The
Shreveport-Bossier Captains are a professional baseball team based in
Shreveport, LouisianaShreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Captains are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(and of which they are the current defending champions). Since the 2003 season to the present, the Captains have played their home games at
Fair Grounds FieldFair Grounds Field is a stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Shreveport-Bossier Captains minor league baseball team. The site was formerly used in the 1950s as a neutral playing site for college football games between the University of...
.
The current incarnation of the Captains was founded in 2003 as the
Shreveport Sports, after the
Texas LeagueThe Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
Shreveport Swamp Dragons moved to
Frisco, TexasFrisco is an affluent city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 Census, 116,989 people were living in Frisco up from 33,714 in the previous census. Frisco was the fastest growing city in the United States in 2009, and also...
, to become the
RoughRidersThe Frisco RoughRiders are currently the Class AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league baseball club. The team plays in the Texas League, assigned to the South Division. Prior to 2003, the franchise was based in Shreveport, Louisiana, and were known as the Shreveport Captains...
. On January 8, 2009, the Captains unveiled their new name (a tribute to Captain Henry Miller Shreve, the founder of Shreveport), logo, and color scheme; unlike prior teams, this incarnation of the Captains also encompasses neighboring
Bossier CityBossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
in its locale name.
After the 2010 sesson, the Captains' current owners were awarded an American Association team to be based in Amarillo to replace a
United League BaseballUnited League Baseball was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas. It later merged with the Northern League and the Golden Baseball League to form the North American League.- History :...
team. At first it was assumed the Captains would be relocating to Amarillo. However, the
Pensacola PelicansThe Pensacola Pelicans were a minor league baseball team based in Pensacola, Florida. In various incarnations, they played in three different independent baseball leagues from 2002–2010...
' owners later purchased the
Carolina MudcatsThe Carolina Mudcats are a minor league baseball team based in the eastern suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina. The team, which plays in the Carolina League, are the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians major-league club beginning in 2012.-History:...
and will be folding the American Association incarnation of the team for the 2011 season so that the Mudcats can relocate to Pensacola for the 2012 baseball season. This move keeps the Captains in Shreveport and in the American Association for the foreseeable future.
History of Shreveport baseball
Professional baseball has been in Shreveport at various levels since 1895, including several teams named the
Shreveport Sports and one prior team named the
Shreveport Captains:
- 1895 — Shreveport Grays (Texas-Southern League)
- 1901–03 — Shreveport Giants (Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
)
- 1904–07 — Shreveport Pirates (Southern Association)
- 1908–10 — Shreveport Pirates (Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
)
- 1915–24 — Shreveport Gassers (Texas League)
- 1925–32 — Shreveport Sports (Texas League)
- 1933 — Shreveport Sports (Dixie League)
- 1934 — Shreveport Sports (East Dixie League)
- 1935 — Shreveport Sports (West Dixie League)
- 1938–42 — Shreveport Sports (Texas League)
- 1946–57 — Shreveport Sports (Texas League)
- 1959–61 — Shreveport Sports (Southern Association)
- 1968–70 — Shreveport Braves (Texas League)
- 1971–2000 — Shreveport Captains (Texas League)
- 2001–02 — Shreveport Swamp Dragons (Texas League)
- 2003–05 — Shreveport Sports (Central League
The Central Baseball League, formerly the Texas-Louisiana League, was a minor league whose member teams were independent of any Major League Baseball affiliations.In 1991, potential owners, Dallas businessman Byron Pierce and U. S...
)
- 2006–08 — Shreveport Sports (American Association)
- 2009–current — Shreveport-Bossier Captains (American Association)
Major Leaguers Who Played in a Shreveport Uniform
- Mike Aldrete
Michael Peter Aldrete is a former first baseman/outfielder in Major League Baseball.Aldrete was a four-year letterman at Stanford University...
(Giants, Expos, Padres, Indians, Athletics, Angels, Yankees)-----(Captains)
- Marvin Benard
Marvin Larry Benard [buh-NARD] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who batted and threw left-handed....
(San Francisco Giants)-----(Captains)
- Pedro Feliz
Pedro Julio Feliz is a Dominican Republic minor league baseball third baseman for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. Feliz has hit 20 or more home runs in four of his first five seasons as a starting third baseman and is an above average fielder at third base...
