The Arizona–Texas League was a Class D level American

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 ...

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 in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

but with teams in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

and

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

) to form the Southwest International League. However, the

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

clubs played only that one season (1951) in the new circuit before seceding and reforming the A-TL in 1952. From 1928 to 1930, it was known as the Arizona State League.

History

After the 1930 season, the Arizona State League, which began play in 1928, changed their name and evolved into the 1931 Class D Arizona–Texas League. Arizona State League president Wilford S. Sullinger remained as president of the newly named league. Former Arizona State League members Bisbee Bees, El Paso Texans, Globe Bears, Phoenix Senators and Tucson Missions continued play in the 1931 Arizona–Texas League, joined by the Nogales Internationals. The Arizona–Texas League was the lowest level in the minor leagues, Class D, through 1939, and upgraded to Class C from 1940 onward. Its longest tenured clubs included: *

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...

* Bisbee and Bisbee-Douglas, Arizona *

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

The Arizona-Texas circuit also had teams in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

as early as 1931, although its name did not reflect this fact.

Indios de Ciudad Juárez Club de Fútbol Indios de Ciudad Juárez, commonly referred as Indios de Ciudad Juárez or simply Indios, was a Mexican football club. Founded in 2005 when CF Pachuca moved its Pachuca Juniors to Ciudad Juárez, it was promoted to the Primera Di ...

team was a member for seven years in the 1940s and 1950s. But in 1955, when the league lost its lone Texas franchise, in El Paso, its name was formally changed to the Arizona–Mexico League. In 1958, its Phoenix franchise moved all the way up to Class AAA when it received the old San Francisco Seals club after the

Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...

moved West. That signaled the end of the Class C Arizona–Mexico League; its final champion in 1958 was the Douglas Copper Kings, an affiliate of the

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

List of teams

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

: Albuquerque Dons (1932); Albuquerque Cardinals (1937–1941) *

Bisbee, Arizona Bisbee is a city in and the county seat of Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise County in southeastern Arizona, United States. It is southeast of Tucson, Arizona, Tucson and north of the Mexican border. According to the 2020 United States census, ...

: Bisbee Bees (1931–1932; 1937–1941); Bisbee Yanks (1947) *

Douglas, Arizona Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, that lies in the north-west to south-east running Sulphur Springs Valley. Douglas has a Douglas, Arizona Port of Entry, border crossing with Mexico at Agua Prieta and a history of min ...

: Bisbee-Douglas Miners (1948); Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings (1949–1950; 1952–1954) * Cananea, Sonora,

: Cananea Mineros (1954) *

Chihuahua, Chihuahua The city of Chihuahua or Chihuahua City ( ; Lipan language, Lipan: ) is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua. , the city of Chihuahua had a population of 925,762 inhabitants. while the metropolitan area had a popu ...

: Chihuahua Dorados (1952) *

Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua Ciudad () is the Spanish word for "city". Ciudad or La Ciudad may also refer to: * La Ciudad (archaeological site), Hohokam ruins in Phoenix, Arizona * La Ciudad, district of Durango City, Mexico * ''La ciudad'', a novel by Mario Levrero publi ...

: Juarez Indios (1947–1950; 1952–1954) *

: El Paso Texans (1931–1932; 1937–1941; 1947–1950; 1952–1954) *

Globe, Arizona Globe ( "Place of Metal") is a city in and the county seat of Gila County, Arizona, Gila County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,249. Globe was founded c. 1875 as a mini ...

: Globe Bears (1931) *

& Miami, Arizona: Globe-Miami Browns (1947–1950) *

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 504,258 at the 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Arizona, third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, T ...

: Mesa Orphans (1947) *

Mexicali, Baja California Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, which is the seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is ...

, MEX: Mexicali Eagles (1953–1954) *

Nogales, Sonora Heroica Nogales (), more commonly known as Nogales, is a city and the county seat of the Municipality of Nogales in the Mexican state of Sonora. It is located in the north of the state across the U.S.-Mexico border, and is abutted on its north ...

: Nogales Internationals (1931; Nogales Yaquis (1954) *

: Phoenix Senators (1931–1932; 1947–1950; 1952–1953); Phoenix Stars (1954) *

: Tucson Missions (1931); Tucson Lizards (1932; Tucson Cowboys (1937–1941; 1947–1950; 1952–1954)

Champion teams

*1931 – El Paso Texans *1932 – Unknown *1937 – Albuquerque Cardinals *1938 – El Paso Texans *1939 – Albuquerque Cardinals *1940 – El Paso Texans *1941 – Tucson Cowboys *1947 – Globe-Miami Browns *1948 – Globe-Miami Browns *1949 – El Paso Texans *1950 – El Paso Texans *1952 – Juarez Indios *1953 – Tucson Cowboys *1954 – Phoenix Stars

Standings & statistics

1931 to 1940

1931 Arizona–Texas League''
schedule
Playoff: El Paso 5 games, Bisbee 0. 1932 Arizona–Texas League Phoenix disbanded May 9. The league disbanded July 24. 1937 Arizona–Texas League Playoffs: Albuquerque defeated El Paso in a one game playoff for the second half title.
Finals: Albuquerque 4 games, El Paso 3. 1938 Arizona–Texas League Playoffs: El Paso 4 games, Bisbee 3. 1939 Arizona–Texas League Playoffs: Albuquerque 4 games, Bisbee 2. 1940 Arizona–Texas League Playoffs: El Paso 4 games, Tucson 3.

1941 to 1950

1941 Arizona–Texas League''
schedule
Playoffs: None Scheduled 1947 Arizona–Texas League''
schedule
Juarez disbanded June 22 after winning the first half and was replaced by Mesa June 27.
Playoffs: Tucson 2 games, Bisbee 0; Globe-Miami 2 games, Phoenix 0; Finals: Globe–Miami 3 games, Tucson 2. 1948 Arizona–Texas League Playoffs: El Paso defeated Juarez in a one game playoff for third place; Globe–Miami 4 games, El Paso 2; Juarez 4 games, Tucson 1.
Finals: Globe–Miami 4 games, Juarez 3. 1949 Arizona–Texas League''
schedule
Playoffs: Phoenix 4 games, Tucson 2; El Paso 4 games, Juarez 2.
Finals: El Paso 4 games, Phoenix 2. 1950 Arizona–Texas League''
schedule
Playoffs: Phoenix 4 games, Juarez 2; El Paso 4 games, Bisbee-Douglas 2.
Finals: El Paso 4 games, Phoenix 2.

1952 to 1954

1952 Arizona–Texas League Playoffs: None Scheduled. 1953 Arizona–Texas League Playoffs: None Scheduled. 1954 Arizona–Texas League Playoffs: None Scheduled.

References

* Johnson, Lloyd and Wolff, Miles, ed., ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball.'' Durham, North Carolina:

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

, 1997.

External links

Baseball Reference – Arizona–Texas League Encyclopedia and History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arizona-Texas League Baseball leagues in Arizona Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Texas 1931 establishments in North America 1954 disestablishments in North America Sports leagues established in 1931 Sports leagues disestablished in 1954 Defunct baseball leagues in Mexico