The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a AA (double-A) league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1890. It was revived as a class D league in 1902, moved to class C in 1904 where it played through 1910 (except for 1906 as class D again), played at class B until 1920, and finally moved up to class A in 1921. The Texas League, like so many others, shut down during World War II. From 1959 to 1961 the Texas League and the Mexican League formed the Pan American Association. The two leagues played a limited interlocking schedule and post-season championship. In 1971, the Texas League and the Southern League were both down to seven teams. They played an interlocking schedule with the SL known as the Dixie Association. The two league played separate playoffs. Despite the league's name only its four South Division teams are actually based in Texas. The four North Division teams are located surrounding states including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and most recently Missouri. The league will exit Kansas in 2008 when the Wichita Wranglers move to Springdale, Arkansas to become the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The League's name is well known due to its association with a particular aspect of the game. A bloop single that drops between the infielders and outfielders has been called a Texas Leaguer since the 1890s, despite no evidence that it originated in the Texas League, or was any more common there than elsewhere.[1] There is a common thread throughout Civil War anecdotes that refer to a game played 30 years ealier in the Sabine Pass area. As the story goes, a union soldier hit a ball over the outfielder's head, leading him into a long chase for the ball which reslted in a bullet wound from a nearby sniper. After the incident, hits were only rewarded for balls that landed between the infielders and outfielders.
United States
