1974 Victoria Toros (Mets) Victoria, Texas

1975-1990 Jackson Mets (Mets) Jackson, Mississippi

1991-1999 Jackson Generals (Astros) Jackson, Mississippi

2000-2004 Round Rock Express (Astros) Round Rock, Texas

2005-present Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) Corpus Christi, Texas

From Blues to Hooks – A Brief History

2009 marks the fifth season of play for the Hooks in the Texas League, making this the seventh year that Corpus Christi has fielded a team in the circuit.  Following a 45-year hiatus, professional Texas League baseball returned to the Sparkling City in 2005 thanks to a series of events involving numerous groups and organizations.  The Hooks, however, are not the same franchise as the one that called Corpus Christi home back in 1958 and 1959.  The current franchise was born during the tumultuous decade of the 1960’s, in a city well outside the state of Texas.

The history of the Hooks’ franchise dates all the way back to 1968, when it got its start in the Texas League as the Memphis Blues.  That club won the league crown twice, in 1969 and 1973.  In 1974, the franchise moved to Victoria, Texas, where it captured the league title in its lone season as the Toros.  The following year, 1975, the club found itself in Jackson, Mississippi, where it would remain for the next 25 seasons, first as the Mets (1975-1990) then as the Generals (1991-1999).  The franchise enjoyed tremendous success on the field during that quarter-century, qualifying for the playoffs 13 times and winning the TL championship on five occasions (1981, 1984, 1985, 1993 and 1996).  During one incredible stretch (1980-1987), Jackson dominated the league, making it to eight consecutive post-seasons. 

Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan and his group stepped in following the 1998 season and acquired the franchise, moving it from Jackson to Round Rock in time for the 2000 season.  True to the winning history of the franchise, the Round Rock Express, led by the likes of Morgan Ensberg and Roy Oswalt, powered their way to the Texas League title in that first season at The Dell Diamond.  The Express, which shattered league attendance records throughout their five-year run, also qualified for post-season play in four of those five seasons.

The move of the franchise from Round Rock to Corpus Christi following the 2004 season was made possible when the owners of the Express, Ryan Sanders Baseball, acquired the Triple-A franchise in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and announced their intention to move the club to Round Rock.  That paved the way for the Double-A franchise to relocate to the Gulf Coast of Texas.

Led by outfielders Hunter Pence and Josh Anderson, the Hooks defeated Wichita three games to one to capture the league title in 2006.  That marked the 10th championship in franchise history, which after the 2008 campaign spans 41 seasons.  In that time, only one other franchise has won the Texas League crown more than five times.  The Arkansas Travelers captured their sixth league championship when they defeated Frisco three games to two in the 2008 title series.

In four seasons, the Hooks have graduated 23 players to the major leagues and have had another 24 players with big-league experience wear the Corpus Christi uniform.  In all, a total of 132 men have played for the Hooks.