The West Texas–New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955, with a hiatus from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. The league started as a Class D level league, upgraded to Class C in 1946 and then a final advancement to Class B level status in 1955. League franchises were based exclusively in New Mexico and Texas.
History The West Texas–New Mexico League began play in 1937 as a Class D level league, with Milton Price serving as president. The Hobbs Drillers, Midland Cardinals, Monahans Trojans, Odessa Oilers, Roswell Sunshiners and Wink Spudders were the charter members in beginning league play on May 4, 1937.
The Lubbock Hubbers (1938, 1939, 1947), Albuquerque Dukes (1949, 1950, 1953) and Pampa Oilers (1946, 1954, 1955) each won three league championships.
Cities represented Abilene, Texas: Abilene Apaches 1939; Abilene Blue Sox 1946–1955 Albuquerque, New Mexico: Albuquerque Dukes 1942, 1946–1955, moved to Western League 1956–1958 Amarillo, Texas: Amarillo Gold Sox 1939–1942; Amarillo Gold Sox 1946–1955, moved to Western League 1956–1958 Big Spring, Texas: Big Spring Barons 1938–1940; Big Spring Bombers 1941; Big Spring Pirates 1942 Borger, Texas: Borger Gassers 1939–1942, 1946–1954 Clovis, New Mexico: Clovis Pioneers 1938–1942, 1946–1955, moved to Southwestern League 1956 El Paso, Texas: El Paso Texans 1955, moved to Southwestern League 1956–1957, moved from Arizona–Texas League 1952–1954 Hobbs, New Mexico: Hobbs Drillers 1937; Hobbs Boosters 1938 Lamesa, Texas: Lamesa Lobos 1939–1941; Lamesa Dodgers1942; Lamesa Lobos 1946–1952 Lubbock, Texas: Lubbock Hubbers 1938–1942, 1946–1955, moved to Big State League 1956–1958 Midland, Texas: Midland Cardinals 1937–1938; Midland Cowboys 1939–1940 Monahans, Texas: Monahans Trojans 1937 Odessa, Texas: Odessa Oilers 1937, 1940 Pampa, Texas: Pampa Oilers 1939–1942, 1946–1955, moved to Southwestern League 1956–1957 Plainview, Texas: Plainview Ponies 1953–1955, moved to Southwestern League 1956–1957 Roswell, New Mexico: Roswell Sunshiners1937 Wichita Falls, Texas: Wichita Falls Spudders 1941–1942 Wink, Texas: Wink Spudders 1937–1938
Standings & statistics
1937 to 1942 1937 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Wink Spudders6850.576-D.E. Perry / Joe Tate Roswell Sunshiners 5562.47012½ Neal Rabe Monahans Trojans 5564.46213½ Paul Trammel / Charles Bryan Hobbs Drillers 4574.37823½ Ned Pettigrew / Fincher Withers Odessa Oilers 2817.622NA Charles Bryan Midland Cardinals 4125.621NAWray Query / Joe Davis Odessa withdrew June 17; Midland withdrew July 9. Playoffs: Wink 3 games, Hobbs 0: Roswell 3 games, Monahans 2; Finals: Wink 3 games, Roswell 0. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Robert HoodWinkBA.372Red HayWinkW18 Robert HoodWinkRuns137Marshall ScottRoswellW18 Mel ReistOdes/MonaHits182Gene DevineRoswellSO218 Robert HoodWinkRBI145Red HayWinkERA3.97 Robert HoodWinkHR30Marshall ScottRoswellPCT.750 18-6
1938 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB ManagersLubbock Hubbers8049.620-Hack Miller Clovis Pioneers 7158.5509William Ratliff Midland Cardinals 6762.51913Fincher Withers Wink Spudders 6365.49216½ Joe Tate Big Spring Barons 5871.45022Charlie BarnabeeHobbs Boosters4882.36932½Neal Rabe Playoffs: Lubbock 3 games, Wink 0: Clovis 3 games, Midland 1. Finals: Lubbock 4 games, Clovis 1. Total league attendance, 108,342
