The Sooner State League was a Class D level

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 ...

league that operated from

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

through

1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...

. The league owners kept it alive in 1958, anticipating a return to play in 1959. However, when only Ardmore and Paris, Texas, were able to secure working agreements, the league folded on February 12, 1959. It was the last Class D league west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. The league franchises were based in

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Cities represented

Ada, OK Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,481 at the 2020 United States census. The city was named for Ada Reed, the daughter of an early settler, and was incorporated in 1901. Ada i ...

: Ada Herefords (1947–1954); Ada Cementers (8/3/1954) * Ardmore, OK: Ardmore Indians (1947–1952); Ardmore Cardinals (1953–1957) * Chickasha, OK: Chickasha Chiefs (1948–1952) * Duncan, OK:

Duncan Cementers Duncan may refer to: People * Duncan (given name), various people * Duncan (surname), various people * Clan Duncan * Justice Duncan (disambiguation) Places * Duncan Creek (disambiguation) * Duncan River (disambiguation) * Duncan Lake (disam ...

(1947–1948); Duncan Uttmen (1949–1950) * Gainesville, TX:

Gainesville Owls The Gainesville Owls were a Big State League (1947–1951) and Sooner State League (1953–1955) baseball team based in Gainesville, Texas, United States. They were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs from 1953 to 1955. Their home games were played ...

(1953–1955) *

Greenville, TX Greenville ( ) is the county seat of and the most populous city in Hunt County, Texas, United States, located in Northeast Texas approximately northeast of Dallas and northwest of Canton. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 28,164. ...

: Greenville Majors (1957) *

Lawton, OK Lawton is a city in and the county seat of Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in western Oklahoma, approximately southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton, Oklahoma, metropolitan statistical area. ...

: Lawton Giants (1947–1951); Lawton Reds (1952–1953); Lawton Braves (1954–1957) *

McAlester, OK McAlester is the county seat of Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. The population was 18,363 at the time of the 2010 census, a 3.4 percent increase from 17,783 at the 2000 census.Shuller, Thurman"McAlester" profile ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and ...

: McAlester Rockets (1947–1956) *

Muskogee, OK Muskogee () is the 13th-largest city in Oklahoma and is the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0% decrease from 39,2 ...

: Muskogee Giants (1955–1957) *

Paris, TX Paris is a city and county seat of Lamar County, Texas, United States. Located in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods, the population of the city was 24,171 in 2020. History Present-day Lamar County was part of Red Riv ...

: Paris Orioles (1955–1957) * Pauls Valley, OK: Pauls Valley Raiders (1948–1954) * Ponca City, OK: Ponca City Cubs (1955–1957) * Seminole, OK: Seminole Oilers (1947–1949); Seminole Ironmen (1950–1951); Seminole Oilers (1954–1957) *

Shawnee, OK Shawnee () is a city in and the county seat of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 in 2010, a 4.9 percent increase from the figure of 28,692 in 2000. The city is part of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Sta ...

Shawnee Hawks The Shawnee Hawks were a minor league baseball team that played in the Sooner State League. The team began as an unaffiliated team based in Duncan, Oklahoma in 1947. The original team was named the Duncan Cementers. After two seasons, the team n ...

(1950–1957) * Sherman, TX &

Denison, TX Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States, south of the Texas–Oklahoma border. Its population was 24,479 at the 2020 census, up from 22,682 at the 2010 census. Denison is part of the Texoma region and is one of two principal ...

: Sherman Twins (1952); Sherman-Denison Twins (1953)

Standings & statistics

1947 to 1952

Playoffs: Ardmore 3 games, Lawton 2; McAlester 3 games, Ada 2; Finals: McAlester 4 games, Ardmore 1.
1948 schedule
Playoffs: McAlester 3 games, Chickasha 1; Seminole 3 games, Lawton 2; Finals: Seminole 4 games, McAlester 2.
1949 schedule
Playoffs: Pauls Valley 3 games, Ada 2; Lawton 3 games, Chickasha 0; Finals: Lawton 4 games, Pauls Valley 1. Duncan moved to Shawnee August 18.
Playoffs: Ardmore 3 games, Ada 2; McAlester 3 games, Chickasha 0; Finals: McAlester 4 games, Ardmore 2. Playoffs: Ardmore 3 games, Pauls Valley 0; McAlester 3 games, Shawnee 0; Finals: McAlester 4 games, Ardmore 2. Playoffs: McAlester 3 games, Shawnee 1; Pauls Valley 3 games, Chickasha 1; Finals: McAlester 4 games, Pauls Valley 3.

1953 to 1955

Playoffs: McAlester 3 games, Ardmore 1; Ada 3 games, Shawnee 1; Finals: McAlester 4 games, Ada 1. Playoffs: Ardmore 3 games, Shawnee 2; Lawton 3 games, McAlester 2; Finals: Lawton 4 games, Ardmore 0. Gainesville moved to Ponca City May 19.
Playoffs: Lawton 3 games, Paris 1; Muskogee 3 games, Shawnee 2; Finals: Lawton 4 games, Muskogee 2.

1956 to 1957

1956 schedule
Playoffs: Ardmore 3 games, Paris 2; Seminole 3 games, Lawton 1; Finals: Seminole 4 games, Ardmore 3.
1957 schedule
Playoffs: Paris 3 games, Shawnee 1; Ardmore 3 games, Muskogee 0; Finals: Ardmore 4 games, Paris 0.

Hall of Fame alumni

Whitey Herzog Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog (; November 9, 1931 – April 15, 2024) was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager, most notable for his Major League Baseball (MLB) managerial career. Herzog made his major league debut a ...

, 1949–1950 McAlester Rockets *

Travis Jackson Travis Calvin Jackson (November 2, 1903 – July 27, 1987) was an American baseball shortstop. In Major League Baseball (MLB), Jackson played for the New York Giants from 1922 through 1936, winning the 1933 World Series, and representing the G ...

, 1954–1957 Manager Lawton Braves *

Billy Williams Billy Leo Williams (born June 15, 1938) is an American former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National L ...

, 1956–1957 Ponca City Cubs

References

* McCann, M. (n.d.). ''Minor League Baseball History''. Retrieved April 27, 2007, from https://www.webcitation.org/5knFK7bID?url=http://www.geocities.com/big_bunko/soonerstate4757.htm *Pierce, Peter G., Baseball in the Cross Timbers: The Story of the Sooner State League (Oklahoma Heritage Association 2009) {{Authority control Defunct professional sports leagues in the United States Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Baseball in Oklahoma Sports leagues established in 1947 Sports leagues disestablished in 1957 Baseball leagues in Oklahoma Baseball leagues in Texas