The Fort Worth Cats was a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas , in the United States . The Cats were a member of the South Division of the now disbanded United League Baseball , which was not affiliated with Major League Baseball . From 2002 to 2014, the Cats played their home games at LaGrave Field .
43-539: Under the management of Wayne Terwilliger (2005) and Stan Hough (2006–2007), the team won the 2005 Central Baseball League championship and the 2006 and 2007 American Association championships. The new Cats began play in Fort Worth in 2001 at Lon Goldstein Field , which was their temporary home until the new ballpark was constructed. They were named after the original Fort Worth Cats , who played mostly in
86-614: A .621 slugging percentage, and 60 extra base hits. Gulledge was hitting .341 with 14 HR, 71 RBI, 125 hits, and 73 runs. On December 21, 2011, it was announced that the team was sold to a group led by John Bryant and Byron Pierce, co-founders of United League Baseball , which had merged to become part of the North American Baseball League . In January 2012, Carl Bell and the LaGrave Reconstruction Co. declared bankruptcy, which cast doubt on
129-476: A 0.625 winning percentage. Total season attendance was 185,380 for 47 games, which was an average of 3,944 per game. The team was named Organization of the Year. The 2009 regular season record was 53–43 with a 0.552 winning percentage. Total season attendance was 177,807 for 48 games, which was an average 3,704 per game. The 2010 regular season record was 37–56 with a 0.398 winning percentage. Total season attendance
172-590: A different city in North Texas. In December 2014, Bryant stated that if the team could not find a place to play by January, the team's future would be in doubt. In January 2015, the Cats' league, United League Baseball (ULB) announced it had ceased operations after seven seasons. One of the glaring issues of the ULB in the 2014 season was their inability to draw fans. Brownsville and Rio Grande teams shared Harlingen Field,
215-469: A full-time player. In 666 games over nine seasons, Terwilliger posted a .240 batting average (501-for-2091) with 271 runs , 22 home runs , 162 RBI and 247 bases on balls . Defensively, he recorded a .974 fielding percentage playing primarily at second base. After his playing days were over, Terwilliger started a successful career as coach and minor-league manager in the Yankees' organization with
258-464: A mantra, was released. Terwilliger married twice. He first married Mary Jane Locke with whom he had a son, Steve, and a daughter, Marcie. His second wife's name was Linda. Terwilliger died in Weatherford, Texas , on February 3, 2021, at the age of 95. He had been getting treatment for bladder cancer, but the cause of death was not given. United League Baseball United League Baseball
301-408: A second straight American Association Championship and third straight overall. The Cats had won 6 straight decisive Game 5's and were 13–0 in games in which they faced elimination the last 3 seasons. They had been down 2 games to 1 in 5 of the last 6 series following a pattern of winning the first game, losing the next two, and then winning games 4 and 5. The only exception was when they were down 2–0 to
344-477: A team for 2014 and they were replaced by the Brownsville Charros . The San Angelo Colts announced on July 2, 2014, that they had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Although it was stated at the time that operations would not be affected, the team announced on August 11, 2014, that the final eight games of the 2014 regular season would not be played. Originally scheduled to end August 24,
387-629: Is a Class-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles , in 2003. He also managed the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx in 2001. In 2006, the Cats changed leagues and joined the new American Association . They won their second straight title and their first title in the new league by beating the St. Paul Saints 3 games to 2 in the championship series. The 2006 regular season record was 56–39 with a 0.589 winning percentage. The total season attendance
430-595: The Alexandria Aces , Amarillo Dillas , Edinburg Coyotes , Laredo Broncos , Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings and San Angelo Colts . The San Angelo franchise previously played in the now-defunct Central Baseball League , while the Amarillo Dillas previously played in the now-defunct Texas–Louisiana League . The United League was originally owned by an investor group United Sports Equity LLC followed by former Congressman John Bryant . In 2013, following
473-823: The Greensboro Yankees of the B-level Carolina League . After taking the 1962 season off, Terwilliger would be hired by the Washington Senators to manage their single-A team, the Wisconsin Rapids Senators in the Midwest League . He would spend the following six seasons managing in the Senators organization, the last two at AAA. Under manager Ted Williams , Terwilliger was the third-base coach of
