The Laredo Apaches were a minor league baseball team from Laredo, Texas that existed in two different incarnations: 1949-53 and again in 1995.
11-788: The original Apaches were one of the six charter franchises of the Class D Rio Grande Valley League in 1949, having been preceded in Laredo by the Laredo Bermudas of the Southwest Texas League (1910–1911) and the Laredo Oilers , who played as members of the Gulf Coast League in 1926 and Texas Valley League in 1927. In 1949, Laredo finished 80–60 in second place, and were eliminated by Brownsville in
22-878: The Laredo Lemurs , in time for the 2012 season. The Lemurs withdrew from the AA before the 2017 season, but the Mexican League announced that the Rojos del Águila de Veracruz club would become a new version of the Owls, and would play some of their home games at Uni-Trade Stadium, starting in 2018. Rio Grande Valley League The Rio Grande Valley League was a minor league baseball league, with franchises based exclusively in Texas . The Rio Grande Valley League had two incarnations, playing in 1931 and 1949 to 1950. In 1931,
33-529: The Robstown Cardinals . Charlie Engle managed Donna/Robstown for part of the season. Corpus Christi finished first in the standings and faced McAllen in the postseason, winning 4 games to 0. Brownsville matched against Laredo and won 4 games to 2. In the finals, Corpus Christi beat Brownsville 4 games to 0. In 1950, the league became a Class C level circuit. Laredo, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Del Rio returned from 1949. Robstown became
44-828: The Robstown Rebels . Donna and Weslaco featured the Donna-Weslaco Twins . Harlingen featured the Harlingen Capitals . On May 4, Donna-Weslaco disbanded; Robstown did the same on May 13. The playoffs had first-place finisher Harlingen beating Brownsville 4 games to 2. and Corpus Christi beating Laredo 4 games to 1. In the finals, Corpus Christi beat Harlingen 4 games to 1. Notably, Sam Harshaney managed Harlingen, Leonardo Alanís and Jack Smith managed Laredo, John Davis managed Corpus Christi and Fabian Kowalik managed Robstown. Monty Stratton , Joe Koppe , Dick Midkiff and Vicente Amor played in
55-819: The major leagues from 1938 to 1942, played for Corpus Christi/La Feria. Tex Covington managed McAllen. The league returned as a Class D level circuit in 1949, featuring the Donna Cardinals of Donna , the Corpus Christi Aces , the Laredo Apaches of Laredo , the Brownsville Charros of Brownsville , the McAllen Giants and the Del Rio Cowboys of Del Rio . On June 6, Donna moved to Robstown to become
66-783: The Apaches and the GCL would fold at the end of the season. Professional baseball would not return to Laredo until 1985, when the Mexican League club Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo became the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos , playing home games on both sides of the Rio Grande . In 1995, however, the Owls suddenly had competition, as the San Antonio Tejanos of the independent Texas–Louisiana League transferred to Laredo. But
77-432: The Class B Gulf Coast League (not to be confused with the current circuit of that name). In 1951, Laredo finished fourth but were eliminated by Corpus Christi Seahawks in the post-season; in 1952, the Apaches slipped to fifth and missed the playoffs. In their final campaign in 1953, led by batting champ Juan Senties (.379), Laredo edged back up to fourth, but were again dumped in the playoffs, this time by Galveston . Both
88-845: The league initially featured the Corpus Christi Seahawks of Corpus Christi , the Harlingen Ladds of Harlingen , the McAllen Palms of McAllen and the San Benito Saints of San Benito . Corpus Christi moved to La Feria to become the La Feria Nighthawks in June. The league disbanded on July 30. McAllen finished in first place with a 55–37 record; they also won the league playoff against La Feria 3 games to 0. Johnny Rizzo , who played in
99-661: The league that year. schedule Corpus Christi (20–23) moved to La Feria June 5. La Feria played its home games at Harlingen. The league disbanded July 30. Playoff: McAllen 3 games, La Feria 0. schedule Donna moved to Robstown June 6. Playoffs: Corpus Christi 4 games, McAllen 0; Brownsville 4 games, Laredo 2. Finals: Corpus Christi 4 games, Brownsville 0. schedule Donna-Weslaco disbanded May 4; Robstown disbanded May 13. Playoffs: Harlingen 4 games, Brownsville 2; Corpus Christi 4 games, Laredo 1. Finals: Corpus Christi 4 games, Harlingen 1. Donna Cardinals Too Many Requests If you report this error to
110-573: The new Apaches wouldn't last long; sporting the league's worst record at 17–32, and drawing only about 700 fans per game at the now-aged Veterans Field, the league decided to fold the franchise (as well as the Pueblo Bighorns ) mid-season. The Tecolotes would continue to play in Laredo until 2004; in 2011, the city council voted to build a new ballpark, Uni-Trade Stadium , and the American Association granted an expansion team,
121-516: The playoffs. The following year, the Apaches moved into a new stadium, West Martin Field (now Veterans Field ) and finished second again, edged out for the pennant by a single game by Harlingen ; again, the Apaches were beaten in the semifinals, this time by Corpus Christi Seahawks . Losing two of their eight clubs mid-season, the RGVL folded after the 1950 campaign, and four of the loop's teams moved to
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