The Sophomore League was a Class D level minor league baseball league that operated from 1958 through 1961. League franchises were located in New Mexico and Texas. The league evolved from the Southwestern League, which played in 1956 and 1957. The name change was part of a systemic change. The circuit went from being one with almost no ties to major league baseball to a league where every team was a minor league affiliate of a major league team.
History The Sophomore League formed in 1958 as a six–team league, evolving from the Southwestern League. The Class D level Sophomore League began play on April 28, 1958, with the Artesia Giants (San Francisco Giants affiliate), Carlsbad Potashers (Chicago Cubs), Hobbs Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals), Midland Braves (Milwaukee Braves), Plainview Athletics (Kansas City Athletics and San Angelo Pirates (Pittsburgh Pirates) as charter members.
The Midland Braves won the Sophomore League championship in 1958, managed in part by Baseball Hall of Fame member Travis Jackson.
The Sophomore League expanded to eight teams in 1959, adding the Alpine Cowboys (Boston Red Sox affiliate) and Odessa Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers). On June 9, 1959, the San Angelo Pirates moved to Roswell, New Mexico. The Roswell Pirates finished the season in Roswell. The San Angelo/Roswell Pirates finished 48–77 overall and in last place. The franchise folded after the season. The Alpine Cowboys won the 1959 Sophomore League championship.
Baseball Hall of Fame member Willie Stargell played in the Sophomore League in 1959 for the San Angelo Pirates/Roswell Pirates, his first professional season. Stargell spoke of the difficulties he faced in playing in the league, with the region still having segregated restaurants and hotels. Stargell was threatened at gunpoint on one road trip. At age 19, Stargell hit .275 with 7 home runs and 87 RBI.
As reported in The Sporting News, Carlsbad Potashers player Gil Carter hit a home run in 1959 that was noteworthy due to its distance. "On a hot August night in 1959, former heavyweight boxer Gil Carter smashed a pitch through Carlsbad's high-elevated air and out of Montgomery Field. The ball carried over the left field wall, soared past two city streets and landed in a peach tree. A newspaper reporter later took an aerial photo from a plane and used the picture to estimate the ball traveled 733 feet. Carter's hometown paper, The Topeka Capital-Journal, said "the blast is considered the longest home run in baseball history."
The official scorer estimated the home run to have traveled 650 feet. However, aerial photographs measurements put the distance at 700–733 feet, which would make it the longest home run ever hit in professional baseball. The ball itself was signed by Carter and he notes the distance of 733 feet.
The Hobbs Pirates won the last two Sophomore League championships in 1960 and 1961.
The Sophomore League presidents were Grady Terry, from 1958 to 1960 and C.F. Montgomery in 1960 and 1961.The Museum of Minor League Baseballs
Cities represented Albuquerque, NM: Albuquerque Dukes 1960–1961 Alpine, TX: Alpine Cowboys 1959–1961 Artesia, NM: Artesia Giants 1958–1960; Artesia Dodgers 1961 Carlsbad, NM: Carlsbad Potashers 1958–1961 El Paso, TX: El Paso Sun Kings 1961 Hobbs, NM: Hobbs Cardinals 1958–1959; Hobbs Pirates 1960–1961 Midland, TX: Midland Braves 1958–1959 Odessa, TX : Odessa Dodgers 1959–1960 Plainview, TX: Plainview Athletics 1958–1959 Roswell, NM: Roswell Pirates 1959 San Angelo, TX: San Angelo Pirates 1958–1959