SECTION 10
#1732772852177516-487: The Texas League until 1964. Former Cats' owner Carl Bell commissioned a new Lagrave Field to be built directly on top of the original stadium's location. Home plate is exactly where it was in 1926 when the old facility opened. On May 23, 2002, the Cats opened up the season in their brand new home. The team's mascot was Dodger, whose namesake is a tribute to the Cats' affiliation with the great Brooklyn Dodgers teams in
559-561: The 1940s and 1950s. Under the management of Wayne Terwilliger , the Cats defeated the San Angelo Colts for the 2005 Central Baseball League championship after beating the Pensacola Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs. It was Fort Worth's first championship since 1948 . They won both halves of the season with identical 30–17 records, which was a franchise record for wins in a season. The Cats also made
602-571: The 1950 season as the Cubs' starting second baseman, hitting .242 with 10 home runs, 32 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. However, after getting off to a poor start to the 1951 season, Terwilliger was included in a trade that sent outfielder Andy Pafko , pitcher Johnny Schmitz , and catcher Rube Walker to the Brooklyn Dodgers for catcher Bruce Edwards , pitcher Joe Hatten , outfielder Gene Hermanski and infielder Eddie Miksis . After spending
645-541: The 1952 season with the AAA St. Paul Saints , Terwilliger was claimed off waivers by the Washington Senators following the 1952 season and spent the next two seasons as the Senators' second baseman. Prior to the start of the 1955 season, Terwilliger switched teams again after the New York Giants purchased him from the Senators. He spent the 1955 and '56 seasons shuttling between New York and AAA Minneapolis and
688-553: The 2005 Central League championship. After retiring from managing following the end of the 2005 season, Terwilliger accepted the position as first-base coach for the Cats, at the age of 81, and remained with the team in the new American Association through the 2010 season. Throughout his career, Terwilliger managed 12 minor-league teams and compiled a record of 1,224 wins and 1,089 losses. In 2006, Terwilliger's autobiography, Terwilliger Bunts One , which drew its title from Annie Dillard 's essay on how her mother turned that phrase into
731-452: The 2014 season, Mike Marshall resigned his duties as manager. In July of that season, the Cats assigned the managerial duties to Barrett Weaver. Due to an issue between the owner of the property on which LaGrave Field sits and the city of Fort Worth, the Cats were asked to relocate to another stadium after the 2014 season. Team owner John Bryant had stated the Cats intended to play the 2015 season, but acknowledged they might have to relocate to
774-483: The A's. After starting the 1960 season with the A's, Terwilliger was unofficially traded to the New York Yankees , a transaction that was common at the time between the two teams when the Yankees were accused of using the A's as a major league farm club and the two teams often seemed to have mutual rights to each other's players, and played the rest of the season at AAA Richmond Virginians before retiring as
817-543: The El Paso Diablos in the 2007 Division Series before winning 3 straight at LaGrave Field. The 2007 regular season record was 53–40 with a 0.570 winning percentage. Total season attendance was 141,330 for 34 games, which was an average of 4,157 per game. Max Scherzer was on the Cats roster in 2007. In 2008, he was called up to the Arizona Diamondbacks . The 2008 regular season record was 60–36 with
860-531: The Fort Worth Cats played out of LaGrave Field, and the San Angelo Colts played at Foster Field. The league drew an average of about 744 fans a game between the three venues. The club has not been active since the end of the ULB, and their former website is no longer in operation. Wayne Terwilliger Willard Wayne Terwilliger (June 27, 1925 – February 3, 2021), nicknamed " Twig ",
903-1072: The Ft. Worth Cats, thus leaving them without a home for the 2015 season. Through the mismanagement of the league by Bryant and Pierce and having one remaining stadium lease in Harlingen the league was formally disbanded in January 2015. ^ Clinched Playoff Spot * Clinched 1st Half Title ** Clinched 2nd Half Title *** Clinched Regular Season Title * Clinched 1st Playoff Seed ** Clinched 2nd Playoff Seed *** Clinched 3rd Playoff Seed **** Clinched 4th Playoff Seed ^ Clinched Regular Season Championship * Clinched 1st Playoff Seed ** Clinched 2nd Playoff Seed *** Clinched 3rd Playoff Seed **** Clinched 4th Playoff Seed ^ Clinched Regular Season Championship * Clinched 1st Playoff Seed ** Clinched 2nd Playoff Seed *** Clinched 3rd Playoff Seed **** Clinched 4th Playoff Seed ^ Clinched Regular Season Championship Format: When
