The Gladewater Bears were a

minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

team that played in the

East Texas League The East Texas League was a Texas–based minor league baseball league that existed between 1916 and 1950. The East Texas League played as a Class D level league in 1916 and from 1923 to 1926. The league became a Class C level league from 1936 ...

(1936, 1949–1950) and Lone Star League (1948).BR Minors page
/ref> The team was based in

Gladewater, Texas Gladewater is a city in Gregg County, Texas, Gregg and Upshur County, Texas, Upshur counties in the U.S. state of Texas with a 2020 census population of 6,134. In the early 20th century, Gladewater was an oil boom town. In 1995, the Texas Legisla ...

and is the only known professional team to be based in that city. The squad won two league championships, in 1936 under manager Ed Hock and in 1949 under manager Hal Van Pelt. Major leaguers who played for the team include John Burrows,

Vallie Eaves Vallie Ennis Eaves (September 6, 1911 – April 19, 1960) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1935 to 1942 for the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs. Eaves died ...

, Hock, L. D. Meyer (who also managed the team),

George Milstead George Earl Milstead (June 26, 1903 – August 9, 1977) was a professional baseball pitcher. A left-hander, he played three seasons in Major League Baseball from 1924 to 1926 with the Chicago Cubs of the National League. He pitched in 36 games d ...

, Otho Nitcholas

Jennings Poindexter Chester Jennings Poindexter 'Jinx''(September 30, 1910 – March 3, 1983) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox (1936) and Philadelphia Phillies (1939). Listed at , , Poindexter batted and threw left-handed. He ...

, Jim Reninger and

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

References

Baseball teams established in 1936 Defunct minor league baseball teams 1936 establishments in Texas 1950 disestablishments in Texas Baseball teams disestablished in 1950 Gregg County, Texas Upshur County, Texas Defunct baseball teams in Texas West Dixie League teams East Texas League teams {{Texas-baseball-team-stub