Yearly standings 1958 Sophomore Leagueschedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers East Standings Midland Braves 7248 .600 – Travis Jackson / Earl Halstead / Ernie White San Angelo Pirates 6159 .508 11.0 Al Kubski Plainview Athletics 5070.417 22.0 Vincent Plumbo West Standings Artesia Giants 6357 .525 – Jodie Phipps Hobbs Cardinals 5961.492 4.0 Wayne Wallace Carlsbad Potashers 5565.458 8.0 Tony York Playoff: Midland 3 games, Artesia 1
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Jim SmithHobbsBA.372 John Ahrens HobbsW18 Duncan Campbell Gary Krupsky San AngeloArtesiaRuns116 Ervin Moore PlainviewSO175 James McClain ArtesiaHits161 Les Bass MidlandERA3.47 Craig Sorenson CarlsbadRBI114 Les Bass MidlandPct.889; 16–2 Kenneth Clark HobbsHR27 1959 Sophomore League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers North Standings Carlsbad Potashers 7254 .571 – Walt Dixon Hobbs Cardinals 7054 .565 1.0 Thurman Tucker Plainview Athletics 6065 .480 11.5 Bobby Hofman Artesia Giants 5075 .400 21.5 Jodie Phipps South Standings Alpine Cowboys 8834 .721 – Eddie Popowski Midland Braves 5670 .444 34.0 Jimmy Brown Odessa Dodgers 5469 .439 34.5 Roy Hartsfield San Angelo Pirates / Roswell Pirates 4877 .384 41.5 Al Kubski / Joe Bauman / Walter Millies Playoffs: Alpine 2 games, Hobbs 0; Carlsbad 2 games, Midland 0. Finals: Alpine 2 games, Carlsbad 0.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Emiliano Telleria San Angelo/RoswellBA.358Don SchwallAlpineW23 Bob Stotsky AlpineRuns132 Terry Barber OdessaSO214 Bob Stotsky AlpineHits156Jack WarnerCarlsbadERA2.41 Bob Carruthers PlainviewRBI119Jack WarnerCarlsbadPct.812; 13–3 Gil Carter CarlsbadHR34 1960 Sophomore League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Alpine Cowboys 7652 .594– Dick Kinaman Hobbs Pirates 7058 .547 6.0 Al Kubski Carlsbad Potashers 6664 .50811.0 Verlon Walker Artesia Giants 6268 .477 15.0 George Genovese Albuquerque Dukes 5772 .442 19.5 Bert Thiel Odessa Dodgers 5774 .435 20.5 Edward Serrano Alpine won the 1st half. Hobbs won the 2nd half.Playoff: Hobbs 2 games, Alpine 1. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Gil GarridoArtesiaBA.362 Ken Whitmore HobbsW16 Roberto PenaHobbsRuns121Jose SantiagoAlbuquerqueSO217 Jesus AlouArtesiaHits188Jose SantiagoAlbuquerqueERA3.30 Dick McLaughlin OdessaRBI109Frank BorkHobbsPct.789; 15–4 Lewis Bishop CarlsbadHR23 1961 Sophomore League schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Hobbs Pirates 7748 .616– Al Kubski El Paso Sun Kings 7357 .562 6.5 George Genovese Albuquerque Dukes 6463 .504 14.0 Grady Wilson Alpine Cowboys 6263 .496 15.0 Mel Parnell Carlsbad Potashers 5671 .441 22.0 Lou Klein / Walt Dixon Artesia Dodgers 4878 .381 29.5 Spider Jorgensen Hobbs won the 1st half. Albuquerque won the 2nd half.Playoff: Hobbs 3 games, Albuquerque 0. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Tommie Martz HobbsBA.387 Jim Little HobbsW17 Jose CardenalEl PasoRuns159 Fred Hatter AlpineSO201 Jose Calero El PasoHits180 John Drysdale ArtesiaERA3.32 Mike Maloney AlbuquerqueRBI109 Jim Little HobbsPct.850; 17–3 Jose CardenalEl PasoHR35
Baseball Hall of Fame alumni Travis Jackson, MGR, 1958 Midland Braves Willie Stargell, 1959 San Angelo Pirates/Roswell Pirates
References McCann, M. (n.d.). Minor League Baseball History. Retrieved April 27, 2007, from https://www.webcitation.org/5knFKQZqV?url=http://www.geocities.com/big_bunko/sophomore4761.htm