(San Francisco Giants)-----(Captains)
- Royce Clayton
Royce Spencer Clayton is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and occasional actor.-Baseball career:Clayton was born in Burbank, California. He was drafted out of St...
(Giants, Cardinals, Rangers, White Sox, Nationals)-----(Captains)
- Russ Ortiz
Russell Reid Ortiz is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers...
(Giants, Braves, Diamondbacks, Orioles)-----(Captains)
- Yorvit Torrealba
Yorvit Adolfo Torrealba is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Texas Rangers. He previously played for the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres. He bats and throws right-handed.-San Francisco Giants:...
(Giants, Rockies, Mariners)-----(Captains)
- Chili Davis
Charles Theodore "Chili" Davis is the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics. Davis is a former outfielder/designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Minnesota Twins , Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees...
(Giants, Angels, Yankees, Twins, Royals)-----(Captains)
- Bill Mueller
William Richard Mueller is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. Mueller's playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox , and Los Angeles Dodgers . He won the American League batting title in 2003, and helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series...
(Giants, Cubs, Red Sox, Dodgers)-----(Captains)
- Doug Mirabelli
Douglas Anthony Mirabelli is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the San Francisco Giants , Texas Rangers , Boston Red Sox , and San Diego Padres before returning to the Red Sox to end his eleven year career...
(Giants, Red Sox, Rangers, Padres)-----(Captains)
- George Sisler
George Harold Sisler , nicknamed "Gentleman George" and "Gorgeous George," was an American professional baseball player for 15 seasons, primarily as first baseman with the St. Louis Browns...
(Browns, Braves) (Baseball Hall of Fame inductee)-----(Sports)
- Al Simmons
Aloysius Harry Simmons , born Aloisius Szymanski in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was an American baseball player. He played for two decades in the major leagues as an outfielder, and had his best years as a member of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics during the 1930's...
(Philadelphia A's, White Sox, Senators) (Baseball Hall of Fame inductee)-----(Gassers)
- Zack Wheat
Wheat played his first full season in . He played every game for the Superbas that season as the regular left fielder, leading the league in games played. He batted .284 that season, the second-lowest average of his career, which led the team, and was among the league leaders in hits, doubles, and...
(Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia A's) (Baseball Hall of Fame inductee)-----(Sports)
- Bill Terry
William Harold Terry was a Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee...
(New York Giants) (Baseball Hall of Fame inductee)-----(Sports)
- Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr. is a former player and current manager in Major League Baseball, currently the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He enjoyed a 19-year career as a hard-hitting outfielder, mostly with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers...
(Braves, Dodgers, A's)-----(Shreveport Braves)
- Ralph Garr
Ralph Allen Garr is a former Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox and California Angels. He batted left-handed and threw right...
(Braves, White Sox, Angels)-----(Shreveport Braves)
- Tom O'Malley
----Thomas Patrick O'Malley is a former Major League baseball player born in Orange, New Jersey, and raised in Montoursville, Pennsylvania in the United States. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, and New York Mets...
(Giants, Mets, Orioles, Rangers)-----(Captains)
- Rick Honeycutt
Frederick Wayne "Rick" Honeycutt is the current pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Honeycutt was a left-handed pitcher for 21 years from 1977 to 1997. He played with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals...
(Mariners, Dodgers, A's, Rangers, Cardinals)-----(Captains)
- Sixto Lezcano
Sixto Joaquin Lezcano Curras is a retired baseball player who played for 12 seasons as an outfielder in the Major Leagues between 1974 and 1985. He played for 5 different teams in the Majors and won a Gold Glove during his career.Lezcano was originally signed as an amateur in 1970 by the...
(Brewers, Padres, Phillies, Cardinals)-----(Captains)
- Ramón Martínez (Giants, Cubs, Tigers, Phillies, Dodgers)-----(Captains)
- Calvin Murray
Calvin Murray , is a retired professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1999-2004 for the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs. He is a 1989 graduate of Dallas' W. T. White High School and attended the University of Texas...
(Giants, Rangers, Cubs)-----(Captains)
- Aaron Fultz
Richard Aaron Fultz is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 6th round of the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft, Fultz spent the first three seasons of his Major League career with them , compiling a 10-5 record in 167 games played...
