O A K L A N D A T H L E T I C S ... D O U B L E - A ... T E X A S L E A G U E
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The players you will watch at Security Bank Ballpark in 2017 share the same goal - - - to reach the Major Leagues.
By advancing the Double-A level (see below), they have narrowed their chances of reaching the big leagues from one in ten (the odds
when signing their first pro contract) to one in three. Some will not only reach “The Show,” but go on to rank among the best in the game.
Among the recent Texas League alums to reach stardom are 2015 American League MVP Josh Donaldson (2009 RockHounds) ...
2015 AL Rookie of the Year Carlos Correa (2015 Corpus Christi Hooks), 2016 AL Batting champion Jose Altuve (Corpus Christi, 2011)
and Mike Trout, perhaps the best all-around player in Major League Baseball (Mike played for the 2011 Arkansas Travelers).
consists of 189 teams in 16 leagues, with levels
... is the third-highest level of baseball in the country
ranging from “Rookie” up to Triple-A.
Each of the 189 teams (unlike the independent leagues)
is affiliated with a Major League parent club.
(behind only Triple-A and the Major Leagues). It is considered the “top
prospect level” in the minors, with more than ninety-eight percent (98%)
of big league players appearing at AA level on their way to The Show.
Including the Mexican League & Mexican Academy and
affiliated leagues in the Dominican Republic & Venezuela,
Minor League Baseball’s umbrella expands to 252 teams.
with the 30 AA teams divided into three leagues - - Eastern (12 teams), Southern (10) and the Texas League (8).
Each Major League club has just one Double-A affiliate,
baseball has been around since eighteen-eighty-eight (1888)!
The eight-team circuit boasts one of the most remarkable histories in all of professional baseball.
The 2017 Texas League, with clubs in Texas (4), Arkansas (2), Missouri and Oklahoma, is divided into two divisions (see below).
A’s
The RockHounds are the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s,
a partnership which began in 1999. The franchise had previously been affiliated with the Cubs (1972-84) and Angels (1985-98), adopting
the nickname of their big league affiliate for those years. The RockHounds / A’s era has been, by far, the most succesful on the field.
In 2016, the RockHounds became the first team in 91 years ... and just the fourth club ever ... to win three
consecutive Texas League championships. It was the franchise’s fifth outright Texas League title, all five coming in the last 12
seasons (2005, 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2016), and all during the RockHounds / Oakland A’s era.
MIKE TROUT
JOSH DONALDSON
2017 TEXAS LEAGUE
NORTH DIVISION
SOUTH DIVISION
(Major League Affiliation)
(Major League Affiliation)
ARKANSAS TRAVELERS
Seattle Mariners
CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS
Houston Astros
NW ARKANSAS NATURALS
Kansas City Royals
FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS
Texas Rangers
SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS
St. Louis Cardinals
ROCKHOUNDS
Oakland Athletics
TULSA DRILLERS
Los Angeles Dodgers
SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS
San Diego Padres
CARLOS CORREA & JOSE ALTUVE