when the Triple-A Dallas Rangers moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1965.Pacific Coast League (AAA) Encyclopedia and History at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09 With the opening of Turnpike Stadium, the Double-A Texas League's Fort Worth Cats, an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, moved into the new venue and adopted the regional Dallas-Fort Worth designation and the Spurs nickname.
The Spurs were affiliated with the Cubs (1965–1967), Houston Astros (1968) and Baltimore Orioles (1969–1971).1969 Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. 12/30/091971 Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. 12/30/09
As a Cubs' affiliate, the Spurs groomed future Major League players Don Kessinger, Chuck Hartenstein, Joe Niekro, Fred Norman and Bill Stoneman. The club's one season in the Houston organization was lean in terms of prospects, with Fred Stanley and Danny Walton enjoying the longest big-league careers. During their affiliation with Baltimore, the Spurs featured Don Baylor, Bobby Grich, Enos Cabell and Wayne Garland, along with managers Cal Ripken Sr. and Joe Altobelli and batboy Cal Ripken Jr.
The Spurs set many Texas League attendance records, especially after Turnpike Stadium expanded to a capacity of 20,500 in 1970.A look at historic stadiums in Dallas-Fort Worth area at pe.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. 12/30/09 The Dallas-Fort Worth area was considered a prime location for an expansion team or a re-located franchise. Indeed, Turnpike Stadium had been built specifically to attract a major-league team to the Metroplex. That dream nearly came to fruition when the National League expanded in 1969. But the league instead expanded to Montreal, with the Expos.The Team That Nearly Wasn’t: The Montreal Expos by Maury Brown at hardballtimes.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. 12/30/09
Two years later, the struggling Washington Senators received American League permission to transfer to the area in 1972 as the Texas Rangers,Historical Moments at sportsencyclopedia.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. 12/30/09 who moved into Turnpike Stadium (expanded and renamed Arlington Stadium).Arlington Stadium at ballparks.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. 12/30/09
Yearly record Year Record Finish Attendance Manager Postseason 1965 80–61 Second(East Division) 329,294 Whitey Lockman DNQ 1966 59–81 Sixth 271,367 Stan HackPete ReiserLou Klein DNQ 1967 62–78 Sixth 246,315 Jo-Jo White DNQ 1968 60–79 Fourth(East Division) 215,756 Hub Kittle DNQ 1969 75–58 Second(West Division) 235,827 Joe Altobelli DNQ 1970 63–73 Third(West Division) 182,743 Joe Altobelli DNQ 1971 82–59 Second(West Division) 213,249 Cal Ripken Sr. DNQ
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