The "Austin Senators" is the name of various minor league baseball teams based in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, United States which played on-and-off between 1898 and 1964. Different incarnations of the Senators have played in the
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
(1888–1890, 1905, 1907–1908, 1911–1914, 1956–1967),
Texas-Southern League
The Texas-Southern League was a sports league of Minor League Baseball, minor league baseball teams that operated from 1895 to 1899, primarily in Texas. During the 1896 season, the league renamed itself as the Texas Association. History of the Tex ...
(1896),
South Texas League
The South Texas League was a Class C level minor league baseball league that played from 1903 to 1906. League teams were based in Louisiana and Texas. Comprising four teams for its first three years, it expanded to six teams in its final season. ...
(1906)
Middle Texas League
The Middle Texas League was a six–team Class D (baseball), Class D level minor league baseball league that played in the 1914 and 1915 seasons. The Middle Texas League featured franchises based in Texas. The Middle Texas League permanently folde ...
(1915) and
Texas Association
The Texas Association was a sports league of Minor League Baseball, minor league baseball teams in Texas that operated from 1923 through 1926. An earlier league, initially known as the Texas-Southern League, used the same name from mid-1896 throu ...
(1925–1926).
History
In 1915, the Senators moved to the Middle Texas League and won two games as the Austin Representatives before relocating to
Taylor, Texas
Taylor is a city in Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,575 at the 2000 census; it was 15,191 at the 2010 census; it was 16,267 at the 2020 census.
History
In 1876, the Texas Land Company auctioned lots in anticipati ...
due to severe flooding.
They were known as the Austin Rangers playing in the
Texas Association
The Texas Association was a sports league of Minor League Baseball, minor league baseball teams in Texas that operated from 1923 through 1926. An earlier league, initially known as the Texas-Southern League, used the same name from mid-1896 throu ...
from 1925–1926). From 1956–1967 they were affiliated with the
Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. For the final three seasons of their existence, they were known as the "
Austin Braves
The Austin Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in the East Division of the Texas League and were affiliated with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. Known as the Austin Senators from 1956 to 1964, they played at Disch Field. In 1965, they became ...
." After the 1967 season, the team relocated to
Shreveport, Louisiana, depriving Austin of professional baseball for the rest of the 20th century.
Over the course of their existence, they won multiple league championships. Their first came in 1906 under manager
Warren Gill
Warren Darst Gill (December 21, 1878 – November 26, 1952), nicknamed "Doc", was a professional baseball player who played as a first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1908 Major League Baseball season. Gill graduated from Washington ...
. They won their next in 1907 under
Brooks Gordon; during the same year, the Senators would post one of the most lopsided victories in baseball history, by defeating the
San Antonio Bronchos The San Antonio Bronchos were a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas, that played in the South Texas League (1903–1906) and Texas League (1907–1919). The team was also known as the Mustangs (1903–04), Warriors (1905), and Ace ...
in the second game of a
doubleheader 44–0.
During this game, Senators player
Harry Short scored seven runs on five hits, stole four bases and hit a double and a triple.
In 1911, the Senators won their third championship under manager
Dale Gear
Dale Darwin (or perhaps Dudley) Gear (February 2, 1872 – September 23, 1951) was a Major League Baseball pitcher and outfielder. He played parts of three seasons in the majors, and 1897 in baseball, 1897 for the Cleveland Spiders and for the W ...
. They won their final league championship in 1959 under the guidance of
Ernie White
Ernest Daniel White (September 5, 1916 – May 22, 1974) was an American professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from to and from to . A native of Pacolet Mills, South Carolina, he threw left-handed, batted right ...
. In that season,
Charlie Gorin
Charles Perry Gorin (February 6, 1928 – February 21, 2021) was an American professional baseball player and left-handed pitcher who appeared in seven games—all in relief—in Major League Baseball during and with the Milwaukee Braves. Born i ...
threw a
no-hitter against the
Mexico City Diablos Rojos
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
.
On the 50th anniversary of their championship season, members of the 1959 team reunited in
Central Texas where they were honored during a
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...
series and given
championship rings.
Timeline
See also
*
Riverside Park (Austin)
References
Baseball teams established in 1898
Baseball teams in Austin, Texas
Defunct minor league baseball teams
1898 establishments in Texas
Defunct baseball teams in Texas
Baseball teams disestablished in 1964
Texas-Southern League teams
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