In 1954, the Lake Charles Lakers returned to the league that they had called home
for almost a decade. The Evangeline League welcomed the Lakers back, as they expanded
from 6 to 8 teams (Port Arthur joined as well). Attendance rose back to
71,000 and the Lakers played mediocre baseball. Surprisingly, their mediocrity
was better than most other teams. Even though they were 5 games under .500, they
still made the playoffs. They would lose in the first round to New Iberia. In
1955, attendance dropped all over the Evangeline League as two teams called it
quits. The Lakers would draw only 33,000 fans, as they became the cellar dwellers
of the Evangeline League. |