Temple Eagles

The Temple Eagles was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Temple, Texas between 1905 and 1957. Temple teams played as members of the Texas League (1905–1907), Middle Texas League (1914–1915), Central Texas League (1916–1917), Texas Association (1924–1926) and Big State League (1949–1954, 1957).

Temple Eagles
1905–1957
(1905–1907, 1914–1917, 1924–1926, 1949–1954, 1957)
Temple, Texas
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles 1914
Conference titles 1952
Team data
Previous names
  • Temple Redlegs (1957)
  • Temple Eagles (1949–1954)
  • Temple Surgeons (1924–1926)
  • Temple Governors (1915–1917)
  • Temple Tigers (1914)
  • Temple Boll Weevils (1905–1907)
Previous parks
Woodson Field
15th Street Park (1924–1926)
American Legion Park (1949–1954, 1957)

Temple was an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds in 1957.

History

Minor league baseball began when in Temple, Texas with the 1905 Temple Boll Weevils, who joined as members of the Class C level Texas League. Temple remained as a member of the Texas League through 1907. The Temple Tigers and Temple Governors were members of the Class D level Middle Texas League in 1914 and 1915. The Temple Governors played in the Class D level Central Texas League in 1916 and 1917. The 1917 team moved during the season to become the Corsicana Athletics.[1][2][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

In 1924, minor league baseball returned when the Temple Surgeons became members of the Class D level Texas Association. The Surgeons remained in the Texas Association from 1924 through 1926.[13][14][15][16]

The 1949 Temple Eagles joined the Class B level Big State League, playing with the Austin Pioneers, Gainesville Owls, Greenville Majors, Sherman–Denison Twins, Texarkana Bears, Waco Pirates and Wichita Falls Spudders.[17][18]

Playing in the eight–team Big State League, the Temple Eagles finished with a 58–89 record, placing 8th in 1949. In 1949, amputee and former All-Star major league pitcher Monty Stratton pitched briefly for Temple. Stratton pitched for Temple in the same year that the motion picture The Stratton Story was released nationwide in theaters, starring Jimmy Stewart as Stratton. With a prosthetic leg, Stratton pitched 4 innings in one game for Temple in 1949, taking the loss in the game after giving up 4 unearned runs.[19][20][21][22][23][24]

Continuing play in the Big State League, the Temple Eagles finished the season with a 74–70 record to place 4th in 1950, drawing 105,081 home season attendance. In 1951, the Eagles had a record of 88–60 to place 2nd, finishing 1.0 games behind the 1st place Gainsville Owls. Temple had home season attendance of 112,022 in 1951.[19][20][21][25][26]

The 1952 Temple Eagles finished with a 85–62 record and won the Big State League pennant, finishing 1.0 game ahead of the Tyler East Texans and drawing 101, 906 fans for the season. In the playoffs, Temple was defeated 4 games to 1 by the Austin Pioneers. Temple followed with a 72–73 record in 1953 to place 5th in 1953. Temple's 1954 season resulted in a last place finish, as the Eagles finished 44–102 and finished 60.5 games behind the 1st place Waco Pirates, playing under three managers. The Temple Eagles franchise folded after the 1954 season in which they had season attendance of 31,673.[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]

On May 30, 1957, minor league baseball briefly returned to Temple, as the Port Arthur Redlegs moved to Temple. Playing as the Temple Redlegs, the Port Arthur/Temple team was an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team finished with a 48–56 overall record, after a 20-15 record in Port Arthur and a 28-31 record in Temple. The team folded on August 20, 1957, before the end of the season and the Big State League permanently folded after the 1957 season.[37][38][39][40][41][42][43]

The ballparks

Early Temple teams played at Woodson Field. The site is still in use as a football and soccer facility for Temple High School. Woodson Field is located at 670 West Elm, Temple, Texas 76501.[44][45]

From 1924 to 1926, the Temple Surgeons played at 15th Street Park. The ballpark was the same park as Woodson Field and was located near North 15th Street & West Elm Avenue.[5]

Beginning in 1949, Temple teams played at American Legion Park in Temple, Texas.[46]

Timeline
Year(s)# Yrs.TeamLevelLeagueAffiliate
1905–19073Temple Boll WeevilsClass CTexas LeagueNone
19142Temple TigersClass DMiddle Texas LeagueNone
19151Temple GovernorsNone
1916–19172Central Texas LeagueNone
1924–19263Temple SurgeonsTexas AssociationNone
1949–19542Temple EaglesClass BBig State LeagueNone
19571Temple RedlegsCincinnati Reds

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Temple, TX - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
  2. TDT, Clay Coppedge. "Boll Weevils: A glance at pro baseball in Temple". Temple Daily Telegram.
  3. "Temple Boll Weevils Statistics and Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  4. "Temple Tigers Statistics and Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  5. "Temple Surgeons Statistics and Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  6. "1905 Temple Boll Weevils Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. "1906 Temple Boll Weevils Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  8. "1907 Temple Boll Weevils Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  9. "1914 Temple Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  10. "1915 Temple Governors Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  11. "1916 Temple Governors Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  12. "1917 Temple Governors/Corsicana Athletics Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  13. "1924 Temple Surgeons Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  14. "1924 Texas Association". Baseball-Reference.com.
  15. "1925 Temple Surgeons Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  16. "1926 Temple Surgeons Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  17. "Big State League (B) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  18. "1949 Big State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  19. "Big State League - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
  20. "1951 Temple Eagles Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  21. "1949 Temple Eagles Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  22. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/monty-stratton/
  23. "The Stratton Story". September 29, 1949 – via IMDb.
  24. "Monty Stratton Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  25. "1950 Temple Eagles Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  26. "1951 Temple Eagles Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  27. "Temple Eagles - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
  28. STAFF, PATRICIA BENOIT | TELEGRAM. "Backroads: Baseball was a hit in early 1900s". Temple Daily Telegram.
  29. "1950 Temple Eagles Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  30. "1949 Temple Eagles Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  31. "1953 Temple Eagles Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  32. "1954 Temple Eagles Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  33. "1952 Temple Eagles Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  34. "1953 Temple Eagles Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  35. "1954 Temple Eagles Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  36. "1954 Big State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  37. "Temple Redlegs - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
  38. "Port Arthur Redlegs - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
  39. "Temple, Texas Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
  40. "1957 Big State League (BSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  41. "1957 Port Arthur/Temple Redlegs Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  42. "1957 Big State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  43. "1957 Port Arthur/Temple Redlegs Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  44. "Woodson Field".
  45. "15th Street Park in Temple, TX history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  46. "American Legion Park in Temple, TX history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.

Temple, TX - BR Bullpen Baseball Reference

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