+Player statisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Cecil SmylyHobbsBA.367Ernest NelsonClovisW20 Cecil SmylyHobbsRuns182Jerry BlanchardLubbockSO265 Cecil SmylyHobbsHits194Red RobertsWinkERA3.08 Mal StevensLubbockRBI132George BryanLubbockPCT.688 11-5 Mal StevensLubbockHR31 Jake SuytarMidlandHR31 1939 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Lubbock Hubbers9048.652-Salty Parker Pampa Oilers 7859.56911½ Grover Seitz Big Spring Barons 7464.53616Tony Rego Lamesa Lobos 6573.47125Joe Tate Midland Cowboys 6275.45327½ Jimmy Kerr/Charley Smith / Joe PietClovis Pioneers6073.45127½ Dick Ratliff Abilene Apaches / Borger Gassers 6176.44528½ Fincher Withers / Charles Bryan Amarillo Gold Sox5779.41932 Neal Rabe Total league attendance, 273,374Abilene moved to Borger July 9. Playoffs: Lubbock 3 games, Big Spring 0: Pampa 3 games, Lamesa 2. Finals: Lubbock 4 games, Pampa 1. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Gordon NellPampaBA.392Jodie MarekBig SpringW23 Gordon NellPampaRuns152Howard ParksAbil/BorgSO202 Gordon NellPampaHits207Lee HarrisLubbockERA2.97Gordon NellPampaRBI189Lee HarrisLubbockPCT.818 18-4 Gordon NellPampaHR44 1940 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Pampa Oilers8356.601-Grover Seitz Amarillo Gold Sox 8258.5861½ Claude Jonnard Lubbock Hubbers 8159.5792½ Charlie Engle Borger Gassers 7960.5684Pete Susko / Gordon Nell Lamesa Lobos 7169.50712½ Joe Tate Midland Cowboys5981.42124½ Sammy Hale Clovis Pioneers5880.42024½ Howard Taylor Big Spring Barons / Odessa Oilers 4595.321 38½ Tony Rego / Stanley Bolton Total league attendance, 240,679 Big Spring moved to Odessa June 20. Playoffs: Borger 3 games, Pampa 0: Lubbock 3 games, Amarillo 0. Finals: Borger 4 games, Lubbock 3. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Edwin SchwedaLubbockBA.422Rex DilbeckPampaW23 Grover SeitzPampaRuns163Willie RamsdellBig Spring/OdessaW23 William ScopetoneBig Spring/BorgerHits217Russell CriderAmarilloSO266 Gordon NellBorgerRBI175Pat RalshLubbockERA3.25 Gordon NellBorgerHR40Pat RalshLubbockPCT.833 20-4 1941 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Big Spring Bombers9145.669-Joe Tate Borger Gassers 8947.6542Gordon Nell Clovis Pioneers 7658.56714Howard Taylor / Grover Seitz Amarillo Gold Sox 7264.52919Claude JonnardLubbock Hubbers 6178.43931½ Charlie Engle Lamesa Lobos5980.42433½ Sam Scaling Pampa Oilers5579.41035Dutch Prather / Sammy Hale Wichita Falls Spudders4395.31249Sammy Hale / Neal Rabe Total Attendance, 183,395. Playoffs: Big Spring 3 games, Amarillo 0: Clovis 3 games, Borger 2. Finals: Clovis 4 games, Big Spring 3. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Frank HargroveAmarilloBA.388Willie RamsdellBig SpringW25 James HaneyBig SpringRuns143Russell CriderAmarilloSO232 Stuart WilliamsBorgerHits210John McParlandPampaERA2.03 Dutch PratherPam/AmaRBI142Udell MooreBorgerPCT.824 14-3 Gordon NellBorgerHR28 1942 West Texas–New Mexico League - schedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Clovis Pioneers5219.732-Grover Seitz Lamesa Dodgers 4327.6148½ Joe Tate Amarillo Gold Sox 3829.56712Claude Jonnard Pampa Oilers 3632.52914½ William Ratliff Borger Gassers 3339.45819½ Hugh Willingham Lubbock Hubbers3042.41722½ Monty Stratton Albuquerque Dukes2530.455NADixie Howell / E. Miller Wichita Falls Spudders / Big Spring Pirates847.145NAGeorge Milstead Wichita Falls moved to Big Spring May 22. Big Spring withdrew June 20.; Albuquerque withdrew June 23. League disbanded July 25. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Frank WarrenBorgerBA.402Kenneth WyattClovisW17Leroy KoenigLubbockRuns88Kenneth WyattClovisSO129 Vincent CastinoLubbockHits106Kenneth WyattClovisERA2.09 Frank HargroveAmarilloRBI84Kenneth WyattClovisPCT1.000 17-0 Frank HargroveAmarilloHR22
References
External links Baseball Reference
Sources The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Second Edition.