The Hobbs Pirates was the final name of a minor league baseball club based in Hobbs, New Mexico from 1955 through 1961. Hobbs teams played as members of the

West Texas-New Mexico League West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...

(1937–1938),

Longhorn League The Longhorn League was the name of a Minor league baseball circuit that operated from through in the Southwestern United States. In , it was renamed the Southwestern League and operated through before changing its name to the Sophomore Leag ...

(1955),

Southwestern League The Southwestern League was the name of four former minor league baseball leagues that operated in the Southwestern United States. The second league, also known as the ''Oklahoma State League'', was in operation for the 1904 season. The third l ...

(1956–1957) and

Sophomore League The Sophomore League was a Class D (baseball), Class D level minor league baseball league that operated from 1958 in sports, 1958 through 1961 in sports, 1961. League franchises were located in New Mexico and Texas. The league evolved from the Sou ...

(1958–1961), winning three league championships. Hobbs minor league teams hosted home games at Bender Park. Hobbs teams were minor league affiliates of the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

in 1938, Washington Senators in 1956, St. Louis Cardinals from 1958 to 1959 and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

from 1960 to 1961.

History

The first team in Hobbs was the 1937 Hobbs Dillers of the

, who also played in 1938. The franchise revived in 1955 with the Hobbs Sports, an affiliate of the Washington Senators and was a member of the

and the

. In 1958 the club joined the

, became an affiliate with the St. Louis Cardinals and became known as the Hobbs Cardinals. In 1960, the club was finally named the Pirates, after the

began an affiliation with the team. Under the Pirates, Hobbs won league titles in 1960 and 1961. The Sophomore League folded after the 1961 season.

The ballpark

Hobbs teams played at Bender Park. The site is a now a park located at 1100 West Marland Boulevard Hobbs, NM 88240.

Season–by–season

Notable alumni

* Gene Michael (1961) *

Thurman Tucker Thurman Lowell Tucker (September 26, 1917May 7, 1993) was an American professional baseball player. A center fielder, Tucker played in Major League Baseball for nine seasons in the American League with the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians ...

(1957, 1959) MLB All-Star *

Ron Woods Ronald Lawrence Woods (born February 1, 1943) is an American former professional baseball player who appeared in all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball from to , primarily as an outfielder, for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankee ...

(1961) *

Gary Waslewski Gary Lee Waslewski (born July 21, 1941) is a former American professional baseball player who played as a pitcher from 1967 to 1972. He accrued an 11–26 win–loss record, plus 5 saves in his career, with an ERA of 3.44. Career Waslewski made h ...

(1960–1961)

References

{{reflist Baseball teams established in 1960 Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1961 Defunct minor league baseball teams Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliates Washington Senators minor league affiliates 1955 establishments in New Mexico 1961 disestablishments in New Mexico Detroit Tigers minor league affiliates Defunct baseball teams in New Mexico Baseball teams disestablished in 1961

History

The ballpark

Season–by–season

Notable alumni

See also

References