Ada Herefords

The Ada Herefords was a minor league baseball team based in Ada, Oklahoma from 1947 to 1954. Ada was a member of the Class D level Sooner State League, winning the league pennant in 1950.

Ada Herefords
(1947–1954)
Ada, Oklahoma
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesClass D (1947–1954)
Previous leagues
Sooner State League (1947–1954)
Major league affiliations
Previous teamsSt. Louis Browns (1947–1953)
Baltimore Orioles (1954)
Minor league titles
League titles None
Division titles 1950
Team data
Previous names
Ada Herefords (1947–1954)
Ada Cementers (1954)
Previous parks
Hereford Park (1947–1954)

Ada was an affiliate of the St. Louis Browns (1947–1953) and remained an affiliate when St. Louis relocated to become the Baltimore Orioles (1954).

History

Minor league baseball began in Ada, Oklahoma with the 1947 Ada Herefords. The Ada Herefords were charter members of the six–team Sooner State League in 1947, along with the Ardmore Indians, Duncan Cementers, Lawton Giants, McAlester Rockets and Seminole Oilers.[1][2]

In their first season of play, the 1947 Ada Herefords finished 2nd in the Sooner State League with a 86–51 record in the regular season, playing as an affiliate of the St. Louis Browns. They would remain an affiliate of the Browns franchise throughout their existence. In the 1947 playoffs, the McAlester Rockets defeated the Ada Herefords 3 games to 2. The Ada home season attendance was 41,872, an average of 611 per game.[3][1][4]

Ada finished with a 63–76 record, placing 5th in the 1948 Sooner State League. The Herefords did not qualify for the playoffs. The Sooner State League expanded from six–teams to eight–teams, adding the Chickasha Chiefs and Pauls Valley Raiders as expansion teams. The Ada season attendance in 1948 was 27,050.[5][1][2][6]

The Ada Herefords made the Sooner State League playoffs in 1949. Ada finished with a 69–70 record and in 4th place in the regular season standings. In the playoffs, the Pauls Valley Raiders defeated Ada 3 games to 2. Season attendance was at Hereford Park was 33,525.[7][1][8]

In 1950, Ada captured the Longhorn State League pennant. The Ada Herefords finished the regular season in first place 1st with a 96–41 record, 5.5 games ahead of 2nd place McAlester Rockets. In the 1950 playoffs, the Ardmore Indians defeated Ada 3 games to 2. Season attendance was 31,981. [9][1][10]

The 1951 Ada Herefords did not qualify for the playoffs, finishing in 5th place. The Herefords finished with a 54–86 record in the regular season. Attendance was 12,779, an average of 183 per game.[11][1][12]

Ada again missed the playoffs in 1952, as the Herefords finished in 7th place with a 57–82 record. The Herefords drew 38,387 to Hereford Park for the season.[13][14][1]

The 1953 Ada Herefords advanced to the Sooner State League Finals. Ada finished with a 84–54 record, placing 3rd in the regular season standings. In the 1953 playoffs, Ada had their first and only playoff series victory, as the Ada Herefords defeated the Shawnee Hawks 3 games to 1 in the semi-finals. In the Finals, the McAlester Rockets defeated Ada 4 games to 1 and captured the championship. Ada's season attendance was 36,128.[15][1][16]

Ada played their final minor league season in 1954, changing their moniker to the Ada Cementers in mid-season. The franchise became an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, as the St. Louis Browns had relocated to Baltimore in 1954. The 1954 Ada Herefords/Cementers finished in 6th place with a 64–76 record, drawing 28,482, an average 407.[17][18][1][19]

The Ada Cementers permanently folded after the 1954. Fellow league member Pauls Valley Raiders folded also. They were replaced in the 1955 Sooner State League by the Muskogee Giants and Paris Orioles. Ada has not hosted another minor league team.[20][1][21]

The ballpark

The Ada Herefords played at Hereford Park. The ballpark was located at the Pontotoc County fairgrounds on North Broadway Avenue. The field, which was also used as a rodeo arena, had an unusual asymmetrical shape featuring a short right field porch and extremely long third base foul line. The Pontotoc County Agri-Plex and Convention Center, 1710 North Broadway, now stands on the site.[22][23][24][25][26][27][28]

Season-by-season

(from Baseball Reference)

Year Record Manager Finish Playoffs/Notes
194786–51Uke Clanton2ndLost in First Round
194863–76Uke Clanton5thNone
194969–70Bill Krueger4thLost in First Round
195096–41Bill Krueger1stLost in First Round
195154–56Stanley Galle5thNone
195257–82Bill Enos/Virl Loman/Jim England7thNone
195384–54Louis Brower3rdLost League Finals
195464–76Louis Brower / John Densmore6thNone

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Sooner State League - BR Bullpen". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  2. "Sooner State League | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". Okhistory.org. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  3. "1947 Ada Herefords Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  4. "1947 Sooner State League (SSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  5. "1948 Ada Herefords Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  6. "1948 Sooner State League (SSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  7. "1949 Ada Herefords Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  8. "1949 Sooner State League (SSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  9. "1950 Ada Herefords Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  10. "1950 Sooner State League (SSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  11. "1951 Ada Herefords Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  12. "1951 Sooner State League (SSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  13. "1952 Ada Herefords Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  14. "1952 Sooner State League (SSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  15. "1953 Sooner State League (SSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  16. "1953 Ada Herefords Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  17. "Ada Herefords - BR Bullpen". Baseball-reference.com. 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  18. "1954 Sooner State League (SSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  19. "1954 Ada Herefords/Cementers Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  20. "Ada, OK - BR Bullpen". Baseball-reference.com. 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  21. "Pauls Valley Raiders - BR Bullpen". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  22. "Advertisement, Seminole Oilers vs. Ada Herefords, Ada Evening News, May 14, 1947, p.10". newspaperarchive.com.
  23. "Outlook Bright for Ada Herefords, Ada Evening News, Apr. 2, 1950, p.10". newspaperarchive.com.
  24. "Peter G. Pierce, Baseball in the Cross Timbers: The Story of the Sooner State League". www.amazon.com.
  25. "Hereford Park in Ada, OK history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  26. "St. Louis Browns Affiliation Listing of Major League Baseball Stadiums and Minor League Ballparks". Digitalballparks.com. 2001-08-11. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  27. "Pontotoc County Free Fair". Pontotoccountyfairada.com. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  28. "The Pontotoc County Agri-Plex and Convention Center". www.visitpontotoc.com.

External references

Baseball Reference

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