Midland RockHounds

The Midland RockHounds are a Minor League Baseball team from Midland, Texas, that plays in the Texas League as the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics. Their home games are held at Momentum Bank Ballpark, which first opened in 2002 and has a capacity of 4,709. The franchise has claimed seven Texas League championships: a shared title with the Lafayette Drillers in 1975, followed by solo wins in 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Their four consecutive titles from 2014 to 2017 marked the first time a team had achieved that feat since the Fort Worth Panthers won six straight between 1920 and 1925.

Before becoming the RockHounds, the team was known as the Midland Cubs from 1972 to 1984 and then the Midland Angels from 1985 to 1998. They have been the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics since 1999, having previously been affiliated with the Chicago Cubs and the California Angels. The name "RockHounds" refers to geologists and nods to the local oil and gas industry.

The franchise has earned several honors. As the Midland Angels, they won the Texas League Organization of the Year in 1990 and 1994, and as the RockHounds they won it again in 2002. In 1995, the team received the Bob Freitas Award, Double-A Baseball's top honor. General Manager Monty Hoppel has been named Executive of the Year three times with the franchise: in 1991, 1995, and 2002.

In 1995, the team made its first playoff appearance in 20 years and also surpassed 200,000 fans in a season for the first time, a feat repeated in 1996. This was notable because the Midland-Odessa area has just over 200,000 residents. The RockHounds moved into Momentum Bank Ballpark in 2002, part of the Scharbauer Sports Complex on the west side of Midland, and have averaged over 250,000 fans per season since then. Their previous home was Christensen Stadium in northeast Midland.

The RockHounds won their first outright Texas League championship in 2005. In 2006, they won the second-half South Division title but lost to the eventual champion Corpus Christi Hooks in the division playoffs. In 2007, they received the John H. Johnson President's Award, Minor League Baseball's highest franchise honor, becoming the third Texas League team to do so after the El Paso Diablos and Tulsa Drillers.

In 2009, they won their second Texas League pennant, defeating the Northwest Arkansas Naturals three games to one. They returned to the title series in 2010 but lost to the Naturals. In 2017, they captured their fourth straight Texas League title.

Following Major League Baseball's 2021 restructuring of the minor leagues, the RockHounds were placed in the Double-A Central. In 2022, that circuit was renamed the Texas League, its historical name.

On the radio

On the radio, the RockHounds have had a play-by-play broadcast since their 1972 debut. KCRS (AM) carried roughly 95% of games for many years, though some afternoon games in 2008 were not aired due to contracts with Rush Limbaugh and others.

In 2009, the team moved to KFZX (102.1 Jack FM), and in 2010 to KMRK 96.1 FM. Bob Hards has been the voice of the RockHounds for 19 consecutive years through these changes. In 2013, games returned to KCRS, though weekday day games were sometimes preempted for scheduled talk shows.

Notable players who have suited up for the RockHounds include Brett Anderson, Garret Anderson, Andrew Bailey, Billy Burns, Eric Byrnes, Trevor Cahill, 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, Rich Harden, Billy Hatcher, Ryon Healy, Mark Kiger (the first modern MLB player to debut in a postseason game, on October 13, 2006), Mike Krukow, Dennis Lamp, Carlos Lezcano, Joe Maddon (as manager), Sean Manaea, Randy Martz, Mark McLemore, Donnie Moore, Matt Olson, Karl Pagel, Troy Percival, Bryan Price, Addison Russell, Tim Salmon, Lee Smith, Dan Straily, Huston Street, Bruce Sutter (Hall of Fame inductee in 2006), Nick Swisher, Joey Wagman, and Barry Zito.