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25-535: Joe Bauman hit a minor league record 72 home runs playing for the 1954 Roswell Rockets. Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Willie Stargell played for the 1959 Roswell Pirates. Minor league baseball started in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1923. The Roswell Giants began play as charter members the four–team Panhandle-Pecos Valley League , which had evolved from the West Texas League . The Roswell Giants joined

50-406: A .337 batting average. Between his contracts, his business, and the cash fans gave him for home runs, Bauman made more money than some major league players. However, he always wondered if he could have made the majors himself if he had not spent three years of his career playing semi-pro ball. After his baseball career, Bauman continued to run the service station which he had started operating during

75-546: A 15–4 win over the Sweetwater Spudders. The four home runs gave him 68 on the season and came one night after Bauman hit a home run on "Joe Bauman Night" on August 30. Bauman hit 13 home runs in the last 14 games of the 1954 season to reach 72. As was common in the Longhorn League, fans would push money through the backstop fence to players after home runs. Bauman often made several hundred dollars through

100-656: A capacity of 1,200 and dimensions (left, center, right) of 330–500–425. Beginning in 1949, the Roswell minor league teams were reported to have played home games at Fair Park Stadium . The ballpark was also called "Rocket Park" at times. Fair Park Stadium is still in use. The ballpark is now called "Joe Bauman Baseball Stadium" and hosts the Roswell Invaders. The location is 900 Block East Poe, Roswell, New Mexico. Roswell Rockets players Roswell Pirates players Roswell Giants players Joe Bauman Joe Willis Bauman (April 16, 1922 – September 20, 2005)

125-488: A high average. After the season, he moved to Roswell. The Roswell Rockets ' ballpark had a right field wall that was 329 feet from home. It was a prime target for Bauman, who was a left-handed pull hitter with an uppercut swing. In 1954, Bauman won the triple crown and also led the league in runs and walks for Roswell. In 138 games, he had 199 hits in 498 at bats for a .400 average. He also drove in 228 runs and walked 150 times. He hit 35 doubles, 3 triples, and 72 home runs –

150-589: Is now named Joe Bauman Baseball Stadium . The address is 900 Block East Poe Roswell, New Mexico, 88201. San Angelo Pirates The San Angelo Pirates were a class-D minor league baseball , club based in San Angelo, Texas . The team first played in 1958 and partially during the following season. On June 9, 1959, the Pirates moved to Roswell, New Mexico to become the Roswell Pirates . In 1959,

175-737: The Amarillo Gassers , Clovis Cubs and Lubbock Hubbers as franchises in the new league. On August 15, 1923, Roswell had a record of 41–63 and were in fourth place when the Panhandle-Pecos Valley League permanently folded. In 1937, the Roswell Sunshiners were charter members of the six–team Class D West Texas-New Mexico League . Roswell joined the Hobbs Drillers , Midland Cardinals , Monahans Trojans , Odessa Oilers and Wink Spudders in

200-676: The Southern Association . During the winter of 1942, he played semi-professional ball. He served in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1945, and was stationed at Naval Air Station Norman , where he taught physical fitness and played baseball. During that time, he married his high school sweetheart Dorothy and lived in Oklahoma. Upon his return in 1946, Bauman settled in with the Amarillo Gold Sox in

225-757: The West Texas–New Mexico League . He led the circuit with 48 home runs, 159 runs batted in , and a .301 batting average . The following season, his home run totals went down, though his production went up. He hit just 38 homers, but batted .350 and drew 151 walks , and was signed by the Boston Braves . In 1948, Bauman played in the Braves organization, going 0 for 1 in Class AAA with the Milwaukee Brewers , and posting fair stats with

250-606: The Big Spring Broncs 4 games to 2. In the finals the Odessa Oilers defeated Roswell 4 games to 2. They drew 65,361. In 1952, Roswell finished 65–75 (6th), followed by 60–70 (5th) in 1953. They missed the playoffs in both seasons. The 1954 Roswell Rockets finished 87–51, placing second in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Carlsbad Potashers defeated Roswell 4 games to 2. They drew 53,280 for

275-901: The Class AA Hartford Chiefs (.275, 55 BB, 10 HR in 276 AB), while splitting time with Ray Sanders . It was Bauman's only time outside the low minors, and left it inconclusive as to whether he could play in the majors or not. The Braves tried to send him to the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association but wanted to cut his salary. After four years in the U.S. Navy, Bauman was tired of taking orders and walked away. "I told them that I could make more money selling 24-inch shoestrings on any corner in Oklahoma City", he said. During this era in baseball, most major leaguers did not make much money. Bauman returned to Oklahoma in 1949, signing on for three seasons with

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300-422: The Longhorn League regular season standings. In the playoffs, the Big Spring Broncs swept Roswell in four games. The Rockets had home a season attendance total of 82,671, an average of 1,095. Roswell advanced to the Longhorn League finals in 1951, as the Longhorn League became a Class C level league. The Rockets finished with a 79–61 record to place third in the 1951 regular season. In the playoffs, Roswell defeated