(Giants, Rangers, Twins, Phillies)-----(Captains)
- Chris Singleton (White Sox, Orioles, A's, Devil Rays)-----(Captains)
- Rich Aurilia
Richard Santo Aurilia is a former Major League Baseball player, mainly as a shortstop. He bats and throws right-handed.The 24th round pick of the Texas Rangers in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft, Aurilia worked in the Rangers minor league system before being traded with first baseman Desi...
(Giants, Mariners, Reds)-----(Captains)
- Jay Canizaro
Jason Kyle Canizaro is a former major league second baseman who spent parts of four seasons in the majors with the San Francisco Giants and the Minnesota Twins....
(Giants, Twins)-----(Captains)
- Keith Foulke
-Career:After graduating from Hargrave High School in Huffman, Texas in 1991, he attended Galveston College and Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho. He began his career in the minor-league system of the San Francisco Giants, but was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1997 with five other prospects...
(Giants, White Sox, Red Sox)-----(Captains)
- Dennis Cook
Dennis Bryan Cook is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball with nine teams from 1988 to 2002: the San Francisco Giants , Philadelphia Phillies , Los Angeles Dodgers , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox , Texas Rangers ,...
(Giants, Indians, Mets, Angels)-----(Captains)
- Damon Minor
Damon Reed Minor is a former Major League Baseball first baseman for the San Francisco Giants. He also played one year in Japan for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in...
(San Francisco Giants)-----(Captains)
- Joe Nathan
Joseph Michael Nathan is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball . Nathan started out his baseball career as a shortstop in high school but converted to a pitcher after being drafted by the San Francisco Giants...
(Giants, Twins)-----(Captains, Swamp Dragons)
- Lance Niekro
Lance William Niekro is a former Major League Baseball player, nephew of Phil Niekro, and son of Joe Niekro. Niekro currently serves as an assistant coach at Florida Southern College....
(San Francisco Giants)-----(Swamp Dragons)
- Jesse Foppert
Jesse William Foppert is a Major League Baseball pitcher in the Florida Marlins organization.-High school and college:...
(San Francisco Giants)-----(Swamp Dragons)
- Scott Linebrink
Scott Cameron Linebrink is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is a free agent. He attended Texas State University.-Career:...
(Giants, Astros, Padres)-----(Captains)
- John Burkett
John David Burkett is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He compiled 166 wins, 1,766 strikeouts, and a 4.31 earned run average. He pitched from 1987–2003, with the San Francisco Giants, Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. His best season came in 1993 when he...
(SF Giants, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox)-----(Captains)
- Jeff Brantley (SF Giants)-----(Captains)
- Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
(Toronto Blue Jays, NY Mets, Cleveland Indians, SF Giants, Houston Astros, LA Dodgers)-----(Captains)
- Joey Gathright
Joey Renard Gathright is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.-Early life:...
(Devil Rays, Royals, Cubs, Red Sox)-----(Captains)
Playoff Appearances
- 1919 (Gassers)
- 1942 (Sports)
- 1948 (Sports)
- 1949 (Sports)
- 1952 (Sports)
- 1954 (Sports)
- 1955 (Sports)
- 1976 (Captains)
- 1979 (Captains)
- 1986-1995 (Captains)
- 1999 (Captains)
- 2004 (Sports) (lost in championship series)
- 2006 (Sports)
- 2010 (Captains)
Championships
- 1919 Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
Championship (Gassers)
- 1942 Texas League Championship (Sports)
- 1952 Texas League Championship (Sports)
- 1955 Texas League Championship (Sports)
- 1990 Texas League Championship (Captains)
- 1991 Texas League Championship (Captains)
- 1995 Texas League Championship (Captains)
- 2010 American Association Championship (Captains)
Ballparks
Gasser Park 1915-1924; Biedenharn Park 1925-1932; Texas League Park 1938-1942, 1946–1957; Bonneau Peters Field 1968; Braves Field 1968-1970; SPAR Stadium 1971-1985;
Fair Grounds FieldFair Grounds Field is a stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Shreveport-Bossier Captains minor league baseball team. The site was formerly used in the 1950s as a neutral playing site for college football games between the University of...
1986–present
Major League Affiliation
- 1923-1924: Philadelphia A's
- 1939, 1942, 1946: Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
- 1968-1970: Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
- 1971-1972: California Angels
- 1973-1974: Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
- 1975-1978: Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
- 1979-2002: San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
External links