Photograph courtesy of STEPHEN CARROLL
Something quite exciting would come to the Arizona-Texas League in 1939... affiliated baseball. The Major Leagues would descend upon the Class C League and El Paso would land the coveted "New York Yankees" franchise and become their Class C affiliate for the season.  While the new relationship wouldn't bring a 3rd title to El Paso (with the Texans finishing at 68-62), it would certainly prove fruitful as the Texans welcomed 21 year old Russ Christopher (18-7, 3.68)... the first future All-Star to be produced by the Dudley Dome. Jim Jewell and his 19 2B, 19 3B, 6 HR and .320 would take over Dudley's all time Triple's record. The union would only last the one season as by 1940, the Yankees were replaced by the Cleveland Indians franchise. This brought Joe Brovia to Dudley to take over the all time batting title for the ballpark as Brovia batted .383 with 21 2B and 19 record tying triples along with 103 league leading RBIs.. He would be outdone in that department however by Joseph Skeber who posted 21 2B, 21 3B and 10 HR while batting .304. With Willard Raines on the mound posting an league leading 18-8, 4.35 record and this tremendous talent at the plate, the Texans took 2nd place at 64-60, just a half game out from the 1st place Tucson Cowboys. El Paso would remain strong throughout the playoffs and yet again come to a 3-3 deadlock after 6 games. In the end, El Paso proved that they were the stronger team  with Brovia and Raines manning the team on both fronts and the Texans took game 7 for their 3rd Championship title. With that Cleveland left town and El Paso went back to co-op status. Beryl Horton was brought in to try to save the team as blasted 28 2B, 10 HR and yet another new record for triples with a massive 29 "three-baggers", all while batting .375. Those 29  triples would not only be the permanent record here at Dudley Field... it would also be the permanent record for all time in the Arizona-Texas League. It wouldn't help the team as for the first time ever the Texans slipped to 10 games under .500... their 1st ever losing season. Even worse... World War II had come and shut down the Arizona Texas League for what would seem like an eternity.