Alpine Cowboys

In 1946, Herbert L. Kokernot Jr., son of Texas cattle rancher and entrepreneur Herbert L. Kokernot, retooled the semi-professional baseball team the Alpine Cats into the Alpine Cowboys.{{cite book | last = Stout | first = DJ | title = The Amazing Tale of Mr. Herbert and His Fabulous Alpine Cowboys Baseball Club | url = http://utpress.utexas.edu/index.php/books/stoama | publisher = University of Texas Press | year = 2010 | isbn = 978-0-292-72334-4}} While semi-professional teams were not uncommon in Texas at the time, the Alpine Cowboys had the unusual benefit of a brand new stadium, Kokernot Field, opened for them in 1947. Constructed at a cost of $1.5 million, the elaborately decorated stadium included imported infield clay shipped by train from Georgia. The Cowboys used the stadium as its home field from 1947 through 1958, during which time they took a dozen titles in the regional and were runners up for a national championship. At the end of championship seasons, Kokernot presented each team member with a pair of handmade red cowboy boots emblazoned with the brand of his "o6" Ranch—a tradition that continues with the current Cowboys' cap insignia. In addition to supporting the team and the region with a state of the art stadium, Kokernot also actively supported athletes in Alpine and elsewhere, bringing promising high school graduates onto the roster of the team and offering college scholarships to players throughout the southwest. The team featured future major league stars, including Norm Cash, Gaylord Perry, and Joe Horlen. In the days of segregation in Texas, Kokernot arranged for many exhibition games between traveling Negro league teams—led by such stars as Satchel Paige—and visiting Mexican League teams. Those exhibitions drew fans from hundreds of miles away.

In a 2007 article, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram described the team as "one of the state's finest semiprofessional teams".{{cite news | title = Glory Days: Book to pay tribute to Alpine Cowboys, stadium | url = http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-29377958_ITM | date = 2007-01-24 | last = Carter | first = O.K. | work = Fort Worth Star-Telegram | access-date = 2009-05-11}} The team launched a number of baseball professionals, including two Hall of Fame inductees. Among them was coach Tom Chandler. Team members included Gaylord Perry and Norm Cash.

In 1959, the Boston Red Sox moved their minor league affiliate, the Lexington Red Sox of the Nebraska State League, to Alpine, and took the traditional name "Cowboys" for the team.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sonsofsamhorn.net/wiki/index.php/Alpine_Cowboys |title=Alpine Cowboys - SoSH | Boston Red Sox | Red Sox Rumors | Spring Training | Pawtucket Red Sox |access-date=2011-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720014159/http://www.sonsofsamhorn.net/wiki/index.php/Alpine_Cowboys |archive-date=2011-07-20 |url-status=dead }} The new Cowboys immediately won the Class D Sophomore League title and set the record for the highest winning percentage {{Winning percentage|88|34|record=y}} of any Red Sox minor league team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-SOPH/y-1960|title=1960 Sophomore League (SL) Minor League Baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=56ead9eb|title=1960 Sophomore League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}} The 1959 champion team was managed by future Red Sox manager Eddie Popowski and featured three future major leaguers, pitcher Don Schwall, who two years later won the American League Rookie of the Year Awards; second baseman Chuck Schilling, who finished fourth behind Schwall in the same balloting; and pitcher Guido Grilli. The 1960 team featured future California Angels all-star Jim Fregosi. In 1962, the Sophomore League folded and the team moved to Idaho, becoming the Pocatello Chiefs of the Class C Pioneer League.

Professional baseball returned to Alpine in 2009 with the Big Bend Cowboys of the Continental Baseball League. The team was founded by Frank Snyder, a Fort Worth law professor, who had previously founded the CBL's Texarkana Gunslingers and who brought several local investors from the Alpine area into the new team.

