El Paso Diablos
Encyclopedia
The El Paso Diablos are a professional baseball team based in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...

, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The Diablos are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

. Since the 2005 season to the present, the Diablos have played their home games at Cohen Stadium
Cohen Stadium
Cohen Stadium is a stadium on the Northeast side of El Paso, Texas, by the Patriot Freeway, next to the Franklin Mountains. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the El Paso Diablos minor league baseball team. It opened in 1990 and holds 9,725 people...

. The team's name means "devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...

s" in the Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

.

A Maverick Beginning...

The team has its roots going back to 1892, when the team was originally called the El Paso Browns. The name eventually changed to the Mavericks. In 1913, the El Paso Mavericks played in the Copper League, which consisted of teams from Silver City
Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City is a town in Grant County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 10,545. It is the county seat of Grant County. The city is the home of Western New Mexico University.-History:...

, Hurley
Hurley, New Mexico
Hurley is a town in Grant County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,464 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hurley is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....

, and Santa Rita
Santa Rita, New Mexico
Santa Rita is a ghost town in Grant County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The site of El Chino copper mine, Santa Rita was located fifteen miles east of Silver City.-History:...

, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

. Despite coming in third place that season, the Mavericks went on to win the post season tournament, becoming the Southwestern Champions of 1913. In 1915, the Mavericks joined the Rio Grande Association, a Class D minor league. Though the league folded after a year, the Mavericks continued to play in some form or another.

In 1924, the longtime home for the team, Dudley Field (known, locally as the "Dudley Dome") named for El Paso Mayor R.M. “Dick” Dudley, was constructed in South El Paso. While technically not a Dome in the sense of the word, the stadium had the unique ability to keep the temperature inside the stadium the same as the outside of the stadium. Another unique feature of the park was that the facade was constructed out of adobe. A final feature, one that would be used by the Brewers to test their pitchers in the future was that it was notoriously hitter friendly. Due to its cozy dimensions (340-395-340), pitchers had to work hard to make sure their ERAs would at least be below five.

In 1922, Syd and Andy Cohen played for the Mavericks and later played in the Major Leagues. Andy Cohen was a second baseman for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

, and Syd was a pitcher for several different teams in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

, though he would be the last pitcher to strike out Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...

. Syd also pitched in the Mexican leagues and later managed the Juarez team.

From Mavericks To Texans

In 1930, the team, now known as the El Paso Texans, was admitted to the Arizona State League in 1930 to replace the defunct Mesa Jewels. The Arizona State League included teams from Phoenix, Tucson, and Douglas. El Paso was the only Texas team in the league and missed winning the pennant by only half a game, losing to the Bisbee Bees.

The Texans remained in this league for decades. In 1931, the Arizona State League became the Arizona Texas League, which ran from 1931–32 and revived in 1937-1941. In 1940, the League was made into a Class C league. The league halted play from 1942 to 1946 because of World War II, though the Texans did play in the Mexican National League for one year, in 1946. The Arizona-Texas League play resumed in 1947, until 1950, when the league merged with the Sunset League to form the Southwestern International League. This league only lasted for a year before reverting back into the Arizona-Texas League.

In 1950, owner Jack Corbett sold the team in August to Dick Saunders and Tom Love, two young El Paso building contractors. Saunders and Love hired John Phelan to be the general manager. The Texans finished in second only to their rivals, the Juarez Indios, at the end of the season.

In 1951, the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

 (featuring a young rookie named Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...

) came to El Paso to play an exhibition game against the Texans, winning 16 to 10. In 1954, the team was sold to Dick Azar, the El Paso Coors distributor who brought beer to the ballpark for the first time. Beer was sold during the game and was given to the players in their dressing room free of charge after the games.

After losing money for two seasons, Azar sold the team to Pat McLaughlin in 1956. The team won the Southwestern League pennant that season, but only 51,386 fans came to see the Texans play all season. Due to money problems, McLaughlin handed the team in 1957 to Tom McHugh, S.E. Adams and Jimmy Hamilton. At the end of the season, the Southwestern League dropped the El Paso Texans.

