The Texas League Has Turned Out Major Leaguers And Great Team Names Since 1888

The Dallas Hams and Houston Buffs may be no more, but the Texas League is still introducing fans to minor league baseball.

By Michael MarksApril 4, 2017 3:46 pm

As baseball season kicks off this month, many up-and-coming players will compete in the minor leagues in hopes of getting picked up by a major league team. The Texas League, a AA minor league, has been developing the careers of young players in Texas and nearby states since 1888.

Lynn Ashby, a columnist for The Leader newspaper, says that the storied history of the Texas League has garnered respect in the minors and launched some notable careers.

“Various franchises have come and gone. But they all wanted to call themselves members of the Texas League, because in baseball, the Texas League had a certain standing,” Ashby says. “It was known as a hotbed of excellent later players, Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens and some of them. Football is king in Texas, but we do our share in baseball too.”

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– Some of the notable team names including the Longview Cannibals, Temple Boll Weevils and more

– How the league keeps fans coming back after over a century

– How the league survived after the arrival of major league baseball in Texas
Written by Emma Whalen.