The Fort Worth Cats (originally the Fort Worth Panthers) were a minor league baseball team that mostly played in the Texas League from 1888 through 1964. They were affiliated with the Indianapolis Indians in 1933, the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1946 to 1956, and the Chicago Cubs from 1957 to 1958. The team joined the American Association in 1959 and then merged with the Dallas Rangers in 1959 to become the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers. The teams separated again in 1964 when the Cats rejoined the Texas League, but they merged again the following year and became the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs. The 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, and 1925 Panthers teams were selected as #4 among the top 100 minor league teams of all time.
History The Fort Worth Panthers, also called the Fort Worth Cats, played mostly in the Texas League from its founding in 1888 until 1959. The club won league championships in 1895 and 1905. During the late 1910s and early 1920s, Major League Baseball teams would play in Fort Worth against the Panthers on their way from spring training to their home parks. Texas fans enjoyed watching such major leaguers as Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Rogers Hornsby play in their home town.
The Panthers had a winning streak from 1919 to 1925 when they won the regular season title seven years straight. In 1919 they failed to win the playoff for the season, but won the pennant and represented the Texas League in the Dixie Series for the next six years. The Dixie Series was a championship series between the league champions of the Southern Association and Texas Leagues, both of which had established themselves as some of the best in baseball. Amon Carter and other fans would arrange special trains to ensure that avid fans had transportation to these games. Five of the first six championships were won by Fort Worth with their only loss coming in 1922 to Mobile.
Doyle Williams, an FBI agent who portrayed Governor John Connally in the Warren Commission's 1964 reenactment of the Kennedy Assassination, briefly played in the Cats organization in the mid-1930s.The Dolphus Starling, Minnie Lee Williams family: an autobiography 1990, Call number 929.2 WILLIAMS, Ft. Worth Public Library The club won both the Texas League and the Dixie Series in 1930, 1937, and 1939. Rogers Hornsby was the Cats' manager in 1942, but World War II put an end to much of minor league baseball.
Following the War, the Cats became a minor league franchise of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1948, the Dodgers sent Bobby Bragan to manage the team, which won its last Texas League, but lost the Dixie Series to Birmingham. The first African American player to play for the team was Maury Wills in 1955.
When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1957, it caused them to shuffle their minor league teams. The Fort Worth franchise was traded to the Chicago Cubs. In 1959, Fort Worth left the Texas League to join the American Association, but they merged with the Dallas Rangers the following year. Fort Worth regained a Texas League franchise for 1964 only, after which there was no professional baseball in Fort Worth for 36 years until a new Fort Worth Cats franchise was founded.
Year-by-year record Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs 1888 21–26 -- Mike O'Connor / Mike Firie Team disbanded June 28 1889 45–51 5th Jim Horsfield / Paddy Welsh League disbanded August 12 1890 17–28 5th John Fogarty League disbanded June 10 1895 80–40 2nd Josh Reilly / Sport McAllister / Duke Jantzen League Champs 1896 72–28 -- Charlie Meyers Team disbanded August 2 1898 10–10 NA Jess Reynolds 1902 48–62 3rd Ted Sullivan none 1903 49–59 4th Con Lucid / Fred Scatzke / Billy Disch 1904 71–30 1st Charlie Wills Lost League Finals 1905 72–59 1st Al Hubbard / Charlie Wills none League Champs 1906 78–46 1st (t) Frederick Canender Could not field team for playoffs 1907 61–78 5th Walter Salm / Walt Boles none 1908 68–74 5th Dan Curtis / Henry Deiters none 1909 73–71 6th Frederick Cavender none 1910 76–62 3rd Walter Morris none 1911 80–67 2nd Walter Morris none 1912 59–81 7th Walter Morris none 1913 70–83 6th Walter Morris (34–39) / William Nance (36–44) none 1914 71–77 5th William Nance (42–43) / Jake Atz (29–34) none 1915 81–72 3rd William Nance (31–31) / Jake Atz (50–41) none 1916 71–75 5th Jake Atz (47–34) / Otto McIvor (24–41) none 1917 90–71 2nd Jake Atz none 1918 47–39 2nd Jake Atz League suspended operations July 7 1919 94–60 1st Jake Atz Lost League Finals 1920 108–40 1st Jake Atz none League Champs 1921 107–51 1st Jake Atz none League Champs 1922 109–46 1st Jake Atz none League Champs 1923 96–56 1st Jake Atz none League Champs 1924 109–41 1st Jake Atz none League Champs 1925 103–48 1st Jake Atz League Champs 1926 83–73 3rd Jake Atz none 1927 77–79 4th Jake Atz none 1928 83–73 3rd Jake Atz 1929 84–76 4th Jake Atz (41–39) / Frank Snyder (43–37) 1930 84–69 4th Frank Snyder League Champs 1931 90–70 3rd Art Phelan 1932 68–81 4th Dick McCabe / Art Phelan 1933 63–88 7th Walter Holke (14–22) / Jake Atz (49–66) 1934 59–92 7th Del Pratt 1935 64–95 8th Johnnie Heving / Harry McCurdy 1936 76–78 5th Harry McCurdy / Homer Peel 1937 85–74 3rd Homer Peel League Champs 1938 61–99 8th Homer Peel / Cecil Coombs / Jackie Reid 1939 87–74 4th Bob Linton League Champs 1940 52–108 8th Bob Linton 1941 78–76 5th Bob Linton 1942 84–68 3rd Rogers Hornsby Lost in 1st round 1946 101–53 1st Ray Hayworth Lost League Finals 1947 95–58 2nd Les Burge Lost in 1st round 1948 92–61 1st Les Burge / George Dockins / Bobby Bragan League Champs 1949 100–54 1st Bobby Bragan Lost League Finals 1950 88–64 2nd Bobby Bragan Lost in 1st round 1951 84–77 4th (t) Bobby Bragan 1952 86–75 2nd Bobby Bragan Lost in 1st round 1953 82–72 3rd Max Macon Lost in 1st round 1954 81–80 4th Al Vincent Lost League Finals 1955 77–84 6th Tommy Holmes 1956 84–70 3rd Clay Bryant Lost in 1st round 1957 70–84 6th Gene Handley 1958 89–64 1st Lou Klein Lost in 1st round 1964 51–89 6th Alex Grammas
References
External links Baseball Reference