Ponca City Baseball team
The first version of the team, the Ponca City Poncans, arrived in town in 1923 as the transplanted Drumright Boosters. After 1926, they left to become the Eureka Oilers.
Ponca City 1923–1957 (1923–1924, 1926, 1934–1938, 1947–1952, 1954–1957) Ponca City, Oklahoma | |
Minor league affiliations | |
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Previous classes |
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League | Sooner State League (1955–1957) |
Previous leagues |
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Major league affiliations | |
Previous teams |
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Minor league titles | |
League titles | 4 (1935, 1936, 1938, 1950) |
Team data | |
Previous names |
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Previous parks | Conoco Park Continental Park |
The Ponca City Angels played from 1934–1938 before moving to St. Joseph, Missouri and becoming the St. Joseph Angels. This version of the team won three league titles in the Western Association.
The Ponca City Dodgers were a minor league baseball "Class D" affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers that operated from 1947–1952. The team was based in Ponca City, Oklahoma and played in the Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League.
The Ponca City Jets played in 1954 only and were replaced in 1955 when the Gainesville Owls moved to town and became the Ponca City Cubs in the Sooner State League.
The ballpark
Ponca City teams played at Conoco Park. Conoco Park had dimensions of (LF-CF-RF) 350-495-300 and a seating capacity of 4,000 (1936) and 3,000 (1947). It was located on the grounds of Conoco, formerly known as Continental Oil and Transportation Company. The park was named after the company, and thus was previously called Continental Park. The field was south of West South Avenue between the intersections of that road with South Palm and South Elm Streets. The area is now a parking lot.[1][2][3]
Notable Ponca City alumni
Baseball Hall of Fame alumni
- Billy Williams (1956-1957)[4]
Notable alumni
- Red Barrett (1935)
- Joe Berry (1935)
- Jim Brewer (1956)
- Paul Erickson (1937)
- Lou Johnson (1956)
- Newt Kimball (1934)
- Hub Kittle (1937-1938)
- Peanuts Lowrey (1938)
- Steve Mesner (1934)
- Dee Moore (1934-1935)
- Lou Novikoff (1937)
- Vern Olsen (1937)
- Rip Russell (1935)
- Joe Stanka (1950-1951)
References
- "Conoco Park". encyclopedia.sabr.org.
- "The KOM League Remembered". classdkomleague.blogspot.com.
- "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Ponca City, Kay County, Oklahoma, Image 1". www.loc.gov.
- "Billy Williams Biography". www.thehistorymakers.org.
External links
- Baseball Reference
- Bullpen wiki article on the "Ponca City Dodgers"
- KOM League news blog
- Dedication page to the 1951 Ponca City Dodgers