Fort Worth Cats (Texas League)
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Dixie Series titles(8) |
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League titles(13) |
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First-half titles(6) |
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Second-half titles(9) |
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TheFort Worth Cats(originally theFort Worth Panthers) were aminor league baseballteam that mostly played in theTexas Leaguefrom 1888 through 1964. They were affiliated with theIndianapolis Indiansin 1933, theBrooklyn Dodgersfrom 1946 to 1956, and theChicago Cubsfrom 1957 to 1958. The team joined theAmerican Associationin 1959 and then merged with theDallas Rangersin 1959 to become theDallas-Fort Worth Rangers.The teams separated again in 1964 when the Cats rejoined the Texas League, but they merged again the following year and became theDallas-Fort Worth Spurs.The 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, and 1925 Panthers teams were selected as #4 among thetop 100 minor league teams of all time.[1]
History
[edit]The Fort Worth Panthers, also called the Fort Worth Cats, played mostly in theTexas Leaguefrom its founding in 1888 until 1959. The club won league championships in 1895 and 1905. During the late 1910s and early 1920s,Major League Baseballteams would play inFort Worthagainst the Panthers on their way fromspring trainingto their home parks. Texas fans enjoyed watching such major leaguers asTy Cobb,Babe Ruth,Lou Gehrig,andRogers Hornsbyplay in their home town.
The Panthers had a winning streak from 1919 to 1925 when they won the regular season title seven years straight. In 1919 they failed to win the playoff for the season, but won the pennant and represented the Texas League in theDixie Seriesfor the next six years. The Dixie Series was a championship series between the league champions of theSouthern Associationand Texas Leagues, both of which had established themselves as some of the best in baseball.Amon Carterand other fans would arrange special trains to ensure that avid fans had transportation to these games. Five of the first six championships were won by Fort Worth with their only loss coming in 1922 to Mobile.[2]
Doyle Williams, anFBIagent who portrayed GovernorJohn Connallyin theWarren Commission's1964 reenactment of theKennedy Assassination,briefly played in the Cats organization in the mid-1930s.[3][4]The club won both the Texas League and the Dixie Series in 1930, 1937, and 1939. Rogers Hornsby was the Cats' manager in 1942, butWorld War IIput an end to much of minor league baseball.
Following the War, the Cats became a minor league franchise of theBrooklyn Dodgers.In 1948, the Dodgers sentBobby Braganto manage the team, which won its last Texas League, but lost the Dixie Series to Birmingham. The firstAfrican Americanplayer to play for the team wasMaury Willsin 1955.
When the Dodgers moved toLos Angelesin 1957, it caused them to shuffle their minor league teams. The Fort Worth franchise was traded to theChicago Cubs.In 1959, Fort Worth left the Texas League to join theAmerican Association,but they merged with theDallas Rangersthe following year. Fort Worth regained a Texas League franchise for 1964 only, after which there was no professional baseball in Fort Worth for 36 years until a newFort Worth Catsfranchise was founded.
Year-by-year record
[edit]Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
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1888 | 21–26 | -- | Mike O'Connor / Mike Firie | Team disbanded June 28 |
1889 | 45–51 | 5th | Jim Horsfield / Paddy Welsh | League disbanded August 12 |
1890 | 17–28 | 5th | John Fogarty | League disbanded June 10 |
1895 | 80–40 | 2nd | Josh Reilly / Sport McAllister / Duke Jantzen | League Champs |
