View source for Midland RockHounds

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox Minor League Baseball
|name            = Midland RockHounds
|founded         = 1972
|city            = Midland, Texas
|misc            =
|logo            = Midland RockHounds.png
|uniformlogo     = Midland RockHounds Cap.png
|class level     = Double-A (1972–present)
|past class level=
|current league  = [[Texas League]] (1972–present)
|conference      =
|division        = South Division
|past league     =
|majorleague     = [[Oakland Athletics]] / [[Athletics (baseball)|Athletics]] (1999–present)
|pastmajorleague = [[Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim|California / Anaheim Angels]] (1985–1998)<br>
[[Chicago Cubs]] (1972–1984)
|leaguenum       = 7
|leaguechamps    = {{hlist|1975|2005|2009|2014|2015|2016|2017}}
|divnum          = 11
|divisionchamps  = {{hlist|1975|1995|2005|2009|2010|2014|2015|2016|2017|2024|2025}}
|firsthalfnum    = 3
|firsthalfchamps ={{hlist|1995|2005|2025}}
|secondhalfnum   = 10
|secondhalfchamps={{hlist|1979|1982|1991|2005|2006|2010|2015|2016|2019|2024}}
|wildcardnum     = 2
|wildcardberths  ={{hlist|2014|2017}}  
|colors          = Navy blue, orange, silver, white<br>{{color box|#001544}} {{color box|#f4911c}} {{color box|#b6b9bf}} {{color box|#ffffff}}
|mascot          = Juice the Moose (1990-present)<br>Rocky RockHound (1999-present)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/midland/fans/mascots|title=Mascots|website=Midland RockHounds|publisher=Minor League Baseball|access-date=November 24, 2021}}</ref><br>Chip the Rock Hammer (2023-Present)
|nickname        = Midland RockHounds (1999–present)
|pastnames       = Midland Angels (1985–1998)<br>
Midland Cubs (1972–1984)
|ballpark        = [[Momentum Bank Ballpark]] (2002–present)
|pastparks       = [[Christensen Stadium]] (1972–2001)
|owner           = [[Diamond Baseball Holdings]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=LeRoy |first1=Oscar |title=RockHounds being sold, will remain in Midland |url=https://www.mrt.com/sports/rockhounds/article/RockHounds-being-sold-will-remain-in-Midland-17635718.php |website=mrt.com |access-date=2 September 2023}}</ref>
|manager = [[Gregorio Petit]]
|gm = Shelly Haenggi      
|president = Monty Hoppel<ref>Palmer, Tod. [https://www.kshb.com/sports/kansas-city-area-olympians-who-have-qualified-for-2020-tokyo-games Kansas City-area Olympians who have qualified for 2020 Tokyo Games], ''[[KSHB-TV|Channel 41 KSHB-TV]]'', [[Kansas City, Missouri]], June 22, 2021.</ref>
|website = {{URL|https://www.milb.com/midland|milb.com/midland}}
}}

The '''Midland RockHounds''' are a [[Minor League Baseball]] team based in [[Midland, Texas]]. The team, which plays in the [[Texas League]], is the [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] affiliate of the [[Athletics (baseball)|Athletics]] [[Major League Baseball|major league]] club. The RockHounds play in [[Momentum Bank Ballpark]], which opened in 2002 and seats 4,709&nbsp;fans. They have won seven [[List of Texas League champions|Texas League championships]]: in 1975 (co-champions with the [[Lafayette Drillers]]), 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

==History==
The RockHounds were previously known as both the '''Midland Cubs''' (1972–1984) and '''Midland Angels''' (1985–1998). While Midland has been the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics since 1999, they were affiliated with the [[Chicago Cubs]] from 1972 to 1984, and then with the [[California Angels]] from 1985 to 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-323998|title=History of Midland in Minor League Baseball|website=Midland RockHounds|publisher=Minor League Baseball}}</ref> The team was renamed "Rockhounds", a nickname for geologists, as a reference to the oil and gas industry of the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.sportslogos.net/2014/07/05/rock-of-ages-the-story-behind-the-midland-rockhounds/baseball/|title=Rock of Ages|website=SportsLogos.net|date=5 July 2014 }}</ref>

