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85-711: The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States . The Atlantic League's corporate headquarters is located at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania . The Atlantic League operates in cities not served by Major League Baseball (MLB) or Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams; most of its teams are within suburbs and exurbs too close to other teams in

170-586: A 3–2 loss to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs . In March 2019, the Atlantic League and Major League Baseball reached agreement to test multiple rule changes during the 2019 Atlantic League season: In April 2019, implementation of two of the changes was delayed: The tracking system for calling balls and strikes was introduced at the league's all-star game on July 10. In addition to rule changes noted above, additional changes being implemented for

255-504: A Sugar Land Chinmaya Hindu temple, opened in December 2007. It is the only Hindu temple in the city devoted to Shiva . The Chinmaya Mission Houston started in 1982. Originally classes were held in an apartment. In a ten year period the members raised $ 2.5 million for the permanent temple. Shri Krishna Vrundavana has a Sugar Land postal address, but is physically in the Alief super neighborhood in

340-428: A developer, by bid in 2003. The developer announced plans to build a new master-planned community called Telfair in this location. In July 2004, Sugar Land annexed all of this land into the city limits to control the quality of development, extending the city limits westward. This was unusual, since Sugar Land had earlier annexed only built-out areas, not lands prior to