SECTION 20
#1732772852177946-585: The Senators from 1969 to 1971 and of the Texas Rangers in their first season, 1972. Following the season, Terwilliger was let go by the Rangers, following Williams' retirement, and would manage the Houston Astros' AA Columbus Astros in 1973 and Texas' single-A Lynchburg Rangers in 1975 before spending the next four seasons managing the single-A Asheville Tourists . In 1980, he was hired as
989-464: The United League playoffs will consist of 4 teams competing in 2 rounds. In the first round the top two teams at the end of the first half of the season will host the two remaining teams with the best overall winning percentage throughout the season in a best-of-three series. The winners then advance to the championship which will be played at both parks, with the lower seed hosting game one and
1032-413: The championship best-of-five series. Format: for the 2009 season the United League playoffs consisted of 4 teams competing in 2 rounds, with the top 4 regular season teams making the playoffs. In the first round the regular season champion faced the 4th seed while seed 2 faced seed 3 in the best of 3 series. The winners then advanced to the championship best-of-five series. Format: for the 2008 season
1075-758: The dissolution of the North American League, United League Baseball was reincorporated. The league played an 80-game season from late May to the middle of August, and featured the Edinburg Roadrunners , the Fort Worth Cats , the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings , the San Angelo Colts , the Texas Thunder , and the Alexandria Aces . Alexandria and Texas were shut down mid-season. Edinburg did not field
1118-739: The entire 1957 season at AAA. Following the 1957 season, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers in a swap for fellow journeymen infielder Jack Dittmer . After spending 1958 with the Tigers' AAA Charleston Senators , he was acquired by the Kansas City A's from the Detroit Tigers in the December 1958 Rule 5 draft . In 1959, Terwilliger saw his last large stretch of time in the majors, playing 74 games at second and shortstop for
1161-621: The future of LaGrave Field . Several months later, the debt holder, Amegy Bank of Houston, foreclosed and became the landlord of the Cats. On the field, the team reached the United League championship game in September 2012, but were swept by the Edinburg Roadrunners . In March 2014, the Cats announced the hiring of their new manager in Mike Marshall for the 2014 season. In May 2014, the Cats signed 55-year-old Julio Franco . The 1990 All-Star MVP last played professionally in 2008. During
1204-501: The higher seed hosting games two and three of the best-of-three series. Format: for the 2007 season the United League played in a split season format, crowning a first half champion and a second half champion. The champions then played for the ULB Championship. If one team was to win both halves, the team with the second-best overall season record would have qualified for the playoffs as a wild card. The championship series
1247-603: The job when the team won the World Series in 1987 and 1991 before leaving following the 1994 season. Staying in Minnesota, Terwilliger returned to the St. Paul Saints in 1995, this time as the first-base coach of the team in the independent Northern League . He would remain with the team until 2002. In 2003, Terwilliger would be named manager of the Fort Worth Cats in the independent Central Baseball League , and won
1290-444: The league returned for the 2013 season the United League paired the top two regular season teams in a best of 5 ULB Championship series. Format: for the 2010 season the United League playoffs consisted of 4 teams competing in 2 rounds, with the top 4 regular season teams making the playoffs. In the first round the regular season champion faced the 4th seed while seed 2 faced seed 3 in the best of 3 series. The winners then advanced to
1333-573: The league's 2014 regular season ended August 15, with the best-of-five championship series between the Cats and the WhiteWings starting August 16. The United League Baseball was looking into possibly expanding to Del Rio, Texas , and was scheduled to meet with city officials in October 2014. In November 2014, it was announced that the City of Ft. Worth had not renewed the lease at LaGrave Field for
Fort Worth Cats - Misplaced Pages Continue
1376-504: The league. Its format in 2008 featured the United League all-stars versus the Golden League all-stars. In 2006 the first All-Star Game pitted the best team against the all-stars from the rest of the United League. In 2007 the second All-Star Game pitted Team North (All-Stars from Alexandria, Amarillo and San Angelo) against Team Rio Grande (All-Stars from Edinburg, Laredo and Rio Grande Valley). The ULB's all-star festivities were
