The West Texas–New Mexico League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1937 through 1955, with a hiatus from 1943 to 1945 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The league started as a Class D level league, upgraded to Class C in 1946 and then a final advancement to Class B level status in 1955. League franchises were based exclusively in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

History

The West Texas–New Mexico League began play in 1937 as a Class D level league, with Milton Price serving as president. The

Hobbs Drillers Hobbs may refer to: Surname *Hobbs (surname) Fictional *Russel Hobbs of the virtual band Gorillaz * Luke Hobbs, a character from ''The Fast and the Furious'' film series *Lynne Hobbs, a character from ''EastEnders'' *Garry Hobbs, a character ...

, Midland Cardinals, Monahans Trojans,

Odessa Oilers Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern sho ...

, Roswell Sunshiners and Wink Spudders were the charter members in beginning league play on May 4, 1937. The Lubbock Hubbers (1938, 1939, 1947),

Albuquerque Dukes The Albuquerque Dukes were a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. History The first Dukes team was formed in 1915 as part of the Class D Rio Grande Association. The team finished in third place with a 32-25 record. Fra ...

(1949, 1950, 1953) and

Pampa Oilers The Pampa Oilers were a West Texas–New Mexico League (1940–1942, 1946–1955) and Southwestern League (1956–1957) minor league baseball team based in Pampa, Texas, USA. They were affiliated with the Oklahoma City Indians in 1953 an ...

(1946, 1954, 1955) each won three league championships.

Cities represented

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones Counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census, making it the 27th-most populous city in the state of Texas. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statis ...

: Abilene Apaches 1939;

Abilene Blue Sox The Abilene Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team that operated in the West Texas–New Mexico League from 1946 to 1955 and the Big State League from 1956 to 1957. They were an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1946–48) and the Kansas City ...

1946–1955 *

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

1942;

1946–1955, moved to Western League 1956–1958 *

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...

Amarillo Gold Sox The Amarillo Gold Sox was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise that represented the city of Amarillo, Texas, in the Class D West Texas–New Mexico League, the Class A Western League and the Double-A Texas League at various t ...

1939–1942;

1946–1955, moved to Western League 1956–1958 *

Big Spring, Texas Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. With a population of 27,282 as of the 2010 census, it is the largest city between Midland to the west, A ...

Big Spring Barons Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * '' Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...

1938–1940;

Big Spring Bombers Big Spring, Texas was home to several minor league baseball teams between 1928 and 1955. The Hamlin Pied Pipers moved from Hamlin, Texas to Big Spring during the 1928 season and became the Big Spring Springers, who finished 6th in the West Texas ...

1941; Big Spring Pirates 1942 *

Borger, Texas Borger ( ) is the largest city in Hutchinson County, Texas, United States. The population was 12,551 at the 2020 census. Borger is named for businessman Asa Philip "Ace" Borger, who also established the Hutchinson County seat of Stinnett ...

Borger Gassers The Borger Gassers were a minor league baseball team that operated in the West Texas–New Mexico League 1937 through 1954 with a break from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II. Borger Gassers disbanded on July 16, 1954. Players Pitchers *Will ...

1939–1942, 1946–1954 *

Clovis, New Mexico Clovis is a city in and the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico, Curry County, New Mexico. The city had a population of 37,775 as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, and a 2019 estimated population of 38,319. Clovis is located in th ...

: Clovis Pioneers 1938–1942, 1946–1955, moved to

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 *

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

El Paso Texans EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American p ...

1955, moved to

1956–1957, moved from

Arizona–Texas League The Arizona–Texas League was a Class D level American minor league baseball league that existed for nine seasons, from 1931–32, 1937–41, 1947–50 and 1952-54. In 1951, the Arizona-Texas loop merged with the Sunset League (based primarily ...

1952–1954 *

Hobbs, New Mexico Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, Lea County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 40,508 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, increasing from 34,122 in 2010. Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico microp ...

1937; Hobbs Boosters 1938 *

Lamesa, Texas Lamesa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,674 at the 2020 census, down from 9,952 at the 2000 census. Located south of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado, Lamesa was founded in 1903. Mo ...

Lamesa Lobos The Lamesa Lobos (a.k.a. Lamesa Dodgers and Lamesa Indians) were a minor league baseball team based in Lamesa, Texas. They played in the West Texas–New Mexico League from 1939 to 1942, shut down for World War II, and then resumed from 1946–195 ...

1939–1941;

Lamesa Dodgers Lamesa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,674 at the 2020 census, down from 9,952 at the 2000 census. Located south of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado, Lamesa was founded in 1903. Mos ...