The RockHounds have received numerous awards throughout their history. The Midland franchise under the Angels won the Texas League Organization of the Year in 1990 and 1994 and as the RockHounds in 2002. In 1995, Midland won Double-A Baseball's highest award, the Bob Frietas Award. General Manager Monty Hoppel has been named Executive of the Year with the franchise three times (1991, 1995, and 2002).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-323998|title=Awards Follow the RockHounds Franchise|website=Midland RockHounds|publisher=Minor League Baseball}}</ref>

In 1995, Midland reached its first-ever playoff appearance as an affiliate of the Angels and their first playoff appearance overall in 20&nbsp;years. It also became the first season that Midland accumulated more than 200,000&nbsp;fans in a season, a feat repeated in 1996. The feat surprised many in Minor League Baseball as the Midland-Odessa area only has just over 200,000 residents total. The RockHounds moved into [[Momentum Bank Ballpark]], part of the Scharbauer Sports Complex on the west side of Midland, in 2002. Since then, the RockHounds have averaged over 250,000 fans every season. Prior to that, their home had been what is now known as [[Christensen Stadium]], in northeast Midland.

The Rockhounds won their first ever Texas League Championship in 2005. They shared the title with the [[Lafayette Drillers]] in 1975 as the Cubs. In 2006, they won the second-half championship of the South Division, but they lost to the eventual champion [[Corpus Christi Hooks]] in the division playoffs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-323998|title=RockHounds Success under the A's|website=Midland RockHounds|publisher=Minor League Baseball}}</ref>

In 2007, the RockHounds won the John H. Johnson President's Award, Minor League baseball highest award for a franchise, making them the third Texas League franchise to do so after the [[El Paso Diablos]] and the [[Tulsa Drillers]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Bob|last=Hards|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-323998|title=RockHounds Take Home Top Honor|website=Midland RockHounds|publisher=Minor League Baseball|date=November 19, 2007|access-date=August 26, 2014}}</ref>

In 2009, the RockHounds won their second Texas League pennant, defeating the [[Northwest Arkansas Naturals]] three games to one in the Championship Series.<ref>{{cite web|first=Bob|last=Hards|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-7060184|title=RockHounds Hoist 2009 Title|website=Midland RockHounds|publisher=Minor League Baseball|date=September 20, 2009|access-date=August 26, 2014}}</ref> In 2010, the RockHounds returned to the Texas League title game, but this time fell to the Naturals.

In 2017, the RockHounds won their fourth straight Texas League title, the first team to do so since the [[Fort Worth Cats (Texas League)|Fort Worth Panthers]] won six in a row from 1920 to 1925.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/midland-rockhounds-rule-texas-league-for-fourth-straight-year/c-254856422/t-185364810|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918083147/https://www.milb.com/milb/news/midland-rockhounds-rule-texas-league-for-fourth-straight-year/c-254856422/t-185364810|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 18, 2017|title='Hounds win fourth straight Texas League title|website=[[Minor League Baseball]]|publisher=Minor League Baseball|date=September 17, 2017|access-date=September 18, 2017}}</ref>

In conjunction with [[Major League Baseball]]'s restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the RockHounds were organized into the [[Double-A Central]].<ref name=JMayo2-12-2021>{{cite web|last=Mayo|first=Jonathan|title=MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure|website=Major League Baseball|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=February 12, 2021}}</ref> In 2022, the Double-A Central became known as the Texas League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.<ref name=ILrename>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-historical-league-names-to-return-in-2022|title=Historical League Names to Return in 2022|website=Minor League Baseball|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2022}}</ref>

