Houma Hawks
Encyclopedia
The Houma Hawks was a short-lived baseball
team based in Houma, Louisiana
. In 2003 they were expansion members of the Southeastern League of Professional Baseball. They played their home games in Houma, Louisiana at Southland Field.
This was the second stint of a professional baseball team in Houma. From 1946 through 1952, the Houma Indians of the Evangeline League played as the communities first professional baseball team.
was the teams’ primary sponsor. Locally, games were broadcast on KTIB 640-AM in Houma.
In May 2003 the name of the mascot was released following an internet poll to determine the name. "Parrain" the Hawk received 52 percent of the votes, while "Homer" the Hawk was in second place. On May 16, spring training commenced at Vandebilt Catholic High School
.
The team would open exhibition play on May 24 with a pair of losses to Southern University
before notching their first win against Gauthier and Amedee, an American Legion
team by a score of 9-6 on May 26. The 72-game regular season would commence on May 30.
The team would open the 2003 season at home against the Pensacola Pelicans
, and defeat the defending league champs by a score of 11-5 behind pitching ace Steven Locklar. Infielder Ray Crawford
was 4-4 in the game with a pair of RBIs. Todd Brown also drove home a pair of runs in the home opener.
However, ownership failed to submit the proper workers' compensation paperwork to the state in order to use Southland Field. As a result, the Hawks would play home games at Morgan City High School
stadium in Morgan City
and at East St. John High School stadium in Reserve
in June. By July, the team has even gone as far as to have eight home games at Pete Goldsby Field in Baton Rouge
. By the end of the season, the team would simply play their "home" games at the visitors’ ballpark.
The team would disband after the 2003 season, and in January 2004, the former ownership would file suit against the Terrebonne Parish Recreation District 2-3, claiming a breach of contract after the team only was able to play three games at Southland Field after completing renovations.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team based in Houma, Louisiana
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...
. In 2003 they were expansion members of the Southeastern League of Professional Baseball. They played their home games in Houma, Louisiana at Southland Field.
This was the second stint of a professional baseball team in Houma. From 1946 through 1952, the Houma Indians of the Evangeline League played as the communities first professional baseball team.
History
The team was officially announced to the public on October 24, 2002 at the Terrebonne Parish Courthouse Annex. The team was the brainchild of Gus Brown, Jr., the teams CEO and his son Gus Brown III, the teams’ general manager. For the inaugural season, the United Parcel ServiceUnited Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
was the teams’ primary sponsor. Locally, games were broadcast on KTIB 640-AM in Houma.
In May 2003 the name of the mascot was released following an internet poll to determine the name. "Parrain" the Hawk received 52 percent of the votes, while "Homer" the Hawk was in second place. On May 16, spring training commenced at Vandebilt Catholic High School
Vandebilt Catholic High School
Vandebilt Catholic High School, located in Houma, Louisiana was founded by the Marianite Sisters of Holy Cross in 1870 and continued by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, is a diocesan co-educational institution for grades 8-12 in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux...
.
The team would open exhibition play on May 24 with a pair of losses to Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
before notching their first win against Gauthier and Amedee, an American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
team by a score of 9-6 on May 26. The 72-game regular season would commence on May 30.
The team would open the 2003 season at home against 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 defeat the defending league champs by a score of 11-5 behind pitching ace Steven Locklar. Infielder Ray Crawford
Ray Crawford
Ray Crawford was an American racecar driver.Born in Roswell, New Mexico, Crawford became a U.S. Army fighter pilot and flew P-38 Lightnings in combat over North Africa in 1943. Rotated home after six aerial victories, eventually he became an early jet pilot...
was 4-4 in the game with a pair of RBIs. Todd Brown also drove home a pair of runs in the home opener.
However, ownership failed to submit the proper workers' compensation paperwork to the state in order to use Southland Field. As a result, the Hawks would play home games at Morgan City High School
Morgan City High School
Morgan City High School is a public, secondary school located in Morgan City, Louisiana.School colors are green & white. The school is known for its 4A Baseball triumphs.The school opened up in 1911, making this year its 100th anniversary.-Staff:...
stadium in Morgan City
Morgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City is a city in St. Martin and St. Mary parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census....
and at East St. John High School stadium in Reserve
Reserve, Louisiana
Reserve is a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the east bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 9,111 at the 2000 census...
in June. By July, the team has even gone as far as to have eight home games at Pete Goldsby Field in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. By the end of the season, the team would simply play their "home" games at the visitors’ ballpark.
The team would disband after the 2003 season, and in January 2004, the former ownership would file suit against the Terrebonne Parish Recreation District 2-3, claiming a breach of contract after the team only was able to play three games at Southland Field after completing renovations.
2003 partial roster
- Calvin Lee, pitcher
- Raul Rivera, pitcher
- Steve Locklar, pitcher
- Steven Bourgeois, pitcher
- Shane Landry, pitcher
- Dustin Wagoner, pitcher
- Ted Sutton, pitcher
- Josh Kaplan, pitcher
- Tharun Anderson, catcher
- Ray Crawford, infield
- Jaime Malvé, catcher
- Todd Brown, infielder
- Tony James, infielder
- Eric Brown, outfielder
- Larry Bethea, 1st base
- Shawn Woodland, catcher
- Nelson Villalobos Jr, Pitcher
- Eric Martanovic, Pitcher
- James Hamon, Pitcher
- Travis Boyll, Pitcher