.png)
The MLB World Series are underway this week and it's time for some history in America`s favorite pastime. Baseball has been around since the 19th century and continues today to be a huge part of American culture. Sinton, TX sure knows its baseball and in part due to recent Sinton High School head coach, Gene Kasprzyk.
Sinton High School Baseball sure does have a history of winning. Three state championships, 22 district titles (including 10 straight), and a lifetime achievement award from the Hooks for Coach Kasprzyk being just a few of their achievements. Gene Kasprzyk sure has put Sinton baseball on the map and has seen some of his players off to play in the MLB. He will never be forgotten here, as Sinton High School has recently dedicated their baseball field to their longtime retired head coach.
So where did Sinton`s baseball roots come from? Did you know Sinton was actually home to a pro baseball team? How did our humble town get such a big opportunity, and where are they today?
The Rise of Baseball in Sinton
In 1934 oil was discovered in the North part of Sinton which brought a big rise to the industry in San Patricio County. Plymouth Oil Company began drilling and brought several of their experienced employees down for the project. Many of these employees had previously played for the Texan Oilers, a semi-pro baseball team out of Texon, Texas. These employees eventually formed a baseball team to be called the Plymouth Oilers, ran by the general manager at Plymouth Oil, and playing in the Coastal Bend Semi-Pro league. And thus the Plymouth Oilers were born.
The Peak of the Plymouth Oilers
Plymouth Oil Company built a stadium at the Farm Labor Center on the South side of Sinton and began to hire star college players for the summer and gave them jobs in the industry. In 1949 , after only three workouts, the Plymouth Oilers played their first game. The Oilers lost their first three games, but went on to win their next four in that first season. With a slow start, the Oilers quickly improved in the years to come with records like 33-13 in 1950 and a 51-11 in 1951. In that same 1951 season, the Oilers went on to win the national semi-pro title going undefeated in the final tournament. The Plymouth Oilers were on top.
Where are the Oilers Today?
The Plymouth Oilers continued in their success and in 1957 the National Baseball Congress declared Sinton, Texas the premier city in the nation for promoting semi-pro baseball for nearly a decade. Sadly, in 1958 Plymouth Oil Company had to pull their support for the Plymouth Oilers due to economic conditions. The team disbanded, and that was the end for the Plymouth Oilers.
We hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about Sinton history. Don't miss your opportunity to take a trip into the past and view all the history that Sinton has to offer. Just be sure to stop and stay with us here at Sinton RV Park. And hey, with the industrial boom of industries moving into the area, such as Exxon, Steel Dynamics, and Cheniere, who knows what is next for Sinton. We have seen the rise of industry bring pro sports to Sinton before...could it happen again?