1419-435: The manager of Texas' AA Tulsa Drillers . Terwilliger returned as a major league coach after being hired to Don Zimmer 's 1981 Rangers staff and would stay with the team for four years. He would coach first for Zimmer, and then Darrell Johnson , Doug Rader , and Bobby Valentine . In 1986, he was hired as first-base coach on Ray Miller 's Minnesota Twins staff. He would stay on with rookie manager Tom Kelly , handling
1462-484: The playoffs in 2003 , which was Terwilliger's first season as manager. Stan Hough was named the Cats' new manager on December 6, 2005, taking over for Terwilliger, who remained with the club as Hough's first base coach in 2006. Prior to being named the manager, Hough was the team's hitting instructor from 2004 to 2005. Prior to the Cats' job, his last managerial job was with the Delmarva Shorebirds , which
1505-888: The semi-pro Benton Harbor Buds when he was signed as a free agent in July by the Chicago Cubs . The Cubs assigned him to the Single-A Des Moines Bruins of the Western League , where he finished the season. In 1949, Terwilliger was promoted to the AAA Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League, where he batted .275 in 115 games, before being called up to the Cubs in August and playing in 36 games. Terwilliger spent
1548-457: The tank bogged down," he told The Sporting News on April 26, 1950. "We had to abandon the tank. Everybody scattered into the nearest fox holes. But at just about that time a [Japanese] tank rolled up and began blasting away. I knew I had to get out of there, so I ran for the beach, zigzagging in and out with the tank chasing me. I'm sure I'd be lying out there somewhere now if it hadn't been for one of our own tanks, which luckily showed up while I
1591-540: Was 122,062 for 41 games, which was an average of 2,707 per game. The team was managed by Chad Tredaway, who was assisted by pitching coach James Frisbie, assistant coach Steve Maddock, and first base coach Wayne Terwilliger. In November 2010, the Cats again hired Stan Hough as their new team manager. Hough also managed the team from 2006 to 2007, was 109–79, and led the Cats to the American Association championship in each season. The 2011 regular season record
1634-557: Was 177,894 for 46 games, which was an average of 3,867 per game. Luke Hochevar pitched for the Cats in 2006 , making four starts (1–1, 2.38 ERA) prior to being drafted #1 overall in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft by the Kansas City Royals . On September 8, 2007, the Cats defeated the St. Paul Saints 4–1 in the fifth game of the American Association Championship playoffs to capture
1677-606: Was 48–52 with a 0.480 winning percentage, which placed the team in second in the Southern Division. Total season attendance was 108,020 for 50 games, which was an average of 2,160 per game. First baseman Trent Lockwood, and catcher Kelley Gulledge were named to the American Association Postseason All-Star Team. Heading into the season's final game, Lockwood, in his first season with the team, was batting .338 with 20 HR, 90 RBI,
1720-724: Was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas . The league operated from 2006 to 2009. The league then temporarily merged with the Northern League and the Golden Baseball League to form the North American League from 2011–2012. However, after the North American League folded at the end of the 2012 season, ULB was reformed. It dissolved for a second time in January 2015. The league began its first season on May 16, 2006, with six teams:
1763-855: Was an American professional baseball second baseman . He played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1949 and 1960 for the Chicago Cubs , Brooklyn Dodgers , Washington Senators , New York Giants , and Kansas City Athletics . Terwilliger grew up in Michigan. He joined the Marines in 1943 following his 18th birthday and served as a radioman on an amphibious tank in the Pacific Theater of World War II. While overseas, Terwilliger served in Tinian and Iwo Jima , and had his tank destroyed at Saipan . "We were hit and
Fort Worth Cats - Misplaced Pages Continue
1806-403: Was doing all that broken field running." Terwilliger was discharged in late 1945 and attended Western Michigan College , where he quickly became a star shortstop . As early as 1946, he was attracting attention from major league scouts , and St. Louis Browns ' scout Jack Fournier was particularly keen to sign him. In 1948, after finishing college, Terwilliger was playing second base with
1849-493: Was the best 4 out of 7 games, to be played home and away in a 2–3–2 site format, with home field advantage awarded to the first half champion. Format: for the 2006 season the top four teams in the regular season standings made the playoffs, including the regular season champion and 3 wild card teams. The playoffs then commenced with two rounds of games to determine the United League champion: United League Baseball hosted an annual All-Star Game which rotated host cities throughout
#176823