On January 21, 1955 the six club Mexican League was admitted into the National Association as a Class "AA" baseball league. Although the league had functioned since 1925 and had been a professional baseball league since 1937, it had not been recognized as such nor had until then did the league behave as a welcomed member of the baseball establishment.
In the early part of its history the league was frequently used by Negro players as alternate places of employment. Many of these players starred in the league.
After the end of World War 2 the league was taken over by the Pascual Brothers, who ran the league as an outlaw league. The league would offer contacts to any Major Leaguer or high minor leaguer that would listen to their offers. Several players jumped to the league. After being disappointed with conditions in Mexico, they returned to find that the had been banned for five years.
The reached its current "AAA" level in 1967. The league and its 14 clubs currently have a close relationship with Major League Baseball and its 30 clubs. Its most recent champions are the Quintana Roo Tigers, who last summer beat the Mexico City Red Devils in a four game sweep. The Tigers are based in Cancun.
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is the Sacramento Club that began play in 1909 are currently based in Round Rock, Texas, which is located just outside of Austin.
Todays trivia question is how many teams played in the Eastern Football League in 1938? The answer in tomorrows blog on a big game by Kobe Bryant.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
So where is the City of Vernon?
On January 20, 1909 the four club Pacific Coast League issued two expansion franchises for the coming season. One went to the City of Sacramento, California, the other went to a very small city just south of Los Angeles called Vernon. Tracing the history of the Vernon franchise, it plays in the City of Tacoma, Washington. The City of Vernon remains a sparsely populated industrial city.
The team played most of its games in the home park of the Los Angeles Angels. A morning game on Sunday would be played at Maier Park in Vernon by the Tigers or the Angels, which ever team played at home that week. In 1913 the team was transferred to the local beach side town of Venice, where its Sunday home games were played for the next 2 1/2 seasons before the team and the ballpark were transferred back to Vernon. Yes, the ballpark was actually dismantled and moved back to Vernon to be rebuilt there.
The team played as the Vernon Tigers through the 1925 season, after which it was transferred to San Francisco and became the Mission Bells for two seasons and then the Mission Reds until after the 1937 season when it was transferred back to Los Angeles and became the Hollywood Stars.
When the Dodgers and Giants moved west; the Angels, the Seals and the Stars all had to find new homes. The Stars picked the City of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utah city would enjoy the second of its 4 tours in the league until the team moved out following the 1965 season. If you can follow the bouncing teams. First on October 22, 1965 the Tacoma club returned to Phoenix, Arizona. The City of Tacoma not wanting to sit on the sidelines made their move on November 30, when the Salt Lake City club was moved to Tacoma. The club has remained in the league at Tacoma ever since.
Todays trivia question is what happened to the franchise that was awarded to the City of Sacramento on this same date? The answer in tomorrows blog about the Mexican Baseball League.
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is the three members of the Ontario Rugby Football Union for the 1954 season were the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, the Sarnia Imperials and the Toronto Balmy Beach.
The team played most of its games in the home park of the Los Angeles Angels. A morning game on Sunday would be played at Maier Park in Vernon by the Tigers or the Angels, which ever team played at home that week. In 1913 the team was transferred to the local beach side town of Venice, where its Sunday home games were played for the next 2 1/2 seasons before the team and the ballpark were transferred back to Vernon. Yes, the ballpark was actually dismantled and moved back to Vernon to be rebuilt there.
The team played as the Vernon Tigers through the 1925 season, after which it was transferred to San Francisco and became the Mission Bells for two seasons and then the Mission Reds until after the 1937 season when it was transferred back to Los Angeles and became the Hollywood Stars.
When the Dodgers and Giants moved west; the Angels, the Seals and the Stars all had to find new homes. The Stars picked the City of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utah city would enjoy the second of its 4 tours in the league until the team moved out following the 1965 season. If you can follow the bouncing teams. First on October 22, 1965 the Tacoma club returned to Phoenix, Arizona. The City of Tacoma not wanting to sit on the sidelines made their move on November 30, when the Salt Lake City club was moved to Tacoma. The club has remained in the league at Tacoma ever since.
Todays trivia question is what happened to the franchise that was awarded to the City of Sacramento on this same date? The answer in tomorrows blog about the Mexican Baseball League.
