Looking Back at the Storied History of the Texarkana Twins

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The Texarkana Twins have a long and storied history in Bowie County, Texas. In this article, we’re going to cover the history of the Texarkana Twins. We’re also going to take an in-depth look at some of the amazing leagues they have played in over the years as a minor league team.

Many baseball fans in Texarkana are already looking forward to the 2020 season, but we know that loyal Twins fans also can appreciate the past. Texarkana is in a very unique location, in the Ark-La-Tex region. Texarkana, Texas is a unique city because it is not more than a mile away from the Arkansas border. Of course, there are a lot of Twins fans cross the state line from its twin city, Texarkana, Arkansas. Not far down the road is the great state of Louisiana. Fans have also been known to make the trip over from Louisiana to see a Twins game or two.

(1912) The Year the Texarkana Twins Were Born as a Member of the South Central League
In any case, over time, the Texarkana Twins have attracted fans from all over the surrounding areas. This dates back to 1912 when the Texarkana Twins were born. That was the year that the Twins played in the South Central League. The South Central League consisted of five baseball teams from Texas and one team from Arkansas. Those teams were the Longview Cannibals, the Paris Boosters, the Marshall Athletics, the Tyler Elbertas, the Cleburne Railroaders, and the Texarkana Twins.

The South Central League was a “Class D” league and it only lasted one season. In fact, technically it didn’t even last a full season. The league actually folded before all of the scheduled games were played. But, we are happy to report that the Texarkana Twins are considered league champions of that season because they were in first place at the time the games ended.

(1924 – 1926) The East Texas League
After 1912, the Twins did not resurface as a franchise until 1924. From 1924 to 1926 they played in the East Texas League. That league consisted of several combinations of teams during the years Texarkana played in it. 1926 was the last year that the league was around until its third incarnation in 1931. The teams that played in the East Texas League in 1926 were the Texarkana Twins, the Greenville Hunters, the Tyler Trojans, the Paris Bearcats, and the Longview Cannibals. The Cannibals were League Champions in 1926 finishing with an 83-39 record.

(1927 – 1929) The Lone Star League
The Lone Star League was a league that ended up having three incarnations in Texas. The first was from 1927 to 1929. These are the years the Texarkana Twins was a member of the league. It also was around as a league in 1947 to 1948 and in 1977.

From 1927 to 1929, the teams that made up the Lone Star League were the Longview Cannibals, the Corsicana Oilers, the Marshall Indians, the Mexia Gushers, the Palestine Pals, the Paris Snappers, the Sherman Snappers, the Tyler Trojans, and the Texarkana Twins. The Texarkana Twins won the pennant in and were League Champions in 1928.

(1941) The Cotton States League
The Texarkana Twins were affiliated officially with Major League Baseball’s Detroit Tigers in 1941 as a member of the Cotton States League. The team finished in sixth place in a league that consisted of eight teams. The Cotton States League dated back to 1902 and had a rich history.

The teams that the Twins played in 1941 were the Monroe White Sox, the Hot Springs Bathers, the Greenville Buckshots, the Vicksburg Hill Billies, the Helena Seaporters, the El Dorado Oilers, the Clarksdale Ginners (also known that year as the Marshall Tigers), and the Texarkana Twins. The Monroe White Sox won the pennant during the regular season but lost in the playoffs to Vicksburg. The Hot Springs Bathers went on to defeat the Vicksburg Hill Billies in the finals, however, winning 4 games to 0.

(2017 – Present) The Texas Collegiate League
The Texarkana Twins have been reestablished as of 2017 and now play in the Texas Collegiate League. They are currently playing baseball at George Dobson Field at Spring Lake Park. The ballpark has been home to some amazing players over the years. The most successful player to play at George Dobson Field is undoubtedly current Major Leauger Hunter Pence. Hunter Pence won the World Series with the San Francisco Giants in 2012 and 2014. Fans are getting extremely excited about the baseball season already this year, with some fans already betting on their favorites to win the 2020 World Series.

The new owners of the Twins are the Clutch Entertainment Group. The owners also own other minor league teams including the Brazos Valley Bombers baseball team along with a minor league soccer team called the Brazos Valley Cavalry.

 

 

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