Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - It was a fun season in the Texas League this leaguers emerge as superstars with the likes of Dallas McPherson, Jeff Francis, and Ryan Shealy. We also saw perennial Texas League power Round Rock cruise their way into the championship series only to be defeated in five games by a surprise Frisco team. After struggling to stay above .500 during the first half of the season, the RoughRiders easily won the second half to make the playoffs. Once the postseason began, Frisco was a team possessed as they swept Tulsa in the first round and beat Round Rock four games to one in the finals. Overall, they finished 7-1 in the playoffs. Now, as we see Round Rock making the jump to the Pacific Coast League, Frisco will look to come back strong in 2005 and defend their title.

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS - It was a tough year for the Travelers as they finished in last place of the East Division in both the first half and second half and compiled a 59-80 overall record, second worst in the Texas League. All-world third baseman Dallas McPherson was the brightest star for Arkansas, batting .321 with 20 homers and 69 RBI in just 68 games before a call-up to Triple-A Salt Lake. McPherson would eventually be a September call-up of the Angels. Alberto Callaspo was another bright spot in the lineup as he played in all but three games and batted .284 with 29 doubles and 48 RBI on his way to being named to the All-Star team. His 207 total bases were tops on the team by more than 20 sacks. Jeff Mathis, the Angels' future backstop and a 2004 Texas League All-Star, struggled offensively, hitting just .227 and striking out 102 times in 117 games. On the mound, starter Willie Collazo suffered through a 6-10 campaign, sporting a 4.56 ERA and allowing 156 hits in 148 innings of work.

EL PASO DIABLOS - The Diablos took the crown as the worst team in the Texas League this season as they posted a dismal 48-89 overall record, finishing an astounding 36 1/2 games behind first place Round Rock for the year. There were a couple bright spots for El Paso as they placed six players on the All-Star roster. Outfielder Josh Kroeger tore up the Texas League in only 65 games before he was promoted to Triple-A and eventually to the Diamondbacks. Kroeger hit .331 with 28 doubles, nine home runs, and 46 RBI in his half of season. Also leading the offense was All-Star catcher Chris Snyder who put up big power numbers this season. In 99 games, Snyder batted .301 with a whopping 31 doubles, 15 home runs, and knocked in 57 runs. His 31 doubles led the team while the 57 RBI ranked him second. Snyder was also called up to the big league squad this season. On the mound, starting pitcher Matt Henrie produced a nice record at 9-4 but finished with an inflated ERA of 5.28. In 15 starts with the Diablos, Henrie tossed 102 1/3rd innings and hurled one complete-game.

FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS - Frisco's memorable season saw them erase an average first half of the season by winning 45 games in the second half and capture the Texas League championship over Round Rock. Ian Kinsler was the biggest surprise for the RoughRiders as he tore through the Midwest League with Clinton and batted .300 with 21 doubles and 46 RBI in just 71 games with Frisco. With the breakout season, it appears the second year player is on his way to becoming the shortstop of the future for the Texas Rangers. Edgar Gonzalez and Will Smith, both 2004 All-Stars, had productive seasons at the plate for the RoughRiders. Gonzalez batted .289 with 25 doubles, eight home runs, and 55 RBI while Smith hit at a .283 clip and added 19 doubles, eight homers, and 57 RBI. Jason Botts probably had the most productive year offensively for Frisco as he batted .293 with 24 home runs and 92 RBI, placing him second in the Texas League in both categories. All-Star Erik Thompson was solid on the hill, finishing with a mediocre 6-6 record but boasting an impressive 2.98 ERA in 90 2/3rd innings. Starting pitcher Sam Narron was equally as impressive as he went 6-0 with a 2.36 ERA in eight starts before his call-up to Triple-A.

MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS - The RockHounds mediocre 72-68 season was highlighted by starting pitcher Shane Bazzell's spectacular year on the mound. Bazzell went 15-3 overall, including victories in his last four decisions. His 15 wins were tops in the Texas League and his 3.03 ERA ranked him third. Bazzell's superb season earned him a selection on the 2004 Texas League All-Star team. Catcher John Baker, also a 2004 All-Star pick, finished the season seventh in the league with 78 RBI and finished fourth with 32 doubles. He batted .280 for the year in 117 games played and led his team with 210 total bases. Outfielder Jon Weber matched Baker's numbers with a .280 average, 24 doubles, 15 home runs, and knocked in 68 runs. With victories in eight of their last 11 games, Midland can look forward to an exciting 2005 Texas League season.