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is the three members of the Ontario Rugby Football Union for the 1954 season were the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, the Sarnia Imperials and the Toronto Balmy Beach.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
A Look to the North
On January 19, 1958 the Canadian Football Council withdrew from the Canadian Rugby Union and renamed itself the Canadian Football League. The league hit the field in August as a nine club league. The league had functioned as two organizations the year before, the Western Interprovincial Football Union and the Interprovincial Football Union. The two organizations would met for the Grey Cup. The two organizations had ruled the Canadian Football game since 1955 when the Ontario Rugby Football Union folded the season before. The WIFU had played since 1936 and the IFU and played since 1930. The league continues to be a prosperous league and expects lots of growth in the coming years.
Todays trivia question is name the three teams that played in the 1954 Ontario Rugby Football Union?
The answer will be posted in tomorrows post about the Vernon Tigers Baseball team.
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is, on June 1, 1978 the Eastern Basketball Association changed its name to the Continental Basketball Association. The CBA played through the 2009 season.
Todays trivia question is name the three teams that played in the 1954 Ontario Rugby Football Union?
The answer will be posted in tomorrows post about the Vernon Tigers Baseball team.
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is, on June 1, 1978 the Eastern Basketball Association changed its name to the Continental Basketball Association. The CBA played through the 2009 season.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
An Early Basketball failure
On January 18, 1923 the four club Eastern Basketball League folded. The league had first played in the 1909-10 season with six clubs. The league had played from that season until taking a one season break for World War 1. The league had began play with 6 clubs during the 1922-23 seasons. The league ran into problems when the Atlantic City Celtics and the Reading Bears folded. The four remaining clubs (Camden Skeeters, Coatesville Coats, Philadelphia Jaspers and the Trenton Tigers gave the second half of the season a try. The attempt ended after only 6 league games were played. I have been unable to find the reasons why the league hit hard times at this point in its history. I do know that the league was reorganized in time for the 1925-26 season.
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is the Bankers played the Portage Lakes club of Houghton, Michigan. That club was a member of the International Professional Hockey League.
Todays trivia question is on June 1, 1978 the Eastern Basketball Association changed its name, what did the league change its name to?
Tomorrow we will look at the Canadian Football League.
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is the Bankers played the Portage Lakes club of Houghton, Michigan. That club was a member of the International Professional Hockey League.
Todays trivia question is on June 1, 1978 the Eastern Basketball Association changed its name, what did the league change its name to?
Tomorrow we will look at the Canadian Football League.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
An Early Hockey League
On January 17, 1904 the Pittsburgh Keystones of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League folded, leaving three teams to finish the season. The league was the first Hockey League to be fully professional. I am surprised by this as Baseball had been professional for 30 seasons before the WPHL came along.
The league had began play as a professional league with the 1901-02 season as a three club league with all three teams based in Pittsburgh. The three teams were the Athletic Club, the Bankers and the Keystones. The leagues first season consisted of only 21 total league games. The Victorias club was added for the second season and the league played 27 games. With the loss of the Keystones, the league only played 24 games during the 1903-04 season. Thus the league in three seasons had only 72 games played.
The league then sat out the next three seasons before making a two season comeback before folding for good. Five players in the league made enough of an impact to get into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is the Cardinals quarterback in 1963 was Charley Johnson.
The trivia question for tomorrow is following the 1903-04 season, the league champion Bankers played what team for the Championship of the United States?
Please come back tomorrow when we look at an early basketball league.
The league had began play as a professional league with the 1901-02 season as a three club league with all three teams based in Pittsburgh. The three teams were the Athletic Club, the Bankers and the Keystones. The leagues first season consisted of only 21 total league games. The Victorias club was added for the second season and the league played 27 games. With the loss of the Keystones, the league only played 24 games during the 1903-04 season. Thus the league in three seasons had only 72 games played.
The league then sat out the next three seasons before making a two season comeback before folding for good. Five players in the league made enough of an impact to get into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is the Cardinals quarterback in 1963 was Charley Johnson.
The trivia question for tomorrow is following the 1903-04 season, the league champion Bankers played what team for the Championship of the United States?
Please come back tomorrow when we look at an early basketball league.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Here come the Cardinals
Today on the anniversary of the shift of the Cardinals football team from Saint Louis, we are looking at the teams long history. The franchise was formally transferred to Phoenix on January 16, 1988.
