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Midland RockHounds
Midland RockHounds
Founded in 1972 ; Midland, Texas ;
Minor league affiliations
Class	Double-A (1972–present)
League	Texas League (1972–present)
Division	South Division
Major league affiliations
Team	Oakland Athletics / Athletics (1999–present)
Previous teams	California / Anaheim Angels (1985–1998); Chicago Cubs (1972–1984)
Minor league titles
League titles (7)	1975; 2005; 2009; 2014; 2015; 2016; 2017;
Division titles (10)	1975; 1995; 2005; 2009; 2010; 2014; 2015; 2016; 2017; 2024;
First-half titles (2)	1995; 2005;
Second-half titles (10)	1979; 1982; 1991; 2005; 2006; 2010; 2015; 2016; 2019; 2024;
Wild card berths (2)	2014; 2017;
Team data
Name	Midland RockHounds (1999–present)
Previous names	Midland Angels (1985–1998); Midland Cubs (1972–1984)
Colors	Navy blue, orange, silver, white;
Mascot	Juice the Moose (1990-present); Rocky RockHound (1999-present); Chip the Rock Hammer (2023-Present)
Ballpark	Momentum Bank Ballpark (2002–present)
Previous parks	Christensen Stadium (1972–2001)
Owner(s)/; Operator(s)	Diamond Baseball Holdings
President	Monty Hoppel
General manager	Shelly Haenggi
Manager	Gregorio Petit
Website	milb.com/midland

The Midland RockHounds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Midland, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Momentum Bank Ballpark, which opened in 2002 and seats 4,709 fans. They have won seven Texas League championships: in 1975 (co-champions with the Lafayette Drillers), 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

History

The RockHounds were previously known as both the Midland Cubs (1972–1984) and Midland Angels (1985–1998). While Midland has been the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics since 1999, they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs from 1972 to 1984, and then with the California Angels from 1985 to 1998.^[4] The team was renamed "Rockhounds", a nickname for geologists, as a reference to the oil and gas industry of the area.^[5]

The RockHounds have received numerous awards throughout their history. The Midland franchise under the Angels won the Texas League Organization of the Year in 1990 and 1994 and as the RockHounds in 2002. In 1995, Midland won Double-A Baseball's highest award, the Bob Frietas Award. General Manager Monty Hoppel has been named Executive of the Year with the franchise three times (1991, 1995, and 2002).^[6]

In 1995, Midland reached its first-ever playoff appearance as an affiliate of the Angels and their first playoff appearance overall in 20 years. It also became the first season that Midland accumulated more than 200,000 fans in a season, a feat repeated in 1996. The feat surprised many in Minor League Baseball as the Midland-Odessa area only has just over 200,000 residents total. The RockHounds moved into Momentum Bank Ballpark, part of the Scharbauer Sports Complex on the west side of Midland, in 2002. Since then, the RockHounds have averaged over 250,000 fans every season. Prior to that, their home had been what is now known as Christensen Stadium, in northeast Midland.

The Rockhounds won their first ever Texas League Championship in 2005. They shared the title with the Lafayette Drillers in 1975 as the Cubs. In 2006, they won the second-half championship of the South Division, but they lost to the eventual champion Corpus Christi Hooks in the division playoffs.^[7]

In 2007, the RockHounds won the John H. Johnson President's Award, Minor League baseball highest award for a franchise, making them the third Texas League franchise to do so after the El Paso Diablos and the Tulsa Drillers.^[8]

In 2009, the RockHounds won their second Texas League pennant, defeating the Northwest Arkansas Naturals three games to one in the Championship Series.^[9] In 2010, the RockHounds returned to the Texas League title game, but this time fell to the Naturals.

In 2017, the RockHounds won their fourth straight Texas League title, the first team to do so since the Fort Worth Panthers won six in a row from 1920 to 1925.^[10]

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the RockHounds were organized into the Double-A Central.^[11] In 2022, the Double-A Central became known as the Texas League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.^[12]

On the radio

The Midland Rockhounds have always had a play-by-play broadcast that has been available. KCRS (AM) had been the network to carry roughly 95% of the Rockhounds games since they debuted in 1972. Some afternoon games in 2008 didn't air on the radio due to contracts with Rush Limbaugh and others. For the 2009 season Gap Broadcasting announced the Rockhounds would have a new radio home, KFZX, also known as 102.1 Jack FM. For the 2010 season, the Rockhounds once again moved radio homes to KMRK 96.1 FM.^[13] In both cases Bob Hards remained the voice of the Rockhounds, a position he has currently held for 19 consecutive years.^[14] In 2013 the Rockhounds moved their games back to KCRS, though weekday day games would be preempted for talk shows that were already scheduled.

