The Pauls Valley Raiders, based in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, joined the Sooner State League in 1948 as an expansion team and played at Wacker Park. In their second season the Raiders captured the 1949 pennant with an 88-52 record and drew 61,085 fans, an average of 873 per game, before falling to the Lawton Giants in the championship finals 4 games to 1. The 1951 club posted a 90-50 record, 40 games above .500, yet finished fourth in a stacked league behind Ardmore (99-40), Shawnee (96-44), and McAlester (91-48). As a New York Giants affiliate in 1952, Pauls Valley reached the finals again, losing a hard-fought seven-game series to McAlester.
The franchise faded quickly after that. Pauls Valley went 41-99 in 1954, finishing 51 games out of first, and folded at season's end alongside the Ada Herefords. Neither city returned to professional baseball. Wacker Park remains in use today as a public recreation area.
The Sooner State League was a Class D circuit that operated from 1947 through 1957, fielding teams from across Oklahoma along with several northern Texas cities. In the years before television brought major league baseball into American homes, minor leagues like the Sooner State League were a central part of community life across small-town America. At the peak of the minor league era in the late 1940s, more than 50 leagues and nearly 500 clubs operated across the country, giving fans in hundreds of cities and towns their only connection to professional baseball.
Retro Baseball Revival celebrates historic baseball teams with unique apparel, honoring their legacy and bringing history to one-of-a-kind clothing with our old school retro baseball tees from defunct Minor League Baseball teams. All of our high quality apparel is designed, printed, and shipped within the USA. This collection features 100% original designs based on the history and nicknames of historic minor league teams.
Our standard (non-premium) hoodies are classics that anyone is sure to recognize. They are thick, durable Gildan brand hoodies. They are a cotton/poly blend that stands the test of time and feature the 'kangaroo pouch' on the front with a draw string hood.
Size Guide: True to size, roomy
- Brand: Gildan | Product ID: G18500
- Made with a medium-heavy fabric (8.0 oz/yd² (271 g/m²)) that consists of 50% cotton and 50% polyester for that cozy feel and warmth you need in a hoodie.
- The classic fit along with the pouch pocket and the tear-away label make for a highly comfortable, scratch-free wearing experience.
- The color-matched drawcord and the double-lined hood add a stylish flair and durability that tie everything together.
- Made using 100% ethically grown US cotton. Gildan is also a proud member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol ensuring ethical and sustainable means of production. The blank tee's dyes are OEKO-TEX-certified dyes with low environmental impact.
- Tumble dry: medium; Iron, steam or dry: low heat; Do not dryclean; Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Non-chlorine: bleach as needed.
