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Will the TL's Shreveport Captains move to Birmingham?

January 14, 1976
Ray Johnston, the owner of the Texas League's Shreveport Captains baseball team, says he will move the team to Birmingham if an agreement can be reached with multiple parties. Johnston has to gain approval from the Texas League and Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom the Captains are affiliated.

Johnston is also working with the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board to determine a rental fee for Rickwood Field.

"I don't anticipate any trouble getting the Pirates' approval. We have to get the approval of five more Texas League owners to make the move and I'm going back  to my hotel right now to start on that," Johnston said.

Johnston wants to move from Shreveport because of where the stadium is located and a steering committee for the club dictates that a profit can not be made.

A motion made today by the Park Board's chairman is awaiting approval by the Board. The motion is for Johnston to lease Rickwood Field for one year at a cost of $12,500 or 10% of the gross gate receipts, whichever is higher, plus 15% of the net profits.

Rickwood Field is available for rent because the former tenant, the Birmingham Athletics, moved to Chattanooga in November of 1975.

The Texas League is currently a Class AA league and began in 1888. Cities in the league that are based in Texas are El Paso, Midland, San Antonio, and Amarillo. There are also teams in Little Rock, Jackson, and Lafayette. The Captains have been in Shreveport since moving from El Paso in 1971.

"Bobby Bragan and Carl Sawatski recommended Birmingham highly," Johnston said. Bragan, a Birmingham native, is a former Texas League president and is the new president of Minor League Baseball. Sawatski is vice president of the Texas League, and most believe he will replace Bragan as president very shortly.

Johnston also owns the American Association's Class AAA Des Moines, Iowa franchise.

According to Johnston, he is leaning toward naming the team the Birmingham Barons.

January 15, 1976
Billy Hitchcock, president of the Southern League, is disappointed to hear that Rickwood Field would not be vacant. Hitchcock said he was working to bring Southern League baseball back to Birmingham in 1977. "For the Birmingham fans, I'm glad to see baseball back at Rickwood. I'm sorry we didn't have the opportunity to get a Southern League team back in Birmingham, but we would hope for an opportunity in the future to get Birmingham back in the Southern League where it belongs."

Glenn West, former general manager for the Birmingham Athletics, helped Johnston and Texas League vice-president Carl Sawatski with the Rickwood rental. "Birmingham now has a team in a class league that has good cities and great attendance. I wanted to see Birmingham back in baseball, and I think Pittsburgh provides the ideal parent club. I'd say they're one of the top five in the major leagues in providing talent for their minor league teams."

January 17, 1976
Johnston rebuffs comments that adding Birmingham would spread the league too far out, thereby increasing travel costs, especially for Birmingham. "The Texas League is divided into the East and West Divisions, so it's not as bad as it looks at first. Birmingham will be going West only twice all year, and Western teams will be coming to Birmingham only twice. The remainder of the schedule will be against Eastern teams," Johnson said. Those teams include Little Rock, Jackson, and Lafayette.

"I think Birmingham is a sleeping giant, baseball wise. Any city that ever drew 500,000 in one year can return. I'm not naive enough to think we can draw 500,000 again, but we can rekindle some of that interest," Johnston said.

The staff here will be headed up by Mike Holbrooks, the Captains' business manager. However, Holbrooks knew knew nothing of the move to Birmingham until Johnston called him a few days ago. "We had been looking, but I never envisioned going to Birmingham. I was thinking in terms of Longview, Kilgore, Tyler, Texas area or possibly Odessa, Texas."

January 23, 1976
Ray Johnston has abruptly cancelled Rickwood Field negotiations with the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board.

"I hope there'll be no ill feelings. I was serious about moving there this year, though I have a gut feeling Birmingham is better than a AA city. It's a sleeping giant, and the sky is the limit for anyone who goes in, gives that town solid management and a respectable club. But I must keep my franchise in Shreveport this season. The reason I thought about leaving was because the city had promised me new facilities and until two weeks ago the city officials hadn't done anything concrete about them. This week Shreveport said it would get us that facility. Since I had promised to keep a team there if this happened, I'm withdrawing from Birmingham. I think it's the fairest way. I can't say enough about the reception I received in Birmingham. It's a great city. And I hope no one believes I used that town as a lever on Shreveport. That wasn't the case at all," Johnston said.

Not everyone was sad to hear the news, however. Hitchcock expressed his pleasure that the door is again open for the Southern League to move back into Birmingham. "We're sorry for the fans who were expecting baseball this summer. But Birmingham is too good a baseball town, and has too fine a facility, to be without baseball long. We feel that Birmingham should be in the Southern League, and we will continue to work along those lines, although our eight franchises are all set for the coming year. We hope that in the not too distant future something can be done to bring Southern League baseball back to Rickwood Field."

April 1976

			1976                             Texas League
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Amarillo Gold Sox		Arkansas Travelers		El Paso Diablos		Jackson Mets		Lafayette Drillers
	Midland Cubs		San Antonio Brewers		Shreveport Captains

Epilogue
The Captains remained in Shreveport and playing in the Texas League until the team was renamed the Shreveport Swamp Dragons in 2001.

The Swamp Dragons lasted for two years and then moved to become the Frisco Rough Riders.