325-760: The West Texas-New Mexico League. The Roswell Sunshiners finished with a record of 55–62, placing second in the 1937 West Texas-New Mexico League, as the Odessa and Midland franchises withdrew during the season. In the playoffs, Roswell defeated the Monahans Trojans 3 games to 2. In the Finals, the Wink Spudders swept Roswell in three games. The Roswell Franchise did not return to the league in 1938. The 1949 Roswell Rockets joined

350-485: The eight–team Longhorn League, playing with fellow members Ballinger Cats , Big Spring Broncs , Midland Indians , Odessa Oilers , San Angelo Colts , Sweetwater Swatters , and Vernon Dusters . The Roswell Rockets finished last in their first Longhorn League season, placing eighth with a 57–82 record. The Rockets drew 43,584 fans for the season. In 1950, the Roswell Rockets finished 89–62, placing second in

375-511: The last years of his playing career. He lived in Roswell and died there on September 20, 2005. He was survived by his wife Dorothy. The Joe Bauman Home Run Award is given out annually since 2002 to the minor league baseball player with the most home runs. Science fiction writer Harry Turtledove made Bauman the central character of his humorous short story "The Star and the Rockets". The longtime ballpark in Roswell, in which Bauman played,

400-414: The latter, a professional baseball record that stood until Barry Bonds topped it in 2001. The previous record had been 69, and Bauman hit 13 home runs in the last 14 games to break the mark. He also became the first professional player to hit 50 homers in three straight seasons. "That summer the ball looked this big," he later said, circling an area the size of a ripe cantaloupe with his hands. Roswell

425-660: The practice. In 1955, the Rockets were 79–56, placing 2second in the Longhorn League. In the playoffs, they defeated the Artesia Numexers 4 games to 3 to advance. In the Finals, the San Angelo Colts swept the Rockets in 4 games. Joe Bauman followed his record setting season by hitting .336 with 46 home runs and 132 RBI. The Rockets' 1955 attendance was 39,911. The Roswell Rockets played in a newly named league in 1956. They finished 53–90 in 1956, placing ninth in

450-616: The season. Baseball Hall of Fame member Willie Stargell played for the Roswell Pirates in 1959 and hit .274 with 7 home runs and 87 RBI. Joe Bauman managed the 1959 Roswell Pirates for part of the season. Roswell was without minor league baseball until the 2011 Roswell Invaders began play as members of the independent level Pecos League . The Invaders continue play today. In 1937, the Roswell Sunshiners played home minor league games at League Park . The ballpark had

475-542: The season. Rockets player Joe Bauman hit 72 home runs for Roswell in 1954, setting a single season minor-league home run record. Bauman also hit .400 with 150 walks, 188 runs and 224 RBI in 1954. Bauman had been acquired from the Artesia Drillers after the 1953 season. Bauman owned and operated a filling station in Roswell in 1954 and resided there the rest of his life. Besides hitting 72 home runs in 1954, Bauman hit four in one game at home on August 31, 1954, in

500-464: The semi-pro Elk City Elks. He also opened a service station on busy U.S. Highway 66 with business partner Jack Riley. The Elks did well, especially in 1949 and 1950, and Bauman was a crowd favorite, known simply as "Joe." Fans from western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle flocked to watch him knock home runs over the unique red rock wall of Ackley Park. By 1951, the oil-boom economy and

525-458: The team had begun to lag, though, and Bauman decided to move on. At 30, Bauman joined up with the Class C Longhorn League for 1952, signing with the Artesia Drillers . During that year, his triple crown stats were .375-50-157, good enough to lead the league in homers, RBI, and walks (148). The next year, he led the league in walks (130), runs scored (135), and home runs (53), while maintaining

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550-595: The ten–team Southwestern League , as the Longhorn League expanded and was renamed. Roswell drew 18,367, an average of 257 per home game. The franchise folded after the 1956 season. Roswell briefly regained a team on June 9, 1959, when the San Angelo Pirates of the Sophomore League moved to Roswell. The Roswell Pirates finished the season in Roswell. The San Angelo/Roswell Pirates finished with an overall record of 48–77. The franchise folded after

575-618: Was a small town, and Bauman was the biggest local attraction since the 1947 crash and suspected alien landing. After each home run fans pushed dollar bills through the fence at which the game would be stopped for a few minutes to collect all the money. Bauman could not duplicate his 1954 season in 1955, hitting 46 home runs with a batting average of .336. The following season, he played just 52 games and hit 17 homers. He retired in 1956 at age 34. For his professional baseball career, Bauman's statistics were: 1,019 games, 982 runs scored, 1,166 hits, 337 home runs, 1,057 runs batted in, 974 walks, and

600-579: Was an American first baseman in professional baseball who played primarily in the low minor leagues . He is best remembered for his time with the Roswell Rockets of the Class C Longhorn League , for whom he hit 72 home runs in 1954, setting a professional baseball record that stood until 2001. Born in Welch, Oklahoma , he threw and batted left-handed, stood 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and weighed 235 pounds (107 kg). Bauman

625-690: Was born in Welch, Oklahoma , in 1922 to his father Joe Sr. and his mother Tennessee. He grew up in Oklahoma City and graduated from Capitol Hill High School in 1941. Bauman debuted in professional baseball with the Newport Dodgers in the Northeast Arkansas League in 1941. Hitting only three home runs in 59 games, he also went 0–10 as a pitcher when he was called up to the Little Rock Travelers in

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