Notable players

Brett Anderson
Garret Anderson
Andrew Bailey
Billy Burns
Eric Byrnes
Trevor Cahill
Chris Carter
Joe Carter
Nelson Cruz
Josh Donaldson
Sean Doolittle
Ryan Dull
Shawon Dunston
Damion Easley
Jim Edmonds
Darin Erstad
Andre Ethier
Zack Gelof
Troy Glaus
Sonny Gray
A.J. Griffin
Rich Harden
Billy Hatcher
Ryon Healy
Mark Kiger (first player in modern MLB history to debut in a postseason game (October 13, 2006; game three of the 2006 ALCS))
Mike Krukow
Dennis Lamp
Carlos Lezcano
Joe Maddon (Manager)
Sean Manaea
Randy Martz
Mark McLemore
Donnie Moore
Karl Pagel
Troy Percival
Bryan Price
Addison Russell
Tim Salmon
Lee Smith
Dan Straily
Huston Street
Bruce Sutter (elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006)
Nick Swisher
Joey Wagman
Barry Zito

Roster

Midland RockHounds roster
v
t
e
Players				Coaches/Other
Pitchers 26 Mason Barnett 27 Tyler Baum 19 Chase Cohen 43 Ryan Cusick 16 Seth Elledge 15 James Gonzalez 41 Lincoln Henzman 49 Colton Johnson 12 Will Johnston 45 David Leal 39 Colin Peluse 17 Jack Perkins 32 Domingo Robles 40 Shohei Tomioka 29 Jake Walkinshaw 14 Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang		Catchers 34 Shane McGuire 23 Jose Mujica 6 Daniel Susac Infielders 9 Euribiel Angeles 11 Jeremy Eierman 19 Jordan Groshans 18 Nick Kurtz 1 Brennan Milone 8 Will Simpson 7 Jack Winkler Outfielders 3 Henry Bolte 4 Brayan Buelvas 5 Denzel Clarke 20 Junior Perez 22 Jeisson Rosario 10 Caeden Trenkle		Manager 31 Gregorio Petit Coaches 21 Paul Abbott (pitching) 25 Juan Dilone (hitting) 28 Darryl Kennedy (assistant hitting) 60-day injured list 91 Drew Swift 15 Jack Weisenburger 7-day injured list * On Athletics 40-man roster ~ Development list # Rehab assignment ∞ Reserve list ‡ Restricted list § Suspended list † Temporarily inactive list Roster updated September 4, 2024 Transactions → More rosters: MiLB • Texas League → Athletics minor league players

References

^ "Mascots". Midland RockHounds. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
^ LeRoy, Oscar. "RockHounds being sold, will remain in Midland". mrt.com. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
^ Palmer, Tod. Kansas City-area Olympians who have qualified for 2020 Tokyo Games, Channel 41 KSHB-TV, Kansas City, Missouri, June 22, 2021.
^ "History of Midland in Minor League Baseball". Midland RockHounds. Minor League Baseball.
^ "Rock of Ages". SportsLogos.net.
^ "Awards Follow the RockHounds Franchise". Midland RockHounds. Minor League Baseball.
^ "RockHounds Success under the A's". Midland RockHounds. Minor League Baseball.
^ Hards, Bob (November 19, 2007). "RockHounds Take Home Top Honor". Midland RockHounds. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
^ Hards, Bob (September 20, 2009). "RockHounds Hoist 2009 Title". Midland RockHounds. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
^ "'Hounds win fourth straight Texas League title". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
^ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
^ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
^ LeRoy, Oscar (April 8, 2010). "Rockhounds Notebook". MyWestTexas.com. Midland Reporter-Telegram. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
^ "Bob Hards: Director of Broadcasting and Publications". Midland RockHounds. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved August 26, 2014.