Edinburg Roadrunners
Independent baseball team based in Edinburg, Texas.
The Edinburg Roadrunners were a professional baseball club from Edinburg, Texas. They competed in the United League Baseball, an independent league with no ties to Major or Minor League Baseball. The team was part of the United League from 2006 through 2010, then moved to the North American League for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. They returned to the United League for one final season in 2013. All home games were held at Edinburg Stadium. The city declined to renew the team’s lease for 2014, leaving the Roadrunners without a ballpark and forcing the franchise to cease operations.
The 2006–2013 franchise began as the Edinburg Coyotes in 2006, replacing an earlier Roadrunners team that had folded after the 2005 season. That earlier Roadrunners franchise (2001–2005) originally began play in 2001 as a member of the Texas–Louisiana League and won the league championship that year. The earlier franchise also captured another title in 2004 with a sweep. When the Central League folded in 2005, the original Roadrunners had already disbanded. In their place, a new Edinburg team called the Coyotes was created. The Coyotes set a minor league record by winning 17 straight games to start their existence, eventually losing to the San Angelo Colts. They won the United League’s regular-season title in their first year but fell to the Alexandria Aces in the championship. After three seasons as the Coyotes, the franchise was renamed the Edinburg Roadrunners in April 2009, adopting the name, logo, and mascot of the earlier popular club. The Roadrunners played in the United League for 2009 and 2010, then spent two seasons in the North American League. Their final campaign came in 2013 back in the United League, where they won the championship in a six-team league that saw two teams fold midseason.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 2001
- Disbanded
- 2013
- City
- Edinburg, Texas
- Ballpark
- Edinburg Stadium
- League
- United League Baseball (2013)
- Former Leagues
- North American League (2011–12) / United League Baseball (2006–10) / Central Baseball League (2002–05) / Texas–Louisiana League (2001)
- Former Names
- Edinburg Roadrunners (2009–13) / Edinburg Coyotes (2006–08) / Edinburg Roadrunners (2001–05)
- League Champs
- 2001 · 2004 (2012–2013)
- Owner
- Reunion Sports Group
- Media
- McAllen Monitor
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Edinburg Roadrunners began play in 2006 as a continuation of the Edinburg Coyotes, which had replaced an earlier Roadrunners franchise that folded after the 2005 season. The earlier Roadrunners (2001–2005) won championships in 2001 and 2004, but those titles belong to that separate franchise, not the 2006–2013 team. The Coyotes set a minor league record by winning 17 consecutive games to start their existence, and won the inaugural United League regular season title before losing the championship. In 2009, the franchise was renamed the Edinburg Roadrunners, adopting the name, logo, and mascot of the prior popular ball club.
Reader's Guide
The Edinburg Roadrunners represent a notable example of independent professional baseball in the United States, operating outside the affiliated Minor League Baseball system. Their significance lies in their persistence through league changes and their championship victory in their final season of 2013, a six-team league where two teams folded. The team's history is intertwined with the earlier Roadrunners franchise that won titles in the Texas–Louisiana League (2001) and Central Baseball League (2004), and with the Edinburg Coyotes, which set a minor league record for consecutive wins. The Roadrunners' legacy includes connections to the original team through shared name, logo, colors, mascot, and personnel such as manager Vince Moore and players Eric Gonzalez and Pedro Flores. Their rivalry with the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings also persisted across both iterations of the franchise.
Did You Know?
- The Edinburg Roadrunners won the championship in their final season of 2013.
- The team played at Edinburg Stadium, which was also the home of the earlier Roadrunners and the Edinburg Coyotes.
- The franchise was originally named the Edinburg Coyotes and set a minor league record with 17 consecutive wins to start their existence.
- The city of Edinburg refused to extend a lease for the 2014 season, leading to the team's shutdown.
More in Defunct independent baseball league teams 1-24
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