Midland RockHounds Founded in 1972 Midland, Texas
Team Logo Cap Insignia
Class-level
AA
Minor league affiliations
Texas League South Division
Major league affiliations
Oakland Athletics (1999-Present) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (1985-1998) Chicago Cubs (1972-1984)
Name
Midland RockHounds (1999-present) Midland Angels (1985-1998) Midland Cubs (1972-1984)
Ballpark
Citibank Ballpark Christensen Stadium
Minor league titles
League titles	1975 (split), 2005, 2009
Division titles
Owner(s)/Operated by: Miles Prentice & Bob Richmond
Manager: Darren Bush
General Manager: Monty Hoppel

The Midland RockHounds are a minor league baseball team based in Midland, Texas, USA. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Citibank Ballpark, located in Midland. Opened in 2002, the stadium seats 6,669 fans. The RockHounds are the current defending champions of the Texas League, having defeated the Northwest Arkansas Naturals three games to one in the 2009 TLCS for their second outright TL pennant (their first was in 2005).

[edit] History

The RockHounds were previously known as both the Midland Cubs and Midland Angels during their years in existence. While Midland currently is the AA affiliate of the Oakland A's, they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs from 1972-1984, and then with the California Angels from 1985-1998.^[1]

Awards hace followed the RockHounds throughout their history. The Midland franchise under the Angels won the Texas League Organization of the year in 1990 and 1994 and as the RockHounds in 2002. In 1995 Midland won AA's highest award, the Bob Frietas Award. General Manager Marty Hoppel has been named Executive of the Year with the franchise three times: in 1991, 1995, and 2002.^[2]

1995 marked the Midland franchises first ever playoff appearance as an affiliate for the Angels and their first playoff appearance overall in 20 years. It also became the first season the Midland franchise accumulated more than 200,000 fans in a season, a feet repeated in 1996. The feet surprised many in Minor League Baseball as the Midland-Odessa area only has over 200,000 residents total. Since moving to Citibank Ballpark, the RockHounds have averaged 250,000+ fans every season.

The RockHounds moved into what is now known as Citibank Ballpark, part of the Scharbauer Sports Complex on the west side of Midland, in 2002. Prior to that, their home had been what is now known as Christensen Stadium, in northeast Midland.

The Rockhounds won their first ever Texas League Championship in 2005. They shared the title back in 1975 as the Cubs. In 2006 they won the second half championship of the South Division, but they lost to the eventual champion Corpus Christi Hooks in the division playoffs.^[3]

In 2007, the RockHounds won the John H. Johnson President's Award, Minor League baseball highest award for a franchise, making them the third Texas League franchsise to do so after the El Paso Diablos and the Tulsa Drillers. ^[4]

In 2009, the RockHounds won their second TL pennant, defeating the Northwest Arkansas Naturals three games to one in the Championship Series. ^[5]

[edit] On the radio

The Midland Rockhounds have always had a play-by-play broadcast that has been available. KCRS (AM) had been the network to carry roughly 95% of the Rockhounds games since they debuted in 1972. Some afternoon games in 2008 didn't air on the radio due to contracts with Rush Limbaugh and others. For the 2009 season Gap Broadcasting announced the Rockhounds would have a new radio home, KFZX, also known as 102.1 Jack FM. Bob Hards would remain the voice of the Rockhounds with the move, a position he has currently done for 18 consecutive years.^[6]

[edit] Notable Former Midland players

• Garret Anderson
• Jim Edmonds
• Andre Ethier
• Darin Erstad
• Troy Glaus
• Rich Harden
• Billy Hatcher
• Mike Krukow
• Dennis Lamp
• Carlos Lezcano
• Randy Martz
• Donnie Moore
• Karl Pagel
• Troy Percival
• Tim Salmon
• Lee Smith
• Bruce Sutter
• Huston Street
• Barry Zito

[edit] Trivia

Former Midland Cub Bruce Sutter was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006.

The 2002 Anaheim Angels consisted of two former Midland Angels: Troy Glaus and Tim Salmon.

Former RockHound Mark Kiger is the first player in modern Major League Baseball history to make his playing debut in a postseason game. His first game was October 13, 2006 in game three of the 2006 American League Championship Series.

A Midland Rockhounds pennant is prominently visible during a scene in the 2003 movie Love Actually. Oddly, the scene was set in a bar in Wisconsin, when the character Colin meets several beautiful American women.

In the 2003 film Daddy Day Care, one of the children is seen wearing a T-shirt with the Midland Rockhounds three mascots on it: Rocky the Rockhound, Juice the Moose, and Junior.

[edit] 2009 roster

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Midland RockHounds official website