The Oklahoma City Indians was the primary name of an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

team representing

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, from 1904 though 1957, except for 1913 and three seasons during World War II. The team played in several different minor league baseball leagues, primarily 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 ...

and the Western League. The team was known as the Mets, Boosters, and Senators at different times during its early years.

History

A team representing Oklahoma City first played in the Southwestern League in 1904. The city was represented continuously in minor league baseball through 1957, except for four seasons. Following the disbanding of the Oklahoma State League during the 1912 season, Oklahoma City did not have a professional team in 1913, although several Western League teams played exhibition games in the city. During World War II, play was suspended for three seasons, 1943–1945, and resumed in 1946. In addition to competing in the Southwestern League in 1904 and the Oklahoma State League in 1912, Oklahoma City teams played in the

Western Association The Western Association was the name of five different leagues formed in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries. The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Weste ...

during 1905–1908 and 1914–1917; the

during 1909–1911, 1933–1942 and 1946–1957; and the Western League from 1918 to 1932. Oklahoma City teams played their home games at Western League Park, Holland Field and Texas League Park. Minor league classifications varied somewhat during the team's lifetime, but the Western and Texas leagues of the post-World War I era—rated Class A, A1 or Double-A—were high-level circuits that usually ranked two notches below

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

calibre. The Indians won the 1935 Texas League championship and two years later captured 101 regular-season victories, but generally struggled in the Texas League standings. Additionally, they won the 1935

Dixie Series The Dixie Series was an interleague postseason series between the playoff champions of Minor League Baseball's Southern Association (SA) and Texas League (TL). The best-of-seven series was held at the conclusion of each season from 1920 to 1 ...

, a postseason interleague championship between the champions of the

Southern Association The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), Cla ...

and the Texas League. In the club's last three seasons, 1955–1957, it lost 90, 106 and 88 games. The team spent the post-World War II period as the Double-A affiliate of the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

, but the Oklahoma City Indians' nickname long preceded that relationship. The Indians team spent many years as an unaffiliated franchise, and in its last two seasons was a

farm club In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

of the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

. Baseball Hall of Fame player

Rogers Hornsby Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 193 ...

managed the Indians for part of the 1940 season, and broadcaster

Curt Gowdy Curtis Edward Gowdy (July 31, 1919 – February 20, 2006) was an American sportscaster. He called Boston Red Sox games on radio and TV for 15 years, and then covered many nationally televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports and ABC S ...

launched his baseball announcing career with the postwar Indians; when he left in early 1949, Gowdy's replacement was

Bob Murphy Robert, Rob, Bob or Bobby Murphy may refer to: Sports Ice hockey *Robert Ronald Murphy or Ron Murphy (1933–2014), Canadian ice hockey player * Bob Murphy (ice hockey) (born 1951), Canadian retired professional ice hockey player * Rob Murphy (ice ...

. Both Gowdy and Murphy went on to win the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame. Former minor league player and manager Jimmie Humphries, who owned the team during the 1950s, was with the Indians in different capacities from 1919 through 1957, "one of the longest careers with a single franchise in baseball history." The Oklahoma City Indians folded when the Texas League reorganized following the 1957 season. Five years later, the

Oklahoma City 89ers Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

, Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Colt .45s, then a major league expansion team (now known as the Houston Astros), debuted in the

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

. The Triple-A franchise has played continuously since 1962, and since 2015 has been the

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Dodgers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their home games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ba ...

Notable alumni

Players with Oklahoma City who also appeared in

(MLB) include: * Frank Baumann * Al Benton * Ray Boone *

Ted Bowsfield Edward Oliver Bowsfield (born January 10, 1935) is a Canadian former professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher born in Vernon, British Columbia, and raised in Penticton, he appeared in 215 games pitched in Major League Baseball over seve ...

* Dick Conger *

Estel Crabtree Estel Crayton Crabtree (August 19, 1903 – January 4, 1967) was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds (1929; 1931–1932; 1943–1944) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1933; 1941–1942). His playing career was unusual in that he ...

Nick Etten Nicholas Raymond Thomas Etten (September 19, 1913 – October 18, 1990) was a first baseman in major league baseball, who played for the Philadelphia Athletics (1938–39), Philadelphia Phillies (1941–42, 1947) and New York Yankees (1943–46). ...

* Joe Frazier * Mike Garcia * Pumpsie Green *

Orval Grove Orval Leroy Grove (August 29, 1919 – April 20, 1992) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for ten seasons in the American League with the Chicago White Sox. In 207 career games, Grove pitched 1,176 innings and posted ...

Jim Hegan James Edward Hegan (August 3, 1920 – June 17, 1984) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and scout. He played for 17 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to and to , most notably for the Cleveland Indians w ...

* Carl Hubbell * Randy Jackson * Sheldon Jones *

Vern Kennedy Lloyd Vernon Kennedy (March 20, 1907 – January 28, 1993) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinna ...

Don Kolloway Donald Martin Kolloway (August 4, 1918 – June 30, 1994), was a Major League Baseball player who played 12 years as an infielder for the Chicago White Sox (1940–1943, 1946–1949), Detroit Tigers (1949–1952) and Philadelphia Athletics (1953). ...

Jim Lemon James Robert Lemon (March 23, 1928 – May 14, 2006) was an American right and left fielder, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. A powerful, right-handed hitting and throwing outfielder, Lemon teamed with first baseman Roy Sievers and la ...

Eddie Lopat Edmund Walter Lopat (originally Lopatynski) (June 21, 1918 – June 15, 1992) was a Major League Baseball pitcher, coach, manager, front office executive, and scout. He was sometimes known as "The Junk Man", but better known as "Steady Eddie ...

Ken McBride Kenneth Faye McBride (born August 12, 1935) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. The right-handed pitcher worked in 151 games, 122 as a starter, in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox (1959–1960) and Los A ...

* Dale Mitchell * Hal Naragon * Bill Nicholson *

Johnny Niggeling John Arnold Niggeling (July 10, 1903 – September 16, 1963) was an American professional baseball pitcher who appeared in 184 games in Major League Baseball over all or parts of nine seasons (–) with the Boston Bees / Braves, Cincinnati Reds ...

Albie Pearson Albert Gregory ("Albie") Pearson (born September 12, 1934) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a centerfielder for the Washington Senators (1958–59), Baltimore Orioles (1959–60), a ...

Al Rosen Albert Leonard Rosen (February 29, 1924 – March 13, 2015), nicknamed "Flip" and "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American baseball third baseman and right-handed slugger for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball for ten seasons in the 194 ...

* Thurman Tucker * Bill Voiselle * Emil Yde *

Jerry Zimmerman Gerald Robert Zimmerman (September 21, 1934 – September 9, 1998) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins from 1961 to ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oklahoma City Indians Baseball teams established in 1904 Baseball teams disestablished in 1957 1904 establishments in Oklahoma Territory 1957 disestablishments in Oklahoma Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates Boston Red Sox minor league affiliates Western Baseball League teams Defunct Texas League teams Professional baseball teams in Oklahoma Defunct baseball teams in Oklahoma Sports in Oklahoma City Defunct Western League teams