			Teams of the                             Texas League
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Albuquerque Dodgers 1965 to 1971		Albuquerque Dukes 1962 to 1964		Alexandria Aces 1972 to 1975		Amarillo Giants 1968 to 1974		Amarillo Gold Sox 1959 to 1963; 1976 to 1982
					NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Amarillo Sod Poodles 2019 to 2022		Amarillo Sonics 1965 to 1967		Ardmore Territorians 1904		Ardmore Rosebuds 1961		Arkansas Travelers 1966 to 2022
									NEED LOGO
	Austin Braves 1965 to 1967		Austin Senators 1888 to 1890; 1897 to 1898; 1905; 1907 to 1908; 1911 to 1914; 1956 to 1964		Beaumont Exporters 1920 to 1942; 1946 to 1949; 1953 to 1955		Beaumont Golden Gators 1983 to 1986		Beaumont Millionaires 1904
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Beaumont Oil Gushers 1903		Beaumont Oilers 1905; 1912 to 1917; 1919		Beaumont Roughnecks 1950 to 1952		Brenham Orphans 1905		Cleburne Railroaders 1906
					NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Corpus Christi Giants 1958 to 1959		Corpus Christi Hooks 2005 to 2022		Corsicana Oil City Indians 1902		Corsicana Oil City Oilers 1904		Corsicana Oil Citys 1903
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Corsicana Oilers 1905		Dallas Colts 1898		Dallas Browns 1897		Dallas Defenders 1897		Dallas Eagles 1949 to 1957
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Dallas Giants 1903 to 1916		Dallas Hams 1888; 1890; 1892		Dallas Marines 1919 to 1922		Dallas Navigators 1896		Dallas Rangers 1958
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Dallas Rebels 1939 to 1942; 1946 to 1948		Dallas Steers 1902; 1923 to 1938		Dallas Submarines 1917 to 1918		Dallas Tigers 1889		Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs 1965 to 1971
	NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO
	Denison Indians 1896		El Paso Diablos 1974 to 2004		El Paso Sun Dodgers 1972		El Paso Sun Kings 1962 to 1970; 1973		Fort Worth Cats 1932 to 1942; 1946 to 1958; 1964
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Fort Worth Colts 1897		Fort Worth Panthers 1888 to 1890; 1892; 1897 to 1898; 1902 to 1931		Frisco RoughRiders 2003 to 2022		Galveston Buccaneers 1931 to 1937		Galveston Pirates 1912 to 1917; 1919 to 1920
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Galveston Sand Crabs 1888 to 1890; 1892; 1907 to 1912; 1921 to 1924		Greenville Hunters 1906		Houston Angels 1904		Houston Babies 1889		Houston Buffaloes 1908 to 1942; 1946 to 1947
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Houston Buffalos 1948 to 1958		Houston Mud Cats 1890; 1892; 1895; 1907		Houston Red Stockings 1888		Houston Wanderers 1904		Jackson Generals 1991 to 1999
					NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Jackson Mets 1975 to 1990		Lafayette Drillers 1975 to 1976		Lake Charles Creoles 1906		Longview Cannibals 1932		Memphis Blues 1968 to 1970; 1972 to 1973
							NEED LOGO
	Midland Angels 1985 to 1998		Midland Cubs 1972 to 1984		Midland RockHounds 1999 to 2022		New Orleans Pelicans 1888		Northwest Arkansas Naturals 2008 to 2022
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Oklahoma City Indians 1909 to 1911; 1933 to 1942; 1946 to 1957		Oklahoma City Mets 1910 to 1911		Paris Eisenfelder's Homeseekers 1902		Paris Midlands 1897		Paris Red Ravens 1904
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Paris Steers 1903		Rio Grande Valley Giants 1960 to 1961		Round Rock Express 2000 to 2004		San Antonio Aces 1919		San Antonio Bears 1920 to 1928
			NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	San Antonio Brewers 1972 to 1976		San Antonio Bronchos 1896 to 1918		San Antonio Bullets 1963 to 1964		San Antonio Cowboys 1888		San Antonio Dodgers 1977 to 1987
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO
	San Antonio Gentlemen 1898		San Antonio Indians 1929 to 1932		San Antonio Missionaries 1892		San Antonio Missions 1933 to 1942; 1946 to 1962; 1968 to 1971; 1988 to 2018; 2022		San Antonio Mustangs 1903 to 1904
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	San Antonio Senators 1888		San Antonio Warriors 1905		Sherman-Denison Students 1902		Shreveport Braves 1968 to 1970		Shreveport Captains 1972 to 2000
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Shreveport Gassers 1915 to 1924		Shreveport Pirates 1908 to 1910		Shreveport Sports 1925 to 1932; 1938 to 1942; 1946 to 1957		Shreveport Swamp Dragons 2001 to 2002		Springfield Cardinals 2005 to 2022
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO						NEED LOGO
	Temple Boll Weevils 1905 to 1907		Texarkana Casket Makers 1902		Tulsa Drillers 1977 to 2022		Tulsa Oilers 1933 to 1942; 1946 to 1965		Tyler Sports 1932
	NEED LOGO						NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Victoria Giants 1961		Victoria Rosebuds 1958 to 1961		Victoria Toros 1974		Waco Central City 1892		Waco Centrals 1890
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Waco Cubs 1925 to 1930		Waco Indians 1889		Waco Navigators 1906 to 1919		Waco Steers 1903		Waco Tigers 1892; 1897; 1902; 1905
	NEED LOGO
	Wichita Falls Spudders 1920 to 1932		Wichita Pilots 1987 to 1988		Wichita Wind Surge 2022		Wichita Wranglers 1989 to 2007

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Last update: February 15, 2023