The Dawn of the Sun Kings

Professional baseball was not played in El Paso again until 1961 when a group of 40 people, known as the Sports Development Committee of the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, took it upon themselves to revive it. John Phelan, the Texans former manager, was named Vice President and General Manager. Each of the 40 people put up to $500 to help finance the team. Phelan and the committee managed to get the organization into the Class D Sophomore League
Sophomore League
The Sophomore League was a Class D minor league baseball league that operated from 1958 through 1961. In 1956 and 1957 the league was known as the Southwestern League.- Former :...

 and renamed the team the El Paso Sun Kings. The Sun Kings had a terrific season, finishing in third, and, for the first time, turned a profit.

In 1962, the Sun Kings joined the Class AA Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...

. The organization's rookie season was a huge success, as they won the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...

 championship. In 1963, the team hit 207 home runs, setting a new league record for most home runs in a season.

From 1961 to 1964, the El Paso Ball club had been affiliated with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

, their most notable player coming through the system at the time being Jesús Alou
Jesús Alou
Jesús María Rojas Alou is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During a 17-year baseball career, he played for the San Francisco Giants , Houston Astros , Oakland Athletics , and New York Mets...

 of the famous baseball family. In 1965, the Sun Kings became a farm team for the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...

.
The Sports Development Committee sold the team to Angels owner Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...

 for $1, fulfilling their mission of bringing professional baseball back to El Paso. John Stanfill replaced John Phelan as general manager in 1967, and the team came in second to Albuquerque, which won the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...

 pennant that season. During the Sun Kings' tenure as an Angel Affiliate, one of their most famous prospects passed through their system: a young second base prospect by the name of Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...

. Russell led the league in hitting with a .563 batting average. However, during a play, he was hit in the shoulder by another player running to second base, the collision resulting in a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder. The injury forced his retirement from baseball in 1973, and he returned to acting. Russell recently told Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

 that before his injury, he was going to be called up.

The partnership with the Angels lasted till 1970. The team was without an affiliate for one season until 1972, when the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

 brought theirs to El Paso.

From Sun Kings to Diablos

In 1974, Jim Paul bought the team, creating what is arguably the golden age of El Paso baseball. The name was changed from the Sun Kings to the Diablos; Paul also held numerous promotions and promoted a lively, fan-friendly atmosphere at the ballpark. The Diablos became the first Double A team to ever draw 300,000 fans.
The Dodgers’ partnership with the Diablos ended in 1974, after which the Diablos resumed their affiliation with the Angels from 1974 until 1981 (the Dodgers' AA affiliate moved to San Antonio). Among the many Diablos who played in the Major Leagues include Mike Witt
Mike Witt
Michael Atwater "Mike" Witt is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.At just twenty years of age, Witt made his major league debut with the California Angels in 1981. Standing 6 feet, 7 inches tall and possessing a great curveball as well as a good fastball, Witt's breakout season came in...

, Darrell Sconiers and Tom Brunansky
Tom Brunansky
Thomas Andrew Brunansky , nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers....

.

In 1980, the Diablos began airing all of their baseball games on radio station KTSM
KHEY (AM)
KHEY is a Fox Sports Radio affiliate in the El Paso, Texas, USA area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications. The station is also broadcast on HD radio....

 AM-1380, with current UTEP football announcer Jon Teicher as one of its first play-by-play announcers.

In 1981, the Diablos became an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

, a relationship which lasted until 1999.

Also in 1981, Texaco installed a $70,000 electronic scoreboard at Dudley Field. The Diablos won the Texas League Pennant in 1986. In 1988, the Diablos also had a young prospect named Gary Sheffield
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...

.

However, as the decade continued, the old Dudley Dome
Dudley Field (El Paso)
Dudley Field was the home of several El Paso baseball teams since its construction in 1924. The field was named after then Mayor R.M. Dudley, and originally hosted the El Paso Texans team. Later the stadium played home to the El Paso Sun Kings, which later became the El Paso Diablos...

 was showing its age. It became apparent that the team would need a new facility, as the city was expanding and the area around the Dudley Dome was becoming increasingly destitute. Construction began in the growing Northeast area of El Paso on a new facility, with the stadium completed in time for the 1990 season. In 1989. the Diablos said farewell to the Dudley Dome, their home of 65 years, and greeted their new ballpark, Cohen Stadium
Cohen Stadium
Cohen Stadium is a stadium on the Northeast side of El Paso, Texas, by the Patriot Freeway, next to the Franklin Mountains. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the El Paso Diablos minor league baseball team. It opened in 1990 and holds 9,725 people...

