Austin has a rich history with baseball cards that dates back over a century. Some of the earliest documented baseball cards produced featured players from the minor and semi-pro teams that called Austin home in the late 1800s and early 1900s. While these vintage cards are exceedingly rare today, there remains a dedicated community of collectors in Austin who appreciate the city’s connection to the hobby.
The earliest baseball cards mass produced for the American market came in the late 1880s as promotions for tobacco products. It was the rise of professional baseball in the early 20th century that truly launched the baseball card collecting craze across the United States. In Austin, the minor league Austin Senators were founding members of the Texas League in 1888 and featured future Major Leaguers on their rosters. Some pioneering collectors in Austin reportedly obtained tobacco cards of Senators players from that era, though no examples are known to still exist today.
The Senators enjoyed popularity throughout Austin for decades, playing their home games at various ballparks around the city. In the 1930s, Goudey Gum Company produced colorful sets featuring current and former big leaguers that were quite popular with Senators fans. Goudey cards from sets issued between 1933-1936 depicting Senators alums who went on to the majors, such as Ike Boone and Cliff Melton, can still be found in the collections of longtime Austin-area collectors.
Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. revolutionized the baseball card industry when they began mass producing modern cardboard cards in 1951. Their innovative design and larger player images were an instant hit with collectors. In subsequent years, Topps released new sets that documented the rising minor league talent playing for Austin’s Texas League club, then called the Austin Pioneers. Rookies who got their professional start in Austin in the 1950s like Don Larsen, Dick Groat and Bob Aspromonte are represented in the classic Topps and Bowman sets that followed their minor league tenures.
The Pioneers drew well at their stadium, called Riverside Park, through the 1950s. But in 1960 the team relocated to become the Dallas Rangers, leaving Austin without a professional baseball franchise for over a decade. This period is sometimes referred to by collectors as the “Austin drought,” as cards directly featuring Austin players or teams became much harder to find without a local minor league affiliate.
In 1971, the Houston Astros moved their Double-A franchise, then known as the Columbus Astros, to Austin. Rechristened the Austin Astros, the team helped reignite local interest in baseball. Topps and other card manufacturers responded by highlighting Austin’s new minor league stars in sets through the 1970s, such as future Astros greats Jose Cruz and Enos Cabell. Riverside Park was also upgraded and renamed Disch-Falk Field during this time.
In 1978, the Astros’ parent club in Houston changed their Double-A affiliation to make the Tuscaloosa Astros their new farm team. This led to Austin being without a team once more. The city was awarded a new franchise as the Austin Giants in 1985 when the parent San Francisco Giants switched affiliations from Phoenix. Hall of Famer Will Clark launched his pro career with the 1985 Austin Giants and is one of the most iconic players ever to wear an Austin uniform. His rookie cards from Donruss and Fleer are highly sought after by area collectors.
Through the late 1980s and 1990s, the Austin Giants and later the Austin Rangers (1994-2000) continued to be represented in annual baseball card sets. Notable prospects like Jeff Kent, Russ Ortiz and David Bell had their early minor league years chronicled while in Austin. In 2000, the Rangers left for Midland, Texas and Austin went through another multi-year span without a club.
Thankfully, in 2005 the Colorado Rockies moved their Double-A affiliate to Austin, renaming them the Austin Trios. Roster stars like Troy Tulowitzki, Brad Lidge and Ubaldo Jimenez generated new interest in Austin cards during their stints with the team. In 2010, the Trios became known as the Round Rock Express when they moved to a new stadium just north of Austin in Round Rock. The Express have kept central Texas’ connection to baseball cards alive with yearly player issues from Topps, Bowman and other sets since.
Today, Austin has a dedicated community of card collectors who appreciate the history of the many teams and great players who have called the city home over the past 130+ years. While vintage Austin cards remain elusive, newer issues featuring Express alumni are abundant. The friendly local card shop scene and bustling conventions also help keep interest high. With the potential for another future Austin franchise on the horizon, collectors look forward to adding new players and memories to their collections for years to come.
