The Midland Angels were a minor league baseball team that played in Midland, Texas from 1960 to 1964. During their five seasons of existence, the team issued a variety of baseball cards promoting their players and franchise. These Midland Angels cards were produced by several different companies and provide a unique look at the history of minor league baseball card issues from this era.
The earliest known Midland Angels cards were issued in 1960 and 1961 by Topps. These cardboard insert cards featured color portraits of Angels players on the front with basic stats like batting average and home runs on the reverse. Photos were in color while the backgrounds were typically blue or gray. Key rookies included outfielder Rick Reichardt, who would later play in the majors, and pitchers Jerry Casale and Tom Satriano.
Topps discontinued their Angels sets after 1961 but the franchise found a new cardboard partner in 1962 with Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum Company. Hubba Bubba issued full-size gum cards of the Angels squad that season. The fronts featured action shots and color portraits against yellowish-orange borders. Statistics appeared on the backs along with occasional minor biographical notes on the players. Hubba Bubba only produced the one set for Midland that year.
The peak years for Midland Angels cards were 1963 and 1964 when Bell Brands Chewing Gum took over production. For the 1963 season, Bell Brands issued a coveted high-gloss 82-card base set along with several additional insert sets totaling over 100 different Angels cards released that year. The bright colors and large headshots on a purple background made the Bell Brands ’63s highly appealing visually.
Bell Brands followed up their successful ’63 Midland Angels issue with an even more elaborate 132-card set in 1964. In addition to the base cards, Bell Brands inserted photo variations, action shots, checklist cards and manager/coaches cards as bonus issues packed randomly in their Bubble Gum packages. The 1964 cards featured future Major Leaguers such as pitcher Joe Grzenda and infielder Bobby Tiefenauer. This final Midland Angels card set before the franchise shifted is regarded as the most desired by today’s collectors.
Additional Midland Angels cards from the early 1960s include rare examples issued as promotions by Rice Bowl restaurant and Big State Dairy. These non-sport companies distributed Midland players photos locally to promote the hometown minor league club. Bell Brands also produced a one-year Midland Angels/Tulsa Oilers co-branded set in 1963 for when the two teams shared a league.
Following the 1964 season, the Midland Angels franchise relocated to become the Columbia Mets in South Carolina. This ended the distinctive Midland Angels brand but their early cards from 1960-1964 live on as some of the most sought after and colorful representations of minor league baseball from the era. Values today range from $5-$75 depending on condition,Player, and scarcity of the particular issue. Especially in high grades, the 1963 and ’64 Bell Brands sets can command hundreds of dollars per card.
For collectors of vintage minor league cards, finding complete sets of Midland Angels issues presents a challenge due to the remote Texas oil town origins of the franchise and limited print runs fifty to sixty years ago. Building full sets requires diligent searching of the secondary market on online auction sites, forums, and specialty shops. Individual high-numbered Angels areamong the toughest to locate. Despite the hunt, dedicated minor league historians are drawn to the obscure history captured through these charming early cards from the heyday of baseball in Midland, Texas before the team moved on.
In summary, Midland Angels cards provide a window into the formative years of minor league baseball card production in the early 1960s. Issues by Topps, Hubba Bubba, Bell Brands and others promoted the Texas farm club and its players through colorful card designs. While short-lived, the Midland franchise left behind a memorable cardboard legacy for enthusiasts of regional baseball memorabilia to enjoy for decades. These cards represent the lasting impact minor league teams had on their local communities before leagues consolidated in later eras.
