The Longhorn League was the name of a Minor league baseball circuit that operated from 1947 through 1955. In 1956, it was renamed the Southwestern League. A league with few prospects (only three teams were ever affiliated with major league clubs, all for one year only; the top teams were farm clubs of other minor league teams), it was home to some long-time minor leaguers who were no longer of interest to major league teams. Even by class C standards, the average talent level was nothing impressive. In two of the league's nine seasons, a Longhorn player posted the top average in the minors - Jim Prince in '47 and Tom Jordan in '55. A .400 average or .700 slugging in this circuit was nothing to write home about. The league is most famous for Joe Bauman's setting the all-time minor-league home run record in '54 with 72 long balls when he played with the Roswell Rockets.
Longhorn League in "The Star and the Rockets"[]
Unbeknownst to most people, a famous Longhorn League game of 1954, in which Joe Bauman set a minor-league record, was helped along by outside factors.
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