1942;

1946–1952 *

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

: Lubbock Hubbers 1938–1942, 1946–1955, moved to

Big State League The Big State League was a mid-level, Class B level circuit in American minor league baseball that played for 11 seasons, from 1947 through 1957. Its member clubs were exclusively based in Texas. The Corpus Christi Clippers (1955-1956), Texark ...

1956–1958 *

Midland, Texas Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States. A small part of Midland is in Martin County. At the 2020 census, Midland's population was 132,524. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas metropolitan ...

: Midland Cardinals 1937–1938; Midland Cowboys 1939–1940 *

Monahans, Texas Monahans is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, Texas, United States. A very small portion of the city extends into Winkler County. The population was 6,953 at the 2010 census. In 2018, the population was estimated at 7,669. History ...

: Monahans Trojans 1937 *

Odessa, Texas Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small section of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 114,428 at the 2020 census, mak ...

1937, 1940 *

Pampa, Texas Pampa (from the Quechua: ''pampa'', meaning "plain") is a city in Gray County, Texas, United States. Its population was 16,867 as of the 2020 census. Pampa is the county seat of Gray County and is the principal city of the Pampa micropolitan ...

1939–1942, 1946–1955, moved to

1956–1957 *

Plainview, Texas Plainview is a city in and the county seat of Hale County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,194. Geography Plainview is located at (34.191204, –101.718806) and is located on the Llano Estacado. According ...

: Plainview Ponies 1953–1955, moved to

1956–1957 *

Roswell, New Mexico Roswell () is a city in, and the County seat, seat of, Chaves County, New Mexico, Chaves County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Chaves County forms the entirety of the List of micropolitan areas in New Mexico, Roswell micropolitan area. As of ...

: Roswell Sunshiners1937 *

Wichita Falls, Texas Wichita Falls ( ) is a city in and the seat of government of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita counties. Accordin ...

Wichita Falls Spudders The Wichita Falls Spudders were a minor league baseball team that formed in 1920 and played its last game in 1957. They were based in Wichita Falls, Texas. The first Spudders team ran from 1920–1932 and played in the Texas League as an affiliat ...

1941–1942 *

Wink, Texas Wink is a city in Winkler County, Texas, United States. The population was 940 at the 2010 census. Wink was a temporary childhood home to singer and songwriter Roy Orbison, although he was born in Vernon, Texas. Orbison later described the maj ...

: Wink Spudders 1937–1938

Standings & statistics

1937 to 1942

1937 West Texas-New Mexico League - https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61517715/1937-west-texas-new-mexico-league/ schedule]
Odessa withdrew June 17; Midland withdrew July 9.
Playoffs: Wink 3 games, Hobbs 0: Roswell 3 games, Monahans 2;
Finals: Wink 3 games, Roswell 0. 1938 West Texas-New Mexico League
schedule
br> Playoffs: Lubbock 3 games, Wink 0: Clovis 3 games, Midland 1.
Finals: Lubbock 4 games, Clovis 1.
Total league attendance, 108,342 1939 West Texas-New Mexico League
schedule
br> Total league attendance, 273,374
Abilene moved to Borger July 9.
Playoffs: Lubbock 3 games, Big Spring 0: Pampa 3 games, Lamesa 2.
Finals: Lubbock 4 games, Pampa 1.
1940 West Texas-New Mexico League
schedule
br /> Total league attendance, 240,679
Big Spring moved to Odessa June 20.
Playoffs: Borger 3 games, Pampa 0: Lubbock 3 games, Amarillo 0.
Finals: Borger 4 games, Lubbock 3. 1941 West Texas-New Mexico League
schedule
br /> Total Attendance, 183,395.
Playoffs: Big Spring 3 games, Amarillo 0: Clovis 3 games, Borger 2.
Finals: Clovis 4 games, Big Spring 3. 1942 West Texas-New Mexico League
schedule
br> Wichita Falls moved to Big Spring May 22. The Pirates withdrew June 20.; Albuquerque withdrew June 23.
The league disbanded July 25.

References

External links

Baseball Reference

Sources

''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'', Second Edition. {{DEFAULTSORT:West Texas-New Mexico League Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Texas 1937 establishments in New Mexico 1937 establishments in Texas 1955 disestablishments in New Mexico 1955 disestablishments in Texas Defunct professional sports leagues in the United States Sports leagues established in 1937 Sports leagues disestablished in 1955 Baseball leagues in New Mexico