, named after the Cohen brothers, who had returned to El Paso to work for the club. Both Cohen brothers died within 6 months of each other in El Paso in 1988. The Dudley Dome continued to have tenants however, hosting the El Paso Patriots Soccer Club before its current tenant, the El Paso Scorpions Rugby Club. The Dome was finally demolished on November 5, 2005.

In 1990, Cohen Stadium
Cohen Stadium
Cohen Stadium is a stadium on the Northeast side of El Paso, Texas, by the Patriot Freeway, next to the Franklin Mountains. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the El Paso Diablos minor league baseball team. It opened in 1990 and holds 9,725 people...

 opened to the public, becoming an immediate success for the team. That same year, it became the only minor league ballpark to grace the cover of National Geographic
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...

. The Diablos won the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...

 pennant again in 1994 and remained competitive for several years after.
In 1999, the Diablos ended their relationship with Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

, and soon agreed to become the Double A affiliate for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...

. Around the same time, Paul, after years of building the Diablos into the model franchise, sold the team to Brett Sports and Entertainment, a sports conglomerate headed by former major leaguer George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...

.

The Death of the El Paso Diablos?

This change instead signalled the beginning of the end of Minor League baseball in El Paso. The Diablos ceased many of the promotions that made the team successful earlier, and the lack of strong players (save for the brief time that Brad Penny
Brad Penny
Bradley Wayne "Brad" Penny is a Major League starting pitcher. Penny has spent portions of his career with the Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers....

 spent in the organization) in the Arizona system rendered the team weak and unsuccessful. With the exception of making the playoffs in 2000, the team was largely dismal and the atmosphere around the park had largely changed from the lighthearted atmosphere that had existed during the Jim Paul era.

One other factor that affected attendance was the constant rumors that the team would be moved, rumors that Brett Sports and Entertainment would refuse to admit or deny. With every stadium construction that seemed to take place around the country, the Diablos would always be linked as a possible tenant. Furthermore, Brett Sports and Entertainment demanded the city of El Paso make millions in renovations to Cohen Stadium
Cohen Stadium
Cohen Stadium is a stadium on the Northeast side of El Paso, Texas, by the Patriot Freeway, next to the Franklin Mountains. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the El Paso Diablos minor league baseball team. It opened in 1990 and holds 9,725 people...

, which the city refused when there was no indication that the team would be staying. There was a brief spike in attendance on July 11, 2003 when Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....

 made a rehab start, but attendance remained low and the team began to hemorrhage money.

In 2004, with the Diablos’ contract with the Diamondbacks soon to expire, ownership made no move to re-sign with the Diamondbacks. While there was speculation of the team possibly changing teams, Diablo fans' worst fears were realized when it was announced that the team had been sold to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...

 for an estimated $9.8 million. Public backlash resulted; Brett Sports and Entertainment attempted to search for a team to replace the departing Diablos, but in the end, the Diablos moved to Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...

 to become the Springfield Cardinals
Springfield Cardinals
The Springfield Cardinals are a minor league baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals major-league club, and is owned by the Cardinals. The club plays at Hammons Field.The Springfield Cardinals...

.

The Rebirth of the El Paso Diablos

However, the move of the team signalled a new beginning of the Diablos. In 2005, it was announced that the independent Central Baseball League
Central Baseball League
The Central Baseball League, formerly the Texas-Louisiana League, was a minor league whose member teams were independent of any Major League Baseball affiliations.In 1991, potential owners, Dallas businessman Byron Pierce and U. S...

 had granted a franchise to Mark Schuster, who brought back the Diablos to begin play that same year. Former Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

 utilityman Mike Marshall was selected to manage the team. The front office returned to the management style that had been in use during the Jim Paul era, bringing back many fans that had become disenchanted with the team in recent years.