File:Kokernot Field 2008.jpg, Alpine, Texas (2008)]]

In 2009, the Cowboys finished fourth with a 37–23 record. The Cowboys then defeated Bay Area in the semifinals, earning them a berth in the championship. They were then defeated by Alexandria two games to none.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=b6e09eec|title=2009 Continental League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}} In 2010, the final year of the CBL, the Cowboys went 33–15 in the regular season. They then defeated Las Cruces in the championship, earning them their first Ferguson Jenkins trophy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cblproball.com/2010-cbl-final-standings/|title=2010 CBL Final Standings|website=cblproball.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cblproball.com/championships/2010-cbl-championship/|title=2010 CBL Championship|website=cblproball.com}}

After the 2010 season, Alpine reorganized as a nonprofit corporation and became charter members of the Pecos League alongside Las Cruces. In 2011, the Cowboys retired "Big Bend" and returned to the Alpine Cowboys name.

In 2012, the Cowboys won their first Pecos League championship, defeating Roswell.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=2f547c07|title=2012 Pecos League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}

In 2019, the club captured their second Pecos League championship, defeating Bakersfield in the finals.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=6e663cf3|title=2019 Pecos League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}

On June 9, 2023, pitcher Jared Strait died in a car crash outside of Eldorado, Texas while on a road trip to play Austin. The team retired his number, 57.{{Cite web|url=https://bigbendsentinel.com/2023/06/21/alpine-cowboys-baseball-player-dies-in-car-crash/|title=Alpine Cowboys baseball player dies in car crash|website=bigbendsentinel.com}}

In 2024, Alpine held a league best 45–4 record. The team set the Pecos League record with a {{Winning percentage|45|4}} winning percentage. On August 5, 2024, infielder James Prockish became the all time Pecos League hits leaders.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pecosleague.com/pecosleague.asp?page=28&article_id=14121|title=James Prockish is Pecos League All Time Hits Leader|website=pecosleague.com}}

{{IndyLB roster

| league =Pecos League

| TeamName=Alpine Cowboys

| RosterCode=14784

| BC1=#bf222a

| FC1=white

| BC2=#bf222a

| FC2=white

| Date= December 16, 2023

| Pitchers=

{{MLBplayer|21|Matteo Avallone}}

{{MLBplayer|19|Michael Castillo}}

{{MLBplayer|17|Aldo Buendia}}

{{MLBplayer|42|Jesse Garcia}}

{{MLBplayer|18|Ryan Greco}}

{{MLBplayer|33|Matt Hass}}

{{MLBplayer|65|Shane Hykin}}

{{MLBplayer|40|Brendan May}}

{{MLBplayer|69|Cameron Mulvihill}}

{{MLBplayer|30|Spencer Persky}}

{{MLBplayer|57|Jared Strait}}

{{MLBplayer|7|Brayde Hirai}}

{{MLBplayer|61|Connor Kelly}}

{{MLBplayer|12|Dom Spinoso}}

{{MLBplayer|20|Bryson Spagnuolo}}

{{MLBplayer|6|Camrin Wleczyk}}

| Catchers=

{{MLBplayer|11|Kam Holland}}

{{MLBplayer|23|Jake Sisto}}

| Infielders=

{{MLBplayer|22|Alex Canty}}

{{MLBplayer|10|Jeff Disla}}

{{MLBplayer| 4|Manny Garcia}}

{{MLBplayer|27|James Prockish}}

| Outfielders=

{{MLBplayer| 1|Drake Angeron}}

{{MLBplayer|24|Drew Bayard}}

{{MLBplayer| 3|Cade Biddle}}

{{MLBplayer|2|Mitch Piatnik}}

{{MLBplayer|15|Andrew Capone}}

{{MLBplayer|36|Mark Traylor}}

| DH=

| Utility=

| manager =

{{MLBplayer|8|Sean Persky}}

| Coaches=

{{MLBplayer|45|Alejandro Amezquita}}

{{MLBplayer|5|Lance Myers}}

}}

== Independent season-by-season records ==

• Jon Edwards (2011)

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://alpine.pecosleague.com}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101204200610/http://westtexasweekly.com/game-big-bend-cowboys/ Video footage of Big Bend Cowboys]

{{Alpine, Texas}}

{{Pecos League}}

{{Texas sports}}

Category:Continental Baseball League teams

Category:Pecos League teams

Category:Professional baseball teams in Texas

Category:Brewster County, Texas

Category:1946 establishments in Texas

Category:Baseball teams established in 1946

Category:Sophomore League teams