Ada Herefords


The Ada Herefords was a minor league baseball team based in Ada, Oklahoma from 1947–1954. Ada was a member of the Class D Sooner State League, winning the league pennant in 1950.
Ada was an affiliate of the St. Louis Browns and remained an affiliate when St. Louis relocated to become the Baltimore Orioles.

History

Minor league baseball began in Ada, Oklahoma with the 1947 Ada Herefords. The Ada Herefords were charter members of the six-team Sooner State League in 1947, along with the Ardmore Indians, Duncan Cementers, Lawton Giants, McAlester Rockets and Seminole Oilers.
In their first season of play, the 1947 Ada Herefords finished 86–51 in the regular season as an affiliate of the St. Louis Browns. They would remain an affiliate of the Browns franchise throughout their existence. In the 1947 playoffs, the McAlester Rockets defeated the Ada Herefords 3 games to 2. The Ada season attendance was 41,872, an average of 611.
Ada finished 63–76 in 1948 and did not qualify for the playoffs. The Sooner State League expanded from six-teams to eight-teams, adding the Chickasha Chiefs and Pauls Valley Raiders as expansion teams. The Ada season attendance in 1948 was 27,050.
The Ada Herefords made the Sooner State League playoffs in 1949. Ada finished 69–70 in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Pauls Valley Raiders defeated Ada 3 games to 2. Season attendance was 33,525.
Ada captured the Longhorn State League pennant in 1950. The Ada Herefords finished the regular season 1st with a 96–41 record, 5.5 games ahead of 2nd place McAlester Rockets. In the 1950 playoffs, the Ardmore Indians defeated Ada 3 games to 2. Season attendance was 31,981.
In 1951, the Ada Herefords did not qualify for the playoffs. The Herefords finished 54–86 in the regular season. Attendance was 12,779, an average of 183 per game.
Ada again missed the playoffs in 1952, as the Herefords finished 57–82, drawing 38,387 for the season.
The 1953 Ada Herefords advanced to the Sooner State League Finals. Ada finished 84–54 in the regular season. In the 1953 playoffs, Ada had their first and only playoff series victory, as the Ada Herefords defeated the Shawnee Hawks 3 games to 1 in the semi-finals. In the
Finals, the McAlester Rockets defeated Ada 4 games to 1 and captured the championship. Ada's season attendance was 36,128.
Ada played their final minor league season in 1954, changing their moniker to the Ada Cementers in mid-season. The franchise became an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, as the St. Louis Browns had relocated to Baltimore in 1954. The Ada Herefords/Cementers finished 64–76
in 1954, drawing 28,482, an average 407.
The Ada Cementers permanently folded after the 1954. Fellow league member Pauls Valley Raiders folded also. They were replaced in the 1955 Sooner State League by the Muskogee Giants and Paris Orioles. Ada has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

The Ada Herefords played at Hereford Park. The ballpark was located at the Pontotoc County fairgrounds on North Broadway Avenue. The field, which was also used as a rodeo arena, had an unusual asymmetrical shape featuring a short right field porch and extremely long third base foul line. The Pontotoc County Agri-Plex and Convention Center, 1710 North Broadway, now stands on the site.

Notable alumni

YearRecordManagerFinishPlayoffs/Notes
194786–51Uke Clanton2ndLost in First Round
194863–76Uke Clanton5th-
194969–70Bill Krueger4thLost in First Round
195096–41Bill Krueger1stLost in First Round
195154–56Stanley Galle5th-
195257–82Bill Enos/Virl Loman/Jim England7th-
195384–54Louis Brower3rdLost League Finals
195464–76Louis Brower / John Densmore6th-

External references