Baseball in the Lone Star State: The Texas League's Greatest Hits

by Tom Kayser, David King

The Texas League chronicles the nine minor league teams in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma that have brought America's favorite sport to local fans for more than 100 summers. In quick, lively chapters, authors Tom Kayser and David King examine colorful Texas League favorites like the San Antonio Missions and the Midland Rock Hounds, painting an epic picture of down-home America through the lens of semi-pro baseball. The story begins with a look at how the discovery of oil in East Texas provided the funds to secure the league in its core locales. The league is then brought to life with several key profiles, including those of founder John McCloskey, managers Jake Atz and Paul LaGrave, who built the Fort Worth Cats into the league's most dominant team, and players Gene "Half-Pint" Rye, who hit two home runs in an inning for Waco, and Dave Hoskins, who integrated the league five years after Jackie Robinson integrated the majors. Also featured are dozens of archival photos dating back to the league's beginnings and an appendix of statistics.

Genres: Baseball

256 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[carl theaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Entertaining read of 'best hit' tales of the AA Texas baseball
league, from the 1880s to publication, which was 2005. The Texas league
also contains teams from surrounding states, New Mexico, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

The two to four page stories are perfect for reading between
innings or for a quick read at lunch. I found when I read too many
at once, they blurred together, so best to try pace yourself.

Author Kayser is president of the Texas League and King a long
time San Antonio sports writer; they picked the best out of
stacks of stories Kayser collected over the years.

I liked the old stories as well as the new, which added local
color for me as I've attended various games of the Round Rock
Express Team.

There are about 20 pages of good pics and a baker's dozen
of interesting lists in the appendix - such as Texas
League ballparks since 1920, Team affiliates, Team Names-
Golden Gators, Hams, Babies, Rosebuds, Boll Weevils,
Orphans or Sand Crabs anyone?