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Carter and Deduno
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| 2009 Texas League Player and Pitcher of the Year, Chris Carter and Samuel Deduno |
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BASEBALL IN THE LONE STAR STATE
The Texas League’s Greatest Hits
By Tom Kayser and David King
First Texas League game pitted Babies against the Giants
On April 1, 1888, the Houston Babies met the Galveston Giants in the very first Texas League game. The pitcher stood 50 feet from the plate, the catcher kept his distance from the batter, and fielders played bare-handed. Of the Giants’ eventual defeat, a reporter for the Houston Daily Post wrote that “the Babies were too lusty and too muscular to be spanked by the Giants.”
From the late 19th century until opening day of the 2005 season, the Texas League has brought great teams, unforgettable characters, and compelling games to 41 cities across the region. BASEBALL IN THE LONE STAR STATE: THE TEXAS LEAGUE’S GREATEST HITS gathers more than 50 stories from Texas League history into one entertaining, fact-filled volume.
Just a few of the highlights in BASEBALL IN THE LONE STAR STATE include
- the 1902 match up between the Oil City (Corsicana) Oilers and Texarkana that produced a half dozen standing league records, including most runs (51) in a game
- the on- and off-the-field antics of the Houston Buffalos’ Dizzy Dean
- how “night baseball” saved the league
- portraits of great players, such as Dave Hoskins, who integrated the League in 1952
- miracle plays and memorable games, such as Gene Rye’s three homer inning (1930); Joe Pignatano’s two home runs in the same at bat (1955); Tyrone Horne’s solo, 2-run, 3-run, and grand slam home run in the same game (1998); Bob Turley’s 22-strike out, 16-inning game (1951); the 25-inning game in 1965 that resulted in a score of 2-1
- snapshots of the record-setting seasons for the Round Rock Express and the San Antonio Missions
- an account of the 1950 season opener for the Dallas Eagles—a game that drew 50,000 fans.
Rounding out the volume:
- A 32-page insert of b/w photos dating from the League’s founding;
- Appendix with baseball statistics including team names, ballparks, major league affiliates, records and more.
Each story is the product of both the painstaking archival research by Texas League President Tom Kayser and the skilled journalistic hand of baseball writer David King.
Since 2000, Texas League ballparks have welcomed more than 2 million fans each year. Nationally, more than 39 million fans attended minor league games in the 2004 season – and the number is growing.
The growing popularity of minor league ball is no surprise to Kayser and King. As they point out in the accompanying Q&A, for less than the price of a movie, the entire family can spend an evening at the ballpark—and in the bargain, enjoy access to fans, entertaining promotions, and a chance to see a player begin what might become a dazzling career.
- For an updated schedule of ballpark and other signings, go to www.trinity.edu/tupress or contact Lynn Gosnell, Marketing Manager, Trinity University Press, 210-999-8882, lgosnell@trinity.edu.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Tom Kayser is president of the Texas League. He has had a lifelong career in baseball, beginning with the Eastern League in 1976. Along the way, he has worked with the Berkshire Brewers, Holyoke Millers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Calgary Cannons. David King is a sports writer at the San Antonio Express-News, covering topics from baseball to the Olympics. He is the author of San Antonio at Bat: Professional Baseball in the Alamo City.
Baseball in the Lone Star State is available on the Official Texas League web site on the trading post for $13.50 plus $4.00 shipping and handling ($1.00 each extra book shipping). Print out the form and send it in to the Texas League office.
Click Here to go to the Texas League Trading Post
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