Class of 2011
Texas League elects seven to Hall of Fame
During a meeting of the Texas League Board of Directors on June 29, seven new members were elected to the league's Hall of Fame, current San Antonio play-by-play broadcaster Roy Acuff, Roberto Alomar, Gregg Jefferies, league pioneer, James "Curley" Maloney, Claud "Ug" Robertson, Hank "Rube" Robinson and Pete Turgeon.
Acuff, the dean of Texas League broadcasters, is in his 25th year in the league, the last 24, consecutively, with San Antonio. He is just the second broadcaster to enter the TL Hall of Fame, following former Dallas and Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Jerry Doggett, who was honored in 2009.
Alomar, one of the newest members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Jefferies both had stellar seasons in the Texas League in 1987, Alomar as a member of the Wichita Pilots and Jefferies, who was named the league Player of the Year that season, with the Jackson Generals.
Maloney, who first appeared in the loop in 1889, the league's second season of operation, pitched, played or managed in the Texas League for 17 of the first 21 season the league operated. A capable pitcher in his first few seasons and a hitter who led the league in a number of offensive categories in later years, Maloney was also a very successful manager at Dallas, leading that club to a pennant in 1910.
According to league historians, there was no better catcher in the Texas League in the 1920's and 1930's than "Ug" Robertson. Not only was he a fine receiver, he was also well know as an outstanding teacher for the pitchers with whom he worked.
"Rube" Robinson pitched just one season in the Texas League, but what a season it was. Appearing in 37 games for Fort Worth in 1911, Robinson amassed a 28-7 record that year, one of the best one-season marks in the long history of the league. Amazingly, Robinson walked just 60 batters in 300 innings pitched during the season, while striking out 243. A native of Arkansas, Robinson would later pitch for the Little Rock Travelers for 12 consecutive seasons. In his long career, Robinson produced a 273-195 record, one of the best in the history of the minor leagues.
A power hitting, speedy infielder, Pete Turgeon was the top Texas League second baseman of his era. A terrific lead off hitter, Turgeon scored 100 or more runs in all of his six full seasons in the league, four of them consecutively. Both marks are still Texas League records.
With the election of the class of 2011, the Texas League Hall of Fame now has 99 members.
Texas League Hall of Fame Class of 2011
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