From the Collection: Joe Bauman, Roswell Rockets

Every year the Joe Bauman Home Run Award to given to the minor league player with the most runs. You could not find a better person to name the award after, since Bauman is the minor league single-season home runs.

Joe Bauman spent nine seasons in the minors, the majority of it in the C League (think modern High-A ball). What put Bauman on the map was his six seasons playing in the Longhorn League with the Amarillo Gold Sox (1946-1947), Artesia Drillers (1952-1953), and Roswell Rockets (1954-1956).

Over those six seasons, Bauman would hit 307 HR, including his legendary 1954 campaign where he hit 72 HR, setting the minor league single-season home run record. There is a slight caveat to these numbers: the Longhorn League was a known high–offense league because of the large number of veteran minor league players and dry, desert air that helped the ball carry. Still, you don’t hit 72 HR without some big-league pop…