The Cardinals are the longest continuously operating football team having played every year since its founding in 1898. The team started out in Chicago and joined the NFL for its first season in 1920. They moved to Saint Louis Missouri for the 1960 season. The team has a franchise record of 496-699-39. They have won 2 league championships and went to the Super Bowl after the 2009 season. During their years in Chicago, the team played many years at Comiskey Park. Today they play at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona not far from the complex used by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox for spring training. The White Sox are the baseball team that allowed the Cardinals to use their home field as their own.
For more information on the Cardinals history see their website at http://www.azcardinals.com/history/franchise.html
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is the Houston, Texas based Texas Arrow Heads played the 2004 season in the Pro Cricket League, a league that lasted just the one season.
Tomorrows trivia question is who was the Cardinals starting quarterback in 1963?
Tomorrow we will at an early minor league hockey league.
The Cardinals are the longest continuously operating football team having played every year since its founding in 1898. The team started out in Chicago and joined the NFL for its first season in 1920. They moved to Saint Louis Missouri for the 1960 season. The team has a franchise record of 496-699-39. They have won 2 league championships and went to the Super Bowl after the 2009 season. During their years in Chicago, the team played many years at Comiskey Park. Today they play at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona not far from the complex used by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox for spring training. The White Sox are the baseball team that allowed the Cardinals to use their home field as their own.
For more information on the Cardinals history see their website at http://www.azcardinals.com/history/franchise.html
The answer to yesterdays trivia question is the Houston, Texas based Texas Arrow Heads played the 2004 season in the Pro Cricket League, a league that lasted just the one season.
Tomorrows trivia question is who was the Cardinals starting quarterback in 1963?
Tomorrow we will at an early minor league hockey league.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
A Texas Tradition
Many sports fans are well aware that sports fans in the State of Texas frequently live and die with the sport of Football. The fans in the Lone Star State take their football very seriously and for good reason.
There is another long standing tradition in Texas that dates back many years, that being Texas League Baseball.
On January 15, 1888 the first version of the professional league was founded. The cities involved were Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston and San Antonio. Although the first few seasons were a bit rocky the league did finally get on firm footing in 1902.
Many greats have passed through the league during their careers. Many cities have held teams through the years. Among these players would be Frank Howard, Dizzy Dean, Hank Greenberg, Joe Morgan, Johnny Damon, Francisco Rodriguez, Dave Righetti and Bob Turley.
Today the league is a very strong 8 club league with teams in Corpus Christi, TX (Hooks), Frisco, TX (RoughRiders), Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Travelers), Midland, TX (RockHounds), San Antonio, TX (Missions), Springdale, AR (Northwest Arkansas Naturals), Springfield, MO (Cardinals) and Tulsa, OK (Drillers). Some of the most exciting games in baseball history have been played by the league.
The big question now is will the Missions repeat as league champs in 2012?
For more on the Texas League please see their website at http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=l109
They have the best website in all of minor league baseball!!
The answer to the trivia question is the New York Gladiators played the 1961-62 season in the National Bowling League. The league only lasted the one season before folding.
The trivia question for tomorrow is in what league did the Texas Arrowheads play in during the 2004 season?
Tomorrow we will will be looking at the Cardinals football team.
Have a great day everyone, its great to be back!!!
There is another long standing tradition in Texas that dates back many years, that being Texas League Baseball.
On January 15, 1888 the first version of the professional league was founded. The cities involved were Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston and San Antonio. Although the first few seasons were a bit rocky the league did finally get on firm footing in 1902.
Many greats have passed through the league during their careers. Many cities have held teams through the years. Among these players would be Frank Howard, Dizzy Dean, Hank Greenberg, Joe Morgan, Johnny Damon, Francisco Rodriguez, Dave Righetti and Bob Turley.
Today the league is a very strong 8 club league with teams in Corpus Christi, TX (Hooks), Frisco, TX (RoughRiders), Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Travelers), Midland, TX (RockHounds), San Antonio, TX (Missions), Springdale, AR (Northwest Arkansas Naturals), Springfield, MO (Cardinals) and Tulsa, OK (Drillers). Some of the most exciting games in baseball history have been played by the league.
The big question now is will the Missions repeat as league champs in 2012?
For more on the Texas League please see their website at http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=l109
They have the best website in all of minor league baseball!!
The answer to the trivia question is the New York Gladiators played the 1961-62 season in the National Bowling League. The league only lasted the one season before folding.
The trivia question for tomorrow is in what league did the Texas Arrowheads play in during the 2004 season?
Tomorrow we will will be looking at the Cardinals football team.
Have a great day everyone, its great to be back!!!
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