Cleburne Generals

The Cleburne Generals were a minor league baseball team based in Cleburne, Texas. In 1921 and 1922, the Generals played as members of the Class D level Texas-Oklahoma League, hosting home games at Gorman's Park. The "Generals" nickname corresponded to the namesake of Cleburne, General Patrick Cleburne.

Cleburne Generals
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass D (1921–1922)
LeagueTexas-Oklahoma League (1921–1922)
Major league affiliations
TeamNone
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Team data
NameCleburne Generals (1921-1922)
BallparkGorman's Park (1921-1922)

History

The 1906 Cleburne Railroaders played the season as members of the Class D level Texas League, with Baseball Hall of Fame charter member Tris Speaker on the roster.[1] The Generals were immediately preceded in Texas-Oklahoma League play by the 1911 Cleburne Railroaders, who resumed play as members of the Class D level league. In the 1911 league playoffs, the Wichita Falls Irish Lads were leading Cleburne two games to one, when Wichita Falls refused to player eligibility and financial disputes. Cleburne was declared as the league champion.[2][3][4][5] Cleburne did not return to play in the 1912 Texas-Oklahoma League, with the Railroaders playing the 1912 season as members of the Class D level South Central League and folding during the season.[3][6]

The 1921 Cleburne Generals joined the reformed six-team, Class D level Texas-Oklahoma League.[7] The Ardmore Peps, Bonham Favorites, Graham Hijackers, Paris Snappers and Sherman Lions joined Cleburne in beginning league play on April 26, 1921.[8]

The "Generals" nickname for the team corresponds to local history. The city is named after General Patrick Cleburne, an American Civil War General and the city site was founded during the Civil War.[9]

The Generals ended the 1921 season with a record of 51–75, playing under Managers M.H. Robertson and F. Hopper. Cleburne placed fourth in the league standings, finishing 35.0 games behind the first place Ardmore Peps in the final standings, as the league held no playoffs.[3] Cleburne joined the Ardmore Peps (87–40), Bonham Boosters, Graham Hijackers/Mineral Wells Resorters (49–79), Paris Snappers and Sherman Lions (48–78) in the 1921 league standings.[10][11][3]

1922 was the final year for both the Texas–Oklahoma League and the Cleburne Generals, as neither the team nor the league lasted through the season.[12] On July 22, 1922, the Cleburne Generals had a record of 36–58, when the team was dropped from the league, with the Bonham Bingers franchise disbanding on the same day. The 1922 Texas–Oklahoma League season ended on August 6, 1922, with National Association permission, due to a railroad strike. The league did not reform in 1923 and permanently disbanded. The 1922 team is also referred to as the "Scouts."[13][14][3]

Cleburne, Texas was without minor league baseball until 2017, when the Cleburne "Railroaders" team was formed and became members of the independent American Association of Professional Baseball, where they continue play today.[3][15]

(2014) Hulen Park. Cleburne, Texas

The ballpark

The Cleburne Generals hosted minor league home games at Gorman's Park.[16] The ballpark site is still in use today as a public park, with a ballfield. The park has been renamed to Hulen Park.[17][18] The park is located at 301 West Westhill Drive in Cleburne.[19]

Timeline
Year(s)# Yrs.TeamLevelLeagueBallpark
1921-19222Cleburne GeneralsClass DTexas-Oklahoma LeagueGorman's Park

Year–by–year records
YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs/Notes
192151–754thM.H. Robertson/ F. HopperNo playoffs held
192236–588thLindy HiettTeam folded July 22
League folded August 6

Notable alumni

See also

Cleburne Generals/Scouts players

References
  1. "1906 Cleburne Railroaders Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  2. "Texas Almanac 2008–2009" (PDF). Texasalmanac.com. p. 180. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  3. Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  4. "Texas-Oklahoma League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  5. "1911 Texas-Oklahoma League (TTL) on StatsCrew.com". Statscrew.com.
  6. "1912 Cleburne Railroaders Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. "1921 Cleburne Generals Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  8. "1921 Texas-Oklahoma League (TTL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  9. "History of Cleburne".
  10. "1921 Cleburne Generals minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  11. "1921 Texas-Oklahoma League (TTL) on StatsCrew.com". Statscrew.com.
  12. "1922 Cleburne Generals/Scouts Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  13. "1922 Texas-Oklahoma League (TTL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  14. "1922 Cleburne Generals/Scouts minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  15. "Cleburne, Texas Encyclopedia".
  16. "Gorman Park in Cleburne, TX minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  17. Kendall, Pete (2009-02-02). "Gone but not forgotten". Cleburne Times-Review. Archived from the original on 2012-02-19. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  18. "Hulen Park". Cleburne, TX.
  19. "Facilities • Cleburne, TX • CivicEngage". www.cleburne.net.
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