The team's debut on May 6, 2005, set a league attendance record of 10,116. Though the team finished in last during the first half of the season, the Diablos came alive in the second half, finishing in third and just missing the playoffs. The team set an attendance record for the league, finishing with an attendance of 190,429. The team also had several other special moments throughout the year. On Friday, July 8, 2005, former major leaguer and El Paso native Rocky Coppinger
Rocky Coppinger
John Thomas "Rocky" Coppinger , is a retired Major League Baseball player who played pitcher from -. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers. He attended high school at Coronado High School in El Paso, Texas and graduated in 1993...

 took the mound for a start. On July 27, the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...

 purchased the contract of RHP Andy Torres from the Diablos.

Following the end of the season, the Diablos announced that they would join with several fellow Central League members including the Coastal Bend Aviators
Coastal Bend Aviators
The Coastal Bend Aviators were a minor league baseball team which played in Robstown, Texas, in the United States from 2003 to 2007. They were a member of the Central Baseball League, then the American Association and were not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team.The team played at...

, the Fort Worth Cats
Fort Worth Cats
The Fort Worth Cats are a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2002 season the Cats...

, the Pensacola Pelicans
Pensacola Pelicans
The Pensacola Pelicans were a minor league baseball team based in Pensacola, Florida. In various incarnations, they played in three different independent baseball leagues from 2002–2010...

, and the Shreveport Sports
Shreveport Sports
The Shreveport-Bossier Captains are a professional baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the United States. The Captains are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

 and join with former Northern League teams the Saint Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

, Sioux City Explorers
Sioux City Explorers
The Sioux City Explorers are a professional baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States. The Explorers are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball.They were originally to be...

, the Sioux Falls Pheasants, and the Lincoln Saltdogs
Lincoln Saltdogs
The Lincoln Saltdogs are a professional baseball team based in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the United States. The Saltdogs are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

 to form the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball as an independent minor league. The league began play in 2006 with a 96 game schedule along with an expansion team in St. Joseph, Missouri known as the Blacksnakes. The league's first All-Star game was in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...

 and played against the Can-Am League
Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional, independent baseball league located in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is...

 in July 2006.

With the second season beginning in May 2006, the Diablos had an air of hope around them and were expected to contend in their new league. However, the team had vastly changed from the year before thanks to the purchase of closer Derrick DePriest by the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...

 on February 13, 2006. Also, upon Marshall's request, several members of the San Angelo Colts were signed, giving the Diablos possibly the most powerful offensive unit in the league, but the pitching staff that had been so mediocre the year before was unchanged. The team stumbled badly at the start of the season. The offense was dormant through much of the time, a factor that was worsened when offensive star Juan Camacho was bought by the Chicago White Sox on May 29. With the team floundering, on June 16, 2006, Marshall was released and replaced in the coming days by former major league pitcher Butch Henry, a graduate of El Paso's Eastwood High School
Eastwood High School (El Paso, Texas)
Eastwood High School is a high school in the city of El Paso, Texas, USA.-History:Eastwood High School, "Home of El Paso's Finest," is located in the city of El Paso, Texas. Eastwood had its first graduating senior class in 1965; today Eastwood High School has 400+ graduates annually...

. Though Henry provided some improvement, the team was still terrible and continued to struggle. The Diablos would lose shortstop Albenis Machado on August 13 when he was sold to the Chicago Cubs and eight days later would be on the receiving end of a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...

 by Fort Worth Cats pitcher Joel Kirsten. The Diablos would ultimately finish last in the Southern Division.

With new manager Butch Henry on board the Diablos were expected to be a much better team for the 2007 season, and they did finish the first half of the season in first place in the Southern Division with 28 wins and 23 losses and 4 games ahead of second place Sheveport and automatically getting a spot for the league play-offs - their first play-off appearance since the 2000 season when they were in the AA Texas League. Another exciting thing happened in the first half of the season on the 4th of July, the Diablos set the league attendance single-game record with more than 11,000 fans attending a game.

Notable Diablo Alumni

  • Jim Anderson
    Jim Anderson (baseball)
    James Lea Anderson is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. On June 3, he was drafted by the California Angels in the 2nd round of the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft. He played for the Angels , Seattle Mariners , and Texas Rangers .He made his major league debut on July 2, 1978, at Anaheim...

  • John Balaz
    John Balaz
    John Lawrence Balaz was a professional baseball player. Balaz was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 10, 1974, with the California Angels...

