Fort Worth Panthers

• Location: Fort Worth, TX
• League: Texas League 1888-1890; Texas-Southern League 1895; Texas Association (1896); Texas League 1902-1931
• Affiliation:
• Ballpark: Haines Park 1907-10, Morris Park 1911-14, Panther Park 1915-28, LaGrave Field 1929-31

The Fort Worth Panthers (also known as the Fort Worth Cats) began play in 1888 as one of the first teams in the Texas League. The team derived its name from a Dallas newspaper criticizing crime in the region and saying that the main drag was "the noonday lair of the panther." The team from Fort Worth, TX won titles in 1895, 1905, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1930, 1937, 1939 and 1948 for 12 titles in 64 years (the league did not operate in 1898, 1900-1901 or 1943-45). The early 1920s edition was one of the strongest upper mid-level minor-league teams (equivalent to AA today) ever as the team won both the first and second half of the schedules six years in a row. The Panthers played home games at Haines Park 1907-10, Morris Park 1911-14, Panther Park 1915-28, and LaGrave Field 1929-31.

In 1959 the team joined the expanding American Association and went 81-81, 5th in the 10-team league. In 1960 they merged with the Dallas Rangers to form the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers. Future editions of the club used the Fort Worth Cats name more exclusively instead of alternating between the two names.

Source: "The American Association" by Bill O'Neal

Five Panthers clubs are considered among the greatest minor league teams of all time:

• 1920 Fort Worth Panthers
• 1921 Fort Worth Panthers
• 1922 Fort Worth Panthers
• 1924 Fort Worth Panthers
• 1925 Fort Worth Panthers

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs
1888	21-27	--	Burney / Firie	Team disbanded July 4
1889	45-51	5th	J. Horsfield / Patrick Welch	League disbanded August 12
1890	17-28	5th	John Fogerty	League disbanded June 10
1895	77-39	2nd	T. P. Richards / George Reilly / Fernandez	League Champs
1896	71-29	--	George Carman / Sport McAllister	Team disbanded August 2
1898	10-10	NA	Jess Reynolds
1902	48-62	3rd	Ted Sullivan	none
1903	49-59	4th	Con Lucid / Fred Scatzke / Billy Disch
1904	71-30	1st	Fred Willis	Lost League Finals
1905	72-59	1st	B. Hubbrd / Fred Willis	none League Champs
1906	78-48	1st (t)	Frederick Canender	Could not field team for playoffs
1907	61-78	5th	Walter Salm / Walt Boles	none
1908	68-74	5th	Dan Curtis / Henry Deiters	none
1909	73-71	6th	Frederick Cavender	none
1910	76-62	3rd	Walter Morris	none
1911	80-67	2nd	Walter Morris	none
1912	59-81	7th	Walter Morris	none
1913	70-83	6th	Walter Morris (34-39) / William Nance (36-44)	none
1914	71-77	5th	William Nance (32-33) / Jake Atz (29-34)	none
1915	81-72	3rd	William Nance (31-31) / Jake Atz (50-41)	none
1916	71-74	5th	Jake Atz (46-34) / Otto McIvor (25-40)	none
1917	90-71	2nd	Jake Atz	none
1918	47-39	2nd	Jake Atz	League suspended operation July 7
1919	94-60	1st	Jake Atz	Lost League Finals
1920	108-40	1st	Jake Atz	none League Champs
1921	107-51	1st	Jake Atz	none League Champs
1922	109-46	1st	Jake Atz	none League Champs
1923	96-56	1st	Jake Atz	none League Champs
1924	109-41	1st	Jake Atz	none League Champs
1925	103-48	1st	Jake Atz	League Champs
1926	83-73	3rd	Jake Atz	none
1927	77-79	4th	Jake Atz	none
1928	83-73	3rd	Jake Atz
1929	84-76	4th	Jake Atz (41-39) / Frank Snyder (43-37)
1930	84-69	4th	Frank Snyder	League Champs
1931	90-70	3rd	Art Phelan