Hobbs Pirates
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes
  • Class-D (1958–1961, 1937-38)
  • Class-B (1956–1957)
  • Class-C (1955)
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles 3 (1957, 1960, 1961)
Team data
Previous names
  • Hobbs Pirates (1960–1961)
  • Hobbs Cardinals (1958–1959)
  • Hobbs Sports (1955–1957)
  • Hobbs Boosters (1938)
  • Hobbs Drillers (1937)
Previous parks
Bender Park

The Hobbs Pirates was the final name of a minor league baseball club based in Hobbs, New Mexico from 1955 through 1961. Hobbs teams played as members of the West Texas-New Mexico League (1937–1938), Longhorn League (1955), Southwestern League (1956–1957) and Sophomore League (1958–1961), winning three league championships. Hobbs minor league teams hosted home games at Bender Park.

Hobbs teams were minor league affiliates of the Detroit Tigers in 1938, Washington Senators in 1956, St. Louis Cardinals from 1958 to 1959 and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1960 to 1961.

History

The first team in Hobbs was the 1937 Hobbs Dillers of the West Texas-New Mexico League, who also played in 1938. The franchise revived in 1955 with the Hobbs Sports, an affiliate of the Washington Senators and was a member of the Longhorn League and the Southwestern League. In 1958 the club joined the Sophomore League, became an affiliate with the St. Louis Cardinals and became known as the Hobbs Cardinals. In 1960, the club was finally named the Pirates, after the Pittsburgh Pirates began an affiliation with the team. Under the Pirates, Hobbs won league titles in 1960 and 1961. The Sophomore League folded after the 1961 season.[1]

The ballpark

Hobbs teams played at Bender Park.[2] The site is a now a park located at 1100 West Marland Boulevard Hobbs, NM 88240.[3][4]

Season–by–season

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
1955 62–77 6th Pat Stasey Did not qualify
1956 90–52 1st Pat Stasey Lost in 1st round
1957 73–52 1st Thurman Tucker League Champions
1958 59–61 4th Wayne Wallace Did not qualify
1959 70–54 3rd Thurman Tucker Lost in 1st round
1960 70-58 2nd Al Kubski League Champions
1961 77–48 1st Al Kubski League Champs

[5]

Notable alumni

See also

Hobbs Boosters Players
Hobbs Cardinals Players
Hobbs Drillers Players
Hobbs Sports Players
Hobbs Pirates Players

References

  1. ^ "Hobbs, New Mexico Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
  2. ^ "Bender Park in Hobbs, NM minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  3. ^ "Bender Park Hobbs, NM - - Park Reviews, Amenities, Locations, and More!". www.parkgrades.com.
  4. ^ "Bender Park - Hobbs New Mexico - Former Home of the Hobbs Sports". digitalballparks.com.
  5. ^ The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.((cite book)): CS1 maint: others (link)
Categories