The Amarillo Dillas were a professional baseball team based in

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County, though most of the southern half of the city extends into Randall County, Texas, Randall County ...

, in the United States. The Dillas were a member of

United League Baseball United League Baseball was an Independent league baseball, independent baseball league that operated in Texas. The league operated from 2006 to 2009. The league then temporarily merged with the Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010), Northern L ...

, an independent professional league which is not affiliated with

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

. From 1994 to 2010, the Dillas played their home games at historic

Potter County Memorial Stadium Potter County Memorial Stadium was a baseball-only stadium in Amarillo, Texas. It was most recently home to the Texas AirHogs, a professional baseball team and member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, American Asso ...

, nicknamed the ''"Dilla Villa."''

History

The Amarillo Dillas were a charter member of the independent

Texas–Louisiana League The Central Baseball League, formerly the Texas–Louisiana League, was an independent baseball league whose member teams were not affiliated with any Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises. In 1991, potential owners, Dallas businessman Byron ...

, which was formed in 1994. The Dillas were a strong team in the early years of the Texas–Louisiana League, claiming the regular season champion title in 1995, 1998, and 2000. They would win the first half championship in 1997 and were the 1999 Texas–Louisiana League champions. The Texas–Louisiana League was renamed the

Central Baseball League The Central Baseball League, formerly the Texas–Louisiana League, was an independent baseball league whose member teams were not affiliated with any Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises. In 1991, potential owners, Dallas businessman Byron ...

in 2002, and several new teams were added. The Dillas struggled with attendance after the expansion, only averaging 846 fans in their championship series appearance in 2004. A neglected stadium and erosion of local fan support resulted in the Dillas being dropped from the Central League following the 2004 season in favor of the

El Paso Diablos "El Paso Diablos" refers to two different professional baseball teams based in El Paso, Texas, in the United States. The most recent Diablos were a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, wh ...

. The Amarillo Dillas were brought back in 2006 as one of six charter members of the independent

(ULB). The new Amarillo Dillas management renovated the entire stadium, including a new field and new seats. The Amarillo Dillas just missed the playoffs in their first two seasons in the new league. In 2008, the Dillas posted a 54–37 record, claiming first-half champion honors. In the playoffs, Amarillo defeated Alexandria for their first league championship since 1999. Amarillo would continue their success in 2009 with a 44–35 record and another championship, defeating San Angelo for the title. The Dillas would win the title again in 2010, becoming the first United League three-peat champions. In October 2010, the Dillas were evicted from

. Reunion Sports Group, the parent company of the Dillas, could not pay the $75,000 lease on the stadium. In November 2010, Potter County commissioners awarded the bid for the 2011 use of the stadium to Scott Berry, owner of Southern Independent Baseball and franchisee with the

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

. The Dillas were replaced by the

Amarillo Sox The Amarillo Thunderheads, formerly known as the Amarillo Sox, were a professional minor league baseball team based in Amarillo, Texas. They were members of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, an independent baseball l ...

in the 2011 season.

Team record

References

External links

www.myamarillodillas.com/ Amarillo Dillas website (Dead Link)
Official United League Baseball site
{{United League Baseball United League Baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in Texas Sports in Amarillo, Texas Defunct independent baseball league teams 1994 establishments in Texas 2011 disestablishments in Texas Baseball teams established in 1994 Baseball teams disestablished in 2011 Professional baseball teams in Texas