1896 | 72–28 | -- | Charlie Meyers | Team disbanded August 2 |
1898 | 10–10 | NA | Jess Reynolds | |
1902 | 48–62 | 3rd | Ted Sullivan | none |
1903 | 49–59 | 4th | Con Lucid/ Fred Scatzke /Billy Disch | |
1904 | 71–30 | 1st | Charlie Wills | Lost League Finals |
1905 | 72–59 | 1st | Al Hubbard / Charlie Wills | noneLeague Champs |
1906 | 78–46 | 1st (t) | Frederick Canender | Could not field team for playoffs |
1907 | 61–78 | 5th | Walter Salm / Walt Boles | none |
1908 | 68–74 | 5th | Dan Curtis / Henry Deiters | none |
1909 | 73–71 | 6th | Frederick Cavender | none |
1910 | 76–62 | 3rd | Walter Morris | none |
1911 | 80–67 | 2nd | Walter Morris | none |
1912 | 59–81 | 7th | Walter Morris | none |
1913 | 70–83 | 6th | Walter Morris(34–39) / William Nance (36–44) | none |
1914 | 71–77 | 5th | William Nance (42–43) /Jake Atz(29–34) | none |
1915 | 81–72 | 3rd | William Nance (31–31) /Jake Atz(50–41) | none |
1916 | 71–75 | 5th | Jake Atz(47–34) /Otto McIvor(24–41) | none |
1917 | 90–71 | 2nd | Jake Atz | none |
1918 | 47–39 | 2nd | Jake Atz | League suspended operations July 7 |
1919 | 94–60 | 1st | Jake Atz | Lost League Finals |
1920 | 108–40 | 1st | Jake Atz | noneLeague Champs |
1921 | 107–51 | 1st | Jake Atz | noneLeague Champs |
1922 | 109–46 | 1st | Jake Atz | noneLeague Champs |
1923 | 96–56 | 1st | Jake Atz | noneLeague Champs |
1924 | 109–41 | 1st | Jake Atz | noneLeague Champs |
1925 | 103–48 | 1st | Jake Atz | League Champs |
1926 | 83–73 | 3rd | Jake Atz | none |
1927 | 77–79 | 4th | Jake Atz | none |
1928 | 83–73 | 3rd | Jake Atz | |
1929 | 84–76 | 4th | Jake Atz(41–39) /Frank Snyder(43–37) | |
1930 | 84–69 | 4th | Frank Snyder | League Champs |
1931 | 90–70 | 3rd | Art Phelan | |
1932 | 68–81 | 4th | Dick McCabe/Art Phelan | |
1933 | 63–88 | 7th | Walter Holke(14–22) /Jake Atz(49–66) | |
1934 | 59–92 | 7th | Del Pratt | |
1935 | 64–95 | 8th | Johnnie Heving/Harry McCurdy | |
1936 | 76–78 | 5th | Harry McCurdy/Homer Peel | |
1937 | 85–74 | 3rd | Homer Peel | League Champs |
1938 | 61–99 | 8th | Homer Peel/Cecil Coombs/Jackie Reid | |
1939 | 87–74 | 4th | Bob Linton | League Champs |
1940 | 52–108 | 8th | Bob Linton | |
1941 | 78–76 | 5th | Bob Linton | |
1942 | 84–68 | 3rd | Rogers Hornsby | Lost in 1st round |
1946 | 101–53 | 1st | Ray Hayworth | Lost League Finals |
1947 | 95–58 | 2nd | Les Burge | Lost in 1st round |
1948 | 92–61 | 1st | Les Burge/George Dockins/Bobby Bragan | League Champs |
1949 | 100–54 | 1st | Bobby Bragan | Lost League Finals |
1950 | 88–64 | 2nd | Bobby Bragan | Lost in 1st round |
1951 | 84–77 | 4th (t) | Bobby Bragan | |
1952 | 86–75 | 2nd | Bobby Bragan | Lost in 1st round |
1953 | 82–72 | 3rd | Max Macon | Lost in 1st round |
1954 | 81–80 | 4th | Al Vincent | Lost League Finals |
1955 | 77–84 | 6th | Tommy Holmes | |
1956 | 84–70 | 3rd | Clay Bryant | Lost in 1st round |
1957 | 70–84 | 6th | Gene Handley | |
1958 | 89–64 | 1st | Lou Klein | Lost in 1st round |
1964 | 51–89 | 6th | Alex Grammas |
References
[edit]- ^"Top 100 Teams".MiLB.com. 2001.RetrievedMay 9,2017.
- ^"Official Website of the Fort Worth Cats".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-08-23.Retrieved2016-04-20.
- ^The Dolphus Starling, Minnie Lee Williams family: an autobiography 1990, Call number 929.2 WILLIAMS, Ft. Worth Public Library
- ^"John F. Kennedy Assassination Homepage:: Warren Commission:: Hearings:: Volume V:: Page 132".
External links
[edit]- 1888 establishments in Texas
- 1964 disestablishments in Texas
- Baseball teams established in 1888
- Baseball teams disestablished in 1964
- Defunct baseball teams in Texas
- Defunct Texas League teams
- Baseball teams in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
- Brooklyn Dodgers minor league affiliates
- Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates