Shreveport Sports
Encyclopedia
The Shreveport-Bossier Captains are a professional baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana
, in the United States
. The Captains are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
(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 Field
.
The current incarnation of the Captains was founded in 2003 as the Shreveport Sports, after the Texas League
Shreveport Swamp Dragons moved to Frisco, Texas
, to become the RoughRiders
. 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 City
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 Baseball
team. At first it was assumed the Captains would be relocating to Amarillo. However, the Pensacola Pelicans
' owners later purchased the Carolina Mudcats
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.
1986–present
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport 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 States
United States
The 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 Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major 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 Field
Fair Grounds Field
Fair 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 League
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...
Shreveport Swamp Dragons moved to Frisco, Texas
Frisco, Texas
Frisco 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 RoughRiders
Frisco RoughRiders
The 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 City
Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier 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 Baseball
United League Baseball
United 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 Pelicans
Pensacola Pelicans
The 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 Mudcats
Carolina Mudcats
The 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 AssociationSouthern AssociationThe 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 LeagueTexas 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...
) - 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 LeagueCentral Baseball LeagueThe 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 AldreteMike AldreteMichael 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 BenardMarvin BenardMarvin Larry Benard [buh-NARD] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who batted and threw left-handed....
(San Francisco Giants)-----(Captains) - Pedro FelizPedro FelizPedro 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 ClaytonRoyce ClaytonRoyce 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 OrtizRuss OrtizRussell 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 TorrealbaYorvit TorrealbaYorvit 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 DavisChili DavisCharles 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 MuellerBill MuellerWilliam 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 MirabelliDoug MirabelliDouglas 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 SislerGeorge SislerGeorge 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 SimmonsAl SimmonsAloysius 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 WheatZack WheatWheat 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 TerryBill TerryWilliam 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 BakerDusty BakerJohnnie 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 GarrRalph GarrRalph 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'MalleyTom 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 HoneycuttRick HoneycuttFrederick 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 LezcanoSixto LezcanoSixto 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 MurrayCalvin MurrayCalvin 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 FultzAaron FultzRichard 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 AuriliaRich AuriliaRichard 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 CanizaroJay CanizaroJason 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 FoulkeKeith 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 CookDennis CookDennis 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 MinorDamon MinorDamon 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 NathanJoe NathanJoseph 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 NiekroLance NiekroLance 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 FoppertJesse FoppertJesse William Foppert is a Major League Baseball pitcher in the Florida Marlins organization.-High school and college:...
(San Francisco Giants)-----(Swamp Dragons) - Scott LinebrinkScott LinebrinkScott 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 BurkettJohn BurkettJohn 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 KentJeff KentJeffrey 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 GathrightJoey GathrightJoey 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 LeagueTexas 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...
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
Fair 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 SoxChicago White SoxThe 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 BravesAtlanta BravesThe 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 BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe 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 PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe 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 GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....