ROUND ROCK EXPRESS - After dominating the Texas League all season and compiling an 86-54 record, Round Rock fell short in the championship series losing to Frisco four games to one. All-Stars Todd Self, Brooks Conrad, and Tommy Whiteman led the offensive charge all season as the Express scored 744 runs, tops in the league. Self batted .315, fourth in the league, with 34 doubles, 11 homers, and 81 RBI. His 34 doubles and 81 RBI ranked his third and sixth, respectively. Conrad, a power-hitting second baseman who was recently named the MVP of his team, led the league with 39 doubles, batted .290, and led his team with 83 RBI. Whiteman hit .336 in 68 games with the Express before being called up to Triple-A New Orleans where he finished the season. He smacked eight home runs and drove in 45 runs in his Texas League stint. Closer Santiago Ramirez nailed down 32 saves, good for second in the league, and compiled a 6-4 record with a 2.63 ERA in 78 2/3rd innings pitched. Starter DJ Houlton was superb all year on the hill, posting a 12-5 record, including three complete games and one shutout while boasting a 2.94 ERA. In 159 innings, Houlton struck out 159 batters compared to just 47 walks. Both Ramirez and Houlton garnered 2004 All-Star selections for their efforts. Beginning with the 2005 season, Round Rock will move to the Pacific Coast League to be the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.

SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS - A solid second half could not dispel a dismal first half in which the Missions (66-72), the defending Texas League champions, finished 10 games below .500 and 19 games behind first place Round Rock for the season. Dustin Delucchi, a 2004 All-Star selection, roped 23 doubles, knocked in 32 runs, and scored 82 more to help a poor offense that scored just 589 runs, worst in the league. Shin-soo Choo exploded this season as he hit .315 with 17 doubles, 15 home runs, and 84 RBI to provide a bright spot in an otherwise dark year. Greg Dobbs put together a strong campaign as well, hitting .325 with 34 RBI in 51 games before being called up to Triple-A and eventually the Mariners. Dobbs was a replacement pick on the 2004 All-Star team. Rick Guttormson was solid out of the bullpen, recording 25 saves and a 5-4 record while posting a 3.27 ERA in 54 appearances. Starting pitcher Juan Done had a roller coaster season, finishing with a 10-10 record and a lofty 5.34 ERA in 153 1/3rd innings. He struggled with his control as he struck out just 86 batters compared to 70 walks. Aside from getting his control problems fixed, Done must work on his home runs problems, a stat in which he finished second in the league with 19 long balls allowed.

TULSA DRILLERS - You do not talk about the Drillers' 2004 campaign without first mentioning All-Star first baseman Ryan Shealy, the 2004 Texas League Player of the Year. Shealy ended his amazing year in the top five of most offensive categories, including leading the league with 29 homers, 99 RBI, and 274 total bases. Aside from the categories in which he lead, Shealy finished third with a .318 batting average, third in runs scored (88), and fifth in doubles (32). His offensive explosion led Tulsa to the Texas League playoffs where they would be swept by eventual champion Frisco. Texas League pitcher of the year Jeff Francis exploded on the scene with a near perfect season. Francis compiled a 13-1 record and posted an astounding 1.98 ERA in 17 starts before being promoted to Triple-A on his way to the big leagues. Francis fanned 147 batters and issued just 22 walks in 113 2/3rd innings on the hill and was later named minor league player of the year. Reliever Ryan Speier completed the sweep of the major awards as he won the Rolaids Relief Award as Minor League baseball's top relief pitcher. The right-hander recorded 37 saves, the most in team history and one shy of the Texas League record, and posted a 3-1 record with a 2.04 ERA. The three award winners led the Drillers, winners of the first half, to a 71-68 overall record.

WICHITA WRANGLERS - All-Star second baseman Ruben Gotay led a Wichita offense that batted .264 as a team as he hit a solid .289 with 22 doubles, nine homers, and 68 RBI on the year. Gotay's patience at the plate was amazing as he struck out just 60 times in 405 at-bats. He added six triples and scored 71 times, both team highs. His 68 RBI were tied for the team high with Chad Santos. Reliever JJ Trujillo was shaky out of the bullpen this season, posting a 7-10 record with eight saves and a 3.17 ERA. He fanned 79 batters and walked 22 in his 96 2/3rd innings of work. Pitcher Danny Tamayo recorded a 12-7 record in 25 starts to lead the Wranglers starting rotation. He posted a 3.98 ERA in 142 1/3rd innings on the mound. Outfielder Jaime Jones also garnered All-Star honors after he batted .271 with six doubles, six homers, and 38 RBI in only 69 games with Wichita. After finishing both halves of the season in second place, the Wranglers will be looking to turn it up a notch in 2005 and earn a birth in the Texas League playoffs.