Tex Hoyle

Roland Edison Hoyle

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut April 18, 1952
• Final Game April 29, 1952
• Born July 17, 1921 in Carbondale, PA USA
• Died July 4, 1994 in Carbondale, PA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Right-hander Tex Hoyle signed as an amateur free agent with the New York Yankees before the 1940 season. The 18-year-old pitcher was farmed out to the Butler Yankees of the class D Pennsylvania State Association, where he was on the mound for the next three years (1940-1942). He accumulated 18 wins and 16 losses with a 4.40 ERA during this run. When he finished up his last season with Butler, he was inducted into the United States Army where he spent the next three years (1943-1945) during World War II.

Roland or "Tex" as he was called for some unknown reason was back ready to pitch in 1946 and spent the year with the Norfolk Tars of the class B Piedmont League, going 8-7 with a 2.62 ERA. He appeared to be ready to make his move. In 1947, "Tex" was with both the Kansas City Blues of the American Association and the Binghamton Triplets of the class A Eastern League, ending up with a combined 2-5 record with both clubs for the season.

"Tex" as with Binghamton again in 1948, went 1-4, appearing in 18 games and spent 1949 with the Manchester Yankees of the New England League where he went 2-3 with a 2.82 ERA but appeared in only 6 games. He was out of baseball in 1950 and the Yankees released him before the 1951 season. The Philadelphia Athletics picked "Tex" up before that season started.

Howell did not pitch well in 1951 for the Lincoln Athletics, and did even worse for the Ottawa A's in 1952, but stranger than the fact that the 6' 4" right-hander Roland Hoyle from Carbondale, PA, came to be called "Tex" might be that the career minor leaguer of the 1940s and early 1950s made it to the big leagues, albeit for a brief spell. He had never pitched above class A and had losing records with high ERAs, but at age 31 in 1952 he was given a shot with three appearances out of the Philadelphia Athletics' bullpen, during which he allowed 7 runs and 9 hits in just a couple of innings. This was it for "Tex" in the majors.

Howell had spent nine active seasons in the minors, won 33 and lost 40 with a 3.79 ERA. He decided against another try and returned to his native Pennsylvania. He retired after working over twenty years in security at Fairview State Hospital, and died on July 4, 1994, at age 69 in his hometown.

Sources

• Baseball Players of the 1950s
  

Related Sites

• Tex Hoyle at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Minors page