Dallas–Fort Worth Spurs
Lua error in Module:Infobox at line 271: malformed pattern (missing ']'). The Dallas–Fort Worth Spurs were an American minor league baseball team in the Texas League from 1965–1971.[1] The team played in Turnpike Stadium in Arlington, Texas.[2]
The Spurs were created when the Triple-A Dallas Rangers moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1965.[3] With the opening of Turnpike Stadium, the Double-A Texas League's Fort Worth Cats, an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, moved into the new venue and adopted the regional Dallas-Fort Worth designation and the Spurs nickname.[2]
The Spurs were affiliated with the Cubs (1965–1967),[4][5] Houston Astros (1968),[6] and Baltimore Orioles (1969–1971).[7][8] In its affiliation with Baltimore, the team featured future Major League players Don Baylor,[7] Bobby Grich,[7] Enos Cabell,[8] and Wayne Garland,[8] along with managers Cal Ripken Sr.[8] and Joe Altobelli[7] and batboy Cal Ripken Jr.
The Spurs set many Texas League attendance records, especially after Turnpike Stadium expanded to a capacity of 20,500 in 1970.[9] The Dallas-Fort Worth area was considered a prime location for an expansion team or a re-located franchise. Indeed, Turnpike Stadium had been built specifically to attract a major-league team to the Metroplex. That dream nearly came to fruition when the National League expanded in 1969. But the league instead expanded to Montreal, with the Montreal Expos.[10]
Two years later, the struggling Washington Senators received American League permission to transfer to the area in 1972 as the Texas Rangers,[11] who moved into Turnpike Stadium (expanded and renamed Arlington Stadium).[12]
References
- ↑ Franchise History since 1902 at texas-league.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The History of Baseball in Fort Worth at fwcats.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ Pacific Coast League (AAA) Encyclopedia and History at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ 1965 Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ 1967 Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ 1968 Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 1969 Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 1971 Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ A look at historic stadiums in Dallas-Fort Worth area at pe.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ The Team That Nearly Wasn’t: The Montreal Expos by Maury Brown at hardballtimes.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ Historical Moments at sportsencyclopedia.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
- ↑ Arlington Stadium at ballparks.com, URL accessed December 30, 2009. Archived 12/30/09
External links
| Preceded by | Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate 1965–1967 |
Succeeded by San Antonio Missions |
| Preceded by | Houston Astros Double-A affiliate 1968 |
Succeeded by Savannah Senators |
| Preceded by | Baltimore Orioles Double-A affiliate 1969–1971 |
Succeeded by Asheville Orioles |