  • Ralph Botting
    Ralph Botting
    Ralph Wayne Botting is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The left-hander was drafted by the California Angels in the 7th round of the 1974 amateur draft, and played for the Angels in 1979 and 1980....

  • Tom Brunansky
    Tom Brunansky
    Thomas Andrew Brunansky , nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers....

  • Andy Cohen
  • Syd Cohen
    Syd Cohen
    Sydney Harry Cohen was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched for the Washington Senators from 1934–1937. In 1934, he gave up Babe Ruth's 708th home run, his last as a member of the New York Yankees. He managed in the minor leagues for many years afterwards.Cohen was Jewish. He was the...

  • Paul Dade
    Paul Dade
    Lonnie Paul Dade is a former Major League Baseball outfielder/third baseman. On June 4, 1970 he was drafted by the California Angels in the 1st round of the 1970 amateur draft...

  • Alberto Martinez
  • Bob Ferris
    Bob Ferris
    Robert Eugene Ferris is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The 6'6", 225 lb. right-hander was drafted by the California Angels in the 2nd round of the 1976 amateur draft, and he played for the Angels in 1979 and 1980.Ferris was called up to the Angels after a 14-7 season with the Salt...

  • Teddy Higuera
    Teddy Higuera
    Teodoro Higuera Valenzuela is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for nine years for the Milwaukee Brewers of the American League.-Early career:...

  • Randy Johnson
    Randy Johnson
    Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....

  • Byung-Hyun Kim
    Byung-Hyun Kim
    Byung-Hyun Kim is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. He is best known for his years with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox. In 2001, Kim took over mid-season as the Diamondbacks' closer and saved 19...

  • Fred Kuhaulua
    Fred Kuhaulua
    Fred Mahele Kuhaulua is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. On August 1, the left-hander was signed by the California Angels as an amateur free agent. He played for the Angels and San Diego Padres ....

  • Carney Lansford
    Carney Lansford
    Carney Ray Lansford is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball and the hitting coach of the Colorado Rockies...

  • Lyle Overbay
    Lyle Overbay
    Lyle Stefan Overbay is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent.-Amateur career:...

  • Brad Penny
    Brad Penny
    Bradley Wayne "Brad" Penny is a Major League starting pitcher. Penny has spent portions of his career with the Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers....

  • Kurt Russell
    Kurt Russell
    Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...

  • Darrell Sconiers
  • Gary Sheffield
    Gary Sheffield
    Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...

  • Chad Tracy
    Chad Tracy
    Chad Austin Tracy is a Major League Baseball third baseman, who is currently with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.-College & draft:...

  • Dan Uggla
    Dan Uggla
    Daniel Cooley Uggla is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball....

  • Brandon Webb
    Brandon Webb
    Brandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...

  • Mike Witt
    Mike Witt
    Michael Atwater "Mike" Witt is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.At just twenty years of age, Witt made his major league debut with the California Angels in 1981. Standing 6 feet, 7 inches tall and possessing a great curveball as well as a good fastball, Witt's breakout season came in...

  • Cory Lidle
    Cory Lidle
    Cory Fulton Lidle was an Americanright-handed baseball pitcher who spent nine seasons in the major leagues with seven different teams. His twin brother Kevin Lidle also played baseball, as a catcher for several minor league teams...

  • Erik Carvajal
  • John Jaha
    John Jaha
    John Emil Jaha is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who had a 10-year career from 1992 to 2001...

  • Carlos Quentin
    Carlos Quentin
    Carlos Josè Quentin is an American outfielder who plays for the Chicago White Sox. In 2008 and in 2011, Quentin was selected as an All-Star.-Early career:...

  • Conor Jackson
    Conor Jackson
    Conor Sims Jackson is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed. He is 6'2" and roughly 225 pounds. His father is actor John M...

  • Chris Snyder
    Chris Snyder
    Christopher Cornelius Snyder is a catcher in Major League Baseball who is a Free Agent. He has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He bats and throws right-handed.-High school and college:...

  • Jesús Alou
    Jesús Alou
    Jesús María Rojas Alou is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During a 17-year baseball career, he played for the San Francisco Giants , Houston Astros , Oakland Athletics , and New York Mets...


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