Round Rock Express

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Round Rock Express Founded in 1979 Round Rock, Texas In Round Rock since 2000
Team Logo Cap Insignia
Class-level
Triple-A (2005–present) Double-A (2000–2004)
Minor league affiliations
Pacific Coast League (2005–present) American Conference - South Division Texas League (2000–2004)
Major league affiliations
Texas Rangers (2011–present) Houston Astros (2005–2010) Montreal Expos (2003–2004) Minnesota Twins (2001–2002) Anaheim Angels (1999–2000) Oakland Athletics (1995–1998) Florida Marlins (1993–1994) California Angels (1983–1992) Chicago White Sox (1981–1982) Oakland Athletics (1979–1980)
Name
Round Rock Express (2000–present) Edmonton Trappers (1981–2004) Ogden A's (1979–1980)
Ballpark
Dell Diamond (2000–present) Telus Field (1995–2004) John Ducey Park (1981–1994)
Minor league titles
League titles	1984, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002
Conference titles	2006
Division titles	1984, 1990, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011
Owner(s)/Operated by: Ryan-Sanders Baseball
Manager: Bobby Jones
General Manager: George King

The Round Rock Express play home games at the Dell Diamond

The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas,^[1] owned by RSR Sports (Nolan Ryan, Don Sanders, Reid Ryan) and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.^[2] The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and principal owner.^[3] Home games for the Round Rock Express are played at the Dell Diamond, a facility that is owned by the City of Round Rock and leased long-term to RSR Sports who run and maintain the facility.^[4] The team is named after the senior Ryan's pitcher nickname, "The Ryan Express".^[5]

The Ryan group purchased the PCL Edmonton Trappers franchise in 2003 with the intention of moving the team to Round Rock after the 2004 season. At that time, the Trappers were affiliated with the Montreal Expos. The Express group wanted to maintain its affiliation with the Astros at the Round Rock site; therefore, the Trappers/Express franchise exchanged major league affiliates after the 2004 season with the New Orleans Zephyrs. Several weeks after this switch, the Expos announced their move to Washington, D.C. as the Washington Nationals. In terms of players on the roster, the 2005 Round Rock Express contained a mixture of players from the 2004 New Orleans Zephyrs (players that stayed at Triple-A) and the 2004 Round Rock Express (promoted from Double-A); the 2004 Edmonton Trappers players were either playing as New Orleans Zephyrs or Washington Nationals.

An Express game in the Dell Diamond at night

The original Express franchise has remained under Ryan ownership. After the purchase of the Triple-A PCL franchise, the Ryans announced that the Double-A Texas League club would move to Corpus Christi, Texas, for the 2005 season. That franchise remains the Double-A affiliate of the Astros as the Corpus Christi Hooks.

In 2006, two seasons after moving from Edmonton, the Round Rock Express clinched the Southern Division of the league's American Conference with a win–loss record of 85–59. After defeating the Nashville Sounds in five games to take the American Conference championship, they advanced to the PCL Championship Series, but lost to the Tucson Sidewinders in three straight games.

Year-by-year win-loss records

Notable alumni

• Josh Banks, MLB pitcher
• Jason Hirsh, MLB pitcher
• Chris Tremie, MLB catcher

Current roster

On camera

• A majority of scenes from the 2002 Disney film The Rookie, directed by John Lee Hancock, starring Dennis Quaid and Rachel Griffiths were shot around and inside the Dell Diamond in Round Rock. It is inspired by the true story of Jim Morris, who had a brief but famous Major League Baseball career.^[6]

• The Simple Life is a reality television series that was broadcast from December 2, 2003 to August 5, 2007. The first three seasons aired on Fox, and the final two on E!. The comedic show depicts two wealthy young socialites (Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie) as they struggle to do manual, low-paying jobs such as cleaning rooms, doing farm work, serving meals in fast-food restaurants and working as camp counselors. Season 2, Episode 15 took place during a Round Rock Express baseball game.^[7]

• The team made headlines in 2010 when it "signed" Billy Ray "Rojo" Johnson, described in a press release as an East Texan who grew up in Venezuela and had run-ins with the law. In reality, Johnson was actor Will Ferrell, who briefly took the mound at Dell Diamond to promote his nearby charity golf tournament.^[8]

References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Round Rock Express

• Official Round Rock Express website