Tex Hoyle
From BR Bullpen
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
[edit] 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 would be on the mound for the next three years from (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 would spend the next three years (1943-1945) during World War II.
Roland or "Tex" as he was called for some unknown reason would be back ready to pitch in 1946 and spent the year with the Norfolk Tars of the class B Piedmont League, go 8-7 with a 2.62 ERA and appeared to be ready to make his move. In 1947 "Tex" would be 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" would be with Binghamton again in 1948, go 1-4, appearing in 18 games and would spend 1949 with the Manchester Yankees of the New England League where he went 2-3 with a 2.82 ERA but appeared in only six games and again for unknown reasons was out of baseball during 1950. The New York Yankees would release him before the 1951 season and the Philadelphia Athletics would pick "Tex" up before the season started.
Howell did not pitch well in 1951 for the Lincoln Athletics and worse for the Ottawa A's in 1952 and 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. 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 in which he allowed seven runs and nine 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 decided against another try and returned to his native Pennsylvania. He retired after working over twenty years in security at Fairview State Hospital, died July 4, 1994, at age 69 in Carbondale, IL.
[edit] Sources
