The Lone Star League was the name of three American minor professional baseball leagues located in the state of Texas during the 20th century. The leagues operated from 1927–1929 (as a Class D circuit), 1947–1948 (Class C) and 1977 (Class A).

History

Each of the three leagues was the result of a reorganization of a previous circuit. The Lone Star League of the 1920s was created by merging two Class D loops, the East Texas League and the Texas Association; it disbanded on May 16, 1929. The eight-member postwar Lone Star circuit of 1947–1948 was formed from a foundation of four teams that had played in the Class C East Texas League of 1946. After the demise of the LSL, the East Texas League was revived for the 1949–1950 seasons.

The Lone Star League was the successor of the failed Gulf States League of , inheriting Texas-based GSL franchises in Beeville, Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Victoria. Like the GSL, it was an official Class A minor league, not an "independent league," although its six teams were not affiliated with Major League Baseball farm systems. The 1977 Lone Star League played an 80-game regular season schedule from June 10 to the end of August.

The defending Gulf States League champion Corpus Christi Seagulls, managed by future Major League pitching coach Leo Mazzone, dominated the Lone Star League, winning 53 of its 80 games and the South Division title. No championship playoff was held and the league folded after the 1977 campaign.

Member teams

Beeville, TX: Beeville Blazers 1977 Bryan, TX: Bryan Bombers 1947–1948 Corsicana, TX: Corsicana Oilers 1927–1928 Corpus Christi, TX: Corpus Christi Seagulls 1977 Gladewater, TX: Gladewater Bears 1948 Harlingen, TX: Harlingen Suns 1977 Henderson, TX: Henderson Oilers 1947–1948 Jacksonville, TX: Jacksonville Jax 1947 Kilgore, TX: Kilgore Drillers 1947–1948 Longview, TX: Longview Cannibals 1927; Longview Texans 1947–1948 Lufkin, TX: Lufkin Foresters 1947–1948

McAllen, TX: McAllen Dusters 1977 Marshall, TX: Marshall Indians 1927; Marshall Comets 1947; Marshall Tigers 1948 Mexia, TX: Mexia Gushers 1927–1928 Palestine, TX: Palestine Pals 1927–1929 Paris, TX: Paris Snappers 1927; Paris Colts/Rustlers 1928 Sherman, TX: Sherman Snappers 1929 Texas City, TX: Texas City Stars 1977 Texarkana, TX: Texarkana Twins 1927–1929 Tyler, TX: Tyler Trojans 1927–1929, 1947–1948 Victoria, TX: Victoria Rosebuds 1977

Standings & statistics 1927 to 1929 1927 Lone Star League schedule Team nameWLPCTGB Managers Palestine Pals 6951.575– Rip Ripperton Texarkana Twins 6753.5582.0 Charlie Miller Mexia Gushers 6855.5532.5 Les Hayes / Jim Kendrick / Abe Bowman Tyler Trojans6355.5345.0 George Jackson Paris Snappers 5467.44615.5Red Snapp / T. H. Fisher Corsicana Oilers 4872.40021.0Les Nunamaker / Bennie Brownlow Marshall Indians1217.414NA Abe Bowman Longview Cannibals920.310NA Bennie Brownlow Longview withdrew May 21. Marshall folded to even the number of teams. Both teams were disbanded May 22.Finals: Tyler 4 games, Mexia 2.

+Player StatisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Carl ReynoldsPalestineBA.376 Gene McClung Corsic/MexW21 Buster Wisrock Marsh/TylRuns87 Gene McClung Corsicana/MexiaW21 Carl ReynoldsPalestineHits180 E. H. McBride Long/CorsSO139 Tom PyleTylerHR26 Atlas Carter Mexia Pct.810; 17–4 1928 Lone Star League schedule Team nameWLPCTGB Managers Texarkana Twins 7547.615– Charlie Miller Palestine Pals 7251.5853.5Walt Alexander Tyler Trojans 6753.5587.0George Jackson Mexia Gushers5566.45519.5 Roy Leslie Corsicana Oilers 5568.44720.5 Ray Falk Paris Colts/Rustlers 4281.34133.5Abe Bowman /Connally Ludwick / Turkey Gross Finals: Palestine 4 games, Texarkana 1.

