Southwest International League

The Southwest International League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1951 through 1952. The league was formed through the merger of the Sunset League and Arizona–Texas League in 1951. The league hosted franchises based in Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas.

Southwest International League
ClassificationClass C
SportMinor league baseball
Inaugural season1951
Ceased1952
No. of teams12
Countries United States
 Mexico

History

Formed in 1951 by a merger of the Sunset League and Arizona-Texas League, the Southwest International League played two seasons as a Class C level league. In 1951, the Tijuana players went on strike over not being paid on a regular basis. In 1952, the league fielded an all-black team, which was originally supposed to play half of its games in the US and half in Mexico, but eventually settled in Porterville, California as the Porterville Comets. Only 4 of the 6 entries survived the complete 1952 season, before the league permanently folded.[1][2]

Cities represented

Standings & statistics

1951 Southwest International League
schedule
President: Les Powers

Team standingsWLPCTGBAttendManagers
El Paso Texans8856.611–104,061Art Lilly
Juarez Indios8757.6041.068,000Victor Manuel Canajes / Red Kress
Phoenix Senators8361.5765.065,320Wayne Tucker
Mexicali Eagles8163.5637.088,426Virgilio Arteaga / Dee Moore
Las Vegas Wranglers7271.50315.548,000Newt Kimball
Tucson Cowboys6875.47619.562,841Ken Meyers / Bud Dawson
Tijuana Potros6579.45123.055,000Luis Montes de Oca / Enrique Fernandez
Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings6480.44424.057,786Syd Cohen
El Centro Imperials5985.41029.023,847Red Kress / Bud Beringhele
Yuma Panthers5292.36136.050,557Ray Viers / Don Jameson

Playoff: Mexicali 4 games, Phoenix 1.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Raymon VargasJuarez/El PasoBA.377Vince GonzalesJuarezW32
Eduardo CruzJuarezRuns135Memo LunaTijuanaSO318
Ramon VargasJuarez/El PasoHits229Memo LunaTijuanaERA2.52
Ramon VargasJuarez/El PasoRBI149Manuel EcheverriaMexicaliPCT.824 14–3
Herman LewisPhoenixHR23Tony PoncePhoenixCG38

1952 Southwest International League
President: Harry Ledell

Team standingsWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Tijuana Potros8056.588–45,000Fernando Paredes
Mexicali Eagles7457.5653.535,239Dolf Luque / Virgilio Arteaga
Las Vegas Wranglers7066.51510.053,200William DeCarlo
Yuma Panthers6268.47715.052,280Lou Bekeza
Porterville Comets3959.398NA32,000Chet Brewer
El Centro Imps2847.373NA12,000Bud Beringhele /
Frank Gabler / Henry Savin

Porterville Franchise started the season as Riverside–Ensenda, became Riverside–Porterville, moved to Porterville April 25, then disbanded August 1.; El Centro disbanded July 13.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Pete HughesTijuanaBA.366Joe OrrellTijuanaW21
Walter TylerPorter/YumaBA.366Silverio RodriguezMexicaliSO209
Joe ClardyLas VegasRuns142Joe OrrellTijuanaERA2.01
Joe ClardyLas VegasRBI202Joe OrrellTijuanaPct.875; 21–3
Pete HughesTijuanaRBI131
Pete HughesTijuanaHR28
Refugio BernalMexicaliHR28
Pete HughesTijuanaBB180

[3]

References
  1. "The story of how Tom Alston integrated Cardinals". April 14, 2014.
  2. "Municipal Ball Park, Porterville, Calif". www.charliesballparks.com.
  3. 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)


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