San Antonio Missions

Did You Know?

• The Missions' chief rival from 2005 to 2018 was the Corpus Christi Hooks.
• The team was previously rivals with the Round Rock Express.
• The Missions moved to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 2019.

History

San Antonio hosted a charter member of the Texas League in 1888. The city has fielded numerous Texas League franchises since, most using the Missions name. Baseball was absent only in 1889–1891, 1893–1894, 1900–1902, and during World War II from 1943 to 1945. Early team names included Missionaries, Gentlemen, and Bronchos. Nearly 250 players from those early years reached the major leagues. The current Missions moniker began with the team's first major league affiliation, the St. Louis Browns. That partnership continued through the Texas League's wartime suspension and resumed afterward, carrying over when the Browns became the Baltimore Orioles in 1954. The affiliation lasted until 1959, when the Missions partnered with the Chicago Cubs. While with the Browns/Orioles, over 100 players reached MLB, including Hall-of-Famers Willard Brown (1956) and Brooks Robinson (1956–1957). The Missions won the Dixie Series in 1950, defeating the Nashville Vols 4–3. They won the Pan American Series in 1961, beating the Veracruz Aguilas 4–2. The Missions name was used through 1962; in four Cubs-affiliated years, more than 50 alumni reached the majors, including future Hall-of-Famers Ron Santo (1959) and Billy Williams (1959). In 1963 the team changed its name to the Bullets when joining the Houston Colt .45s organization. The Bullets produced 30 major-league prospects, including Hall-of-Famer Joe Morgan and two-time National League All-Star Jerry Grote.

Signature promotions

Since 1989, during the seventh inning of each game, an auxiliary mascot named Henry the Puffy Taco is chased around the bases by a child from the stands, typically between 6 and 10 years old. The child tackles the giant taco before reaching home plate, starting from first base, then poses over the downed mascot. Henry has won only once, in 1992, when he mistimed his steps and crossed home plate before his opponent. A rematch on June 24, 2010, saw the child finally avenge the loss. The team also holds Shirt Off Your Back and Used Car Giveaway nights. In the former, game-worn jerseys are raffled to fans; the latter gives away more than 10 used cars per night, including a 2001 Ford Mustang and a 2001 Volvo S60 in 2010.