+Player StatisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Charlie DormanTylerBA.408 Ed Hopkins TexarkanaW19 Charlie DormanTylerRuns122 Ed Hopkins TexarkanaSO134 Charlie DormanTylerHits188Phil GallivanTexarkana Pct.750; 15–5 Charlie DormanTylerHR39 1927 Lone Star League schedule Team nameWLGBPct.Manager Tyler Trojans 128.600–Roy Leslie Palestine Pals 128.600– Dillard Payne Sherman Snappers99.5002.0Red Snapp Texarkana Twins614.3006.0 Ray Corgan Texarkana disbanded May 16. The league disbanded on the same date.

+Player StatisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Clyde Pratt ShermanBA.442Leon PettitTylerW5 Embert Mueller TylerRuns25 Leon PettitTylerSO40 Clyde Pratt ShermanHits34Leon PettitTylerPct1.000; 5–0 Ed KallinaShermanHR6 John KingTylerHR6

1947 to 1948, 1977 1947 Lone Star League schedule Team nameWLPCTGBAttend Managers Kilgore Drillers 7860.565–71,685Joe KracherLongview Texans 7861.5610.573,134Jesse Landrum Marshall Comets 7663.5472.551,494 Jerry Feille /Paul Kardow Tyler Trojans7664.5433.064,810 Hack Miller Jacksonville Jax 7367.5216.037,817 Watty Watkins Lufkin Foresters 7268.5147.042,692Dixie Parsons Henderson Oilers6572.47412.550,000 Ray Honeycutt Bryan Bombers38101.27340.536,817Mike Mistovich / Harry Logan / Joe Moore Playoffs: Kilgore 4 games, Tyler 0;Marshall 4 games, Longview 1.Finals: Kilgore 4 games, Marshall 2.

+Player StatisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTotJohn StoneHendersonBA.396 Jake Henson JacksonvilleW21 Lew MortonHendersonRuns145Robert Ross KilgoreW21 Bob MarquisLufkinRuns145 Okie Flowers Longview SO218John Stone HendersonHits224 Frank Martin LongviewERA2.55 John Stone HendersonRBI185Robert RossKilgorePCT.750 21–7 John Stone HendersonHR32 1948 Lone Star League schedule Team nameWLPCTGBAttend ManagersKilgore Drillers 9444.681–67,255Joe Kracher Longview Texans 8950.6405.565,033 Dixie Parsons Tyler Trojans 7763.5501867,101Hack MillerHenderson Oilers6970.49625.548,116 Guy Sturdy / John Stone /Roland Miller / Mel Hicks Bryan Bombers 6674.4712.0943,513Jesse Landrum Gladewater Bears 5981.42136.048,056 Jim Dalrymple / Arthur Nelson Marshall Tigers5583.39939.038,940Harry Davis / Red JonesLufkin Foresters4892.34347.046,037Red Jones /Stan Bartkowski / Fred MillicanPlayoffs: Kilgore 4 games, Henderson 3; Longview 4 games, Tyler 3.Finals: Kilgore 4 games, Longview 0.

+Player StatisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Joe KracherKilgoreBA.433 Ralph Pate LongviewW23 Al Kubski LongviewRuns140 Willis Chamness KilgoreSO162 Allen Cross KilgoreHits193Otho NitcholasTyler ERA1.97 John Stone HendersonRBI146 Ralph Pate LongviewPCT.885 23–3 John Stone HendersonHR23 1977 Lone Star League North standingsWLPCTGBAttend Managers Victoria Rosebuds 3842.475–14,198Tom Zimmer Beeville Blazers 3743.4631.07,150 Bill Bryk Texas City Stars 3541.4611.012,305Al Gallagher South standingsWLPCTGBATTENDManagers Corpus Christi Seagulls5327.663–93,137 Leo Mazzone Harlingen Suns 4038.51312.068,203 Paul Thomas / Mike Krizmanich McAllen Dusters 3345.42319.035,752Shannon Kelly / Jack AllenPlayoffs: None. Corpus Christi refused to play. Victoria and Texas City cancelled their series for a North Division championship.

+Player StatisticsPlayer TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Ken Jones BeevilleBA.393 Nick Baltz BeevilleW12 Mike Manderino BeevilleRuns76Armando Reyes Corpus ChristiSO101 Lloyd Thompson Corpus ChristiHits109 Armando Reyes Corpus Christi ERA2.59 Charles Diering VictoriaHits109 Jim Rainey Corpus ChristiRBI67 Mark Sinovich Corpus ChristiHR16

References

External links 1927–1929 Lone Star League page at Baseball Reference 1947–1948 Lone Star League page at Baseball Reference 1977 Lone Star League page at Baseball Reference