The Leesville Angels were a minor league baseball franchise based in Leesville, Louisiana. In 1950, the Angels played a partial season as members of the Class C level Gulf Coast League after the Lufkin Angles franchise relocated to Leesville during the season. The Angels qualified for the Gulf Coast League playoffs.
| Leesville Angels | |
|---|---|
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class | Class C (1950) |
| League | Gulf Coast League (1950) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team | None |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (0) | None |
| Wild card berths (1) | 1950 |
| Team data | |
| Name | Leesville Angels (1950) |
| Ballpark | Leesville City Park (1950) |
The Leesville Angels hosted minor league home games at the Leesville City Park.
History
editMinor league baseball began in Leesville, Louisiana in 1950. The Lufkin Angels, based in Lufkin, Texas began play as members of the six–team Class C level Gulf Coast League.[1] The Crowley Millers, Galveston White Caps, Jacksonville Jax, Lake Charles Lakers and Port Arthur Seahawks teams joined the Angels in beginning league play on April 2, 1950.[2][3]
During the season, on July 15, 1950, the Lufkin Angels, with a record of 43–51 moved to Leesville.[4][5] Citing poor attendance at Lufkin home games as the reason for moving, the Lufkin Angels had also explored moving the team to Orange, Texas, before ultimately deciding instead on the move to Leesville.[6]
After the move to Leesville, the team compiled a record of 32–19 while based in Leesville. The Angels ended the Gulf Coast League regular season in fourth place, which qualified the Angels for the four-team playoffs.[4] With a 75–70 overall record in 1950, playing under manager Carl Carter, the Angels finished 14.5 games behind the first place Crowley Millers in the final regular season standings.[5][3]In the first round of the playoffs, Crowley defeated Leesville 4 games to 2, ending the Angels' season.[5][4]
Angels pitcher Vallie Eaves had a 26–10 record in 1950, throwing 297 innings for Lufkin/Leesville at age 38.[7]
The Leesville franchise did not return to the Gulf Coast League in 1951, as the league expanded to eight teams and was elevated to a Class B level league. Five new teams joined the returning Galveston, Lake Charles and Port Arthur franchises.[5][8] Leesville, Louisiana has not hosted another minor league team.[9]
The ballpark
editLeesville hosted minor league home games at the Leesville City Park. The ballpark was located on the Shreveport Highway in Leesville.[10] Today, Leesville Municipal Park is still in use as a public park. It is located at 350 Country Club Road in Leesville.[11][12]
Year–by–year record
edit| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 75–70 | 4th | Carl Carter | Lufkin (43–51) moved to Leesville July 15 Lost in first round |
Notable alumni
edit- Vallie Eaves (1950)
References
edit- ^ "1950 Lufkin/Leesville Angels Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1950 Gulf Coast League (GCL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ a b "1950 Gulf Coast League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ a b c "1950 Lufkin/Leesville Angels minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ a b c d Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
- ^ Burleigh, Dawn (November 20, 2021). "And Now You Know: Orange considered as home for a professional baseball team". Orange Leader.
- ^ "Vallie Eaves Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1951 Gulf Coast League (GCL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Leesville, Louisiana Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Leesville City Park in Leesville, LA minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Leesville Municipal Park". Vernon Parish. May 6, 2020.
- ^ "Leesville Municipal Park and Splash Pad". Leesville, LA.