==On the radio==
The Midland Rockhounds have always had a play-by-play broadcast that has been available. [[KCRS (AM)]] had been the network to carry roughly 95% of the Rockhounds games since they debuted in 1972. Some afternoon games in 2008 didn't air on the radio due to contracts with [[Rush Limbaugh]] and others. For the 2009 season [[Gap Broadcasting]] announced the Rockhounds would have a new radio home, [[KFZX]], also known as 102.1 Jack FM. For the 2010 season, the Rockhounds once again moved radio homes to [[KMRK]] 96.1 FM.<ref>{{cite web|first=Oscar|last=LeRoy|url=http://www.mrt.com/sports/top_stories/article_0820c7b5-cc39-5845-a5f5-cfc9294397c2.html|title=Rockhounds Notebook|website=MyWestTexas.com|publisher=Midland Reporter-Telegram|date=April 8, 2010|access-date=August 26, 2014}}</ref> In both cases Bob Hards remained the voice of the Rockhounds, a position he has currently held for 19&nbsp;consecutive years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-170721|title=Bob Hards: Director of Broadcasting and Publications|website=Midland RockHounds|publisher=Minor League Baseball|access-date=August 26, 2014}}</ref> In 2013 the Rockhounds moved their games back to KCRS, though weekday day games would be preempted for talk shows that were already scheduled.

==Notable players==
{{div col|colwidth=27em}}
* [[Brett Anderson (baseball)|Brett Anderson]]
* [[Garret Anderson]]
* [[Andrew Bailey (baseball)|Andrew Bailey]]
* [[Billy Burns (baseball)|Billy Burns]]
* [[Eric Byrnes]]
* [[Trevor Cahill]]
* [[Chris Carter (right-handed hitter)|Chris Carter]]
* [[Joe Carter]]
* [[Matt Chapman]]
* [[Nelson Cruz]]                                                     
* [[Josh Donaldson]]
* [[Sean Doolittle]]
* [[Ryan Dull]]
* [[Shawon Dunston]]
* [[Damion Easley]]
* [[Jim Edmonds]]
* [[Darin Erstad]]
* [[Andre Ethier]]
* [[Zack Gelof]] 
* [[Troy Glaus]]
* [[Sonny Gray]]
* [[A. J. Griffin (baseball)|A.J. Griffin]]
* [[Rich Harden]]
* [[Billy Hatcher]]
* [[Ryon Healy]]
* [[Mark Kiger]] (first player in modern MLB history to debut in a postseason game (October 13, 2006; game three of the [[2006 American League Championship Series|2006 ALCS]]))
* [[Mike Krukow]]
* [[Dennis Lamp]]
* [[Carlos Lezcano]]
* [[Joe Maddon]] (Manager)
* [[Sean Manaea]]
* [[Randy Martz]]
* [[Mark McLemore]]
* [[Donnie Moore]]
* [[Matt Olson]]
* [[Karl Pagel]]
* [[Troy Percival]]
* [[Bryan Price]]
* [[Addison Russell]]
* [[Tim Salmon]]
* [[Lee Smith (baseball)|Lee Smith]]
* [[Dan Straily]]
* [[Huston Street]]
* [[Bruce Sutter]] (elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006)
* [[Nick Swisher]]
*[[Joey Wagman]]
* [[Barry Zito]]{{div col end}}

==Roster==
{{Midland RockHounds roster}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.milb.com/midland}}
* [https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Midland&state=TX&country=US Statistics from ''Baseball-Reference'']

{{Midland, Texas}}
{{Athletics (baseball)}}
{{Texas League}}
{{Diamond Baseball Holdings}}
{{Texas sports}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Midland Rockhounds}}
[[Category:Baseball teams established in 1972]]
[[Category:Texas League teams]]
[[Category:Professional baseball teams in Texas]]
[[Category:Sports in Midland, Texas]]
[[Category:Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Angels minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Oakland Athletics minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:1972 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Double-A Central teams]]