Midland RockHounds

Professional baseball came to Midland, Texas, in 1972 with the Midland Cubs, a Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The franchise gave the oil-rich Permian Basin community its first sustained connection to organized baseball, providing entertainment and civic pride in a city whose identity was built around the energy industry.

The team operated as the Midland Cubs from 1972 through 1984 before becoming the Midland Angels when the franchise affiliated with the California Angels from 1985 through 1998. Through both identities, the team developed a loyal following in West Texas, where the arid landscape and summer heat created a unique minor league environment unlike anywhere else in the country.

Miles Prentice and Bob Richmond purchased the club in 1990, beginning a three-decade ownership tenure that would see the franchise through its most transformative and successful period. The stability of local ownership provided the foundation for what would come next: a new identity, a new affiliation, and an era of unprecedented championship success.

The 1999 season brought a complete rebirth: a new name (RockHounds, inspired by the region's geology and rock-collecting culture), a new affiliation with the Oakland A's, and a new era of sustained excellence. The A's partnership would become the longest in franchise history and one of the most productive in all of Double-A baseball.

The pinnacle came from 2014 through 2017, when the RockHounds won four consecutive Texas League championships—a feat matched only by the Fort Worth Panthers' six-straight titles from 1920 to 1925 in the league's 136-year history. Manager Ryan Christenson led the 2015 team to a franchise-record 83 wins and the 2016 squad to another title, earning Texas League Manager of the Year honors. Fran Riordan completed the four-peat in 2017 under dramatic circumstances, entering the playoffs with a losing record and overcoming 2-1 and 2-0 series deficits to claim the crown.

Manager Scott Steinmann took over in 2018, posting a 68-71 record before guiding the 2019 team to 73 wins and a division title. The A's pipeline continued to flow through Midland, with prospects like Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, and Sean Murphy all developing at Momentum Bank Ballpark on their way to Oakland. The combination of championship tradition and prospect development made Midland one of the most respected affiliates in the Texas League.