Hobbs Pirates

{{Infobox Minor League Baseball

|name = Hobbs Pirates

|allyears = 1937-1938, 1955–1961

|city = Hobbs, New Mexico

|misc =

|logo =

|uniformlogo =

|class level =

|past class level =

Class-D (1958–1961, 1937-38)
Class-B (1956–1957)
Class-C (1955)

|current league =

|conference =

|division =

|past league =

Sophomore League (1958–1961)
Southwestern League (1956–1957)
Longhorn League (1955)
West Texas-New Mexico League (1937–1938)

|majorleague =

|pastmajorleague =

Pittsburgh Pirates (1960–1961)
St. Louis Cardinals (1958–1959)
Washington Senators (1956)
Detroit Tigers (1938)

|nickname =

|pastnames =

Hobbs Pirates (1960–1961)
Hobbs Cardinals (1958–1959)
Hobbs Sports (1955–1957)
Hobbs Boosters (1938)
Hobbs Drillers (1937)

|ballpark =

|pastparks =Bender Park

|leaguechamps = 3 (1957, 1960, 1961)

|divisionchamps =

|owner =

|manager =

|gm =

}}

The Hobbs Pirates was the final name of a minor league baseball club based in Hobbs, New Mexico from 1955 through 1961. Hobbs teams played as members of the

West Texas-New Mexico League (1937–1938), Longhorn League (1955), Southwestern League (1956–1957) and Sophomore League (1958–1961), winning three league championships. Hobbs minor league teams hosted home games at Bender Park.

Hobbs teams were minor league affiliates of the Detroit Tigers in 1938, Washington Senators in 1956, St. Louis Cardinals from 1958 to 1959 and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1960 to 1961.

History

The first team in Hobbs was the 1937 Hobbs Dillers of the West Texas-New Mexico League, who also played in 1938. The franchise revived in 1955 with the Hobbs Sports, an affiliate of the Washington Senators and was a member of the Longhorn League and the Southwestern League. In 1958 the club joined the Sophomore League, became an affiliate with the St. Louis Cardinals and became known as the Hobbs Cardinals. In 1960, the club was finally named the Pirates, after the Pittsburgh Pirates began an affiliation with the team. Under the Pirates, Hobbs won league titles in 1960 and 1961. The Sophomore League folded after the 1961 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=Hobbs, New Mexico Encyclopedia|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}

The ballpark

Hobbs teams played at Bender Park.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/venues/v-1150|title=Bender Park in Hobbs, NM minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}} The site is a now a park located at 1100 West Marland Boulevard

Hobbs, NM 88240.{{cite web|url=http://www.parkgrades.com/parks/bender-park-0|title=Bender Park Hobbs, NM - - Park Reviews, Amenities, Locations, and More!|website=www.parkgrades.com}}{{cite web|url=http://digitalballparks.com/ThreeI/Hobbs.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201135853/http://www.digitalballparks.com/ThreeI/Hobbs.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 1, 2008|title=Bender Park - Hobbs New Mexico - Former Home of the Hobbs Sports|website=digitalballparks.com}}

Season–by–season

Year ! Record ! Finish ! Manager ! Playoffs
class="wikitable"
1955	62–77	6th	Pat Stasey	Did not qualify
1956	90–52	1st	Pat Stasey	Lost in 1st round
1957	73–52	1st	Thurman Tucker	League Champions
1958	59–61	4th	Wayne Wallace	Did not qualify
1959	70–54	3rd	Thurman Tucker	Lost in 1st round
1960	70-58	2nd	Al Kubski	League Champions
1961	77–48	1st	Al Kubski	League Champs

{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball |editor1-first=Lloyd |editor1-last=Johnson |editor2-first=Miles |editor2-last=Wolff |edition=Third |publisher=Baseball America |date=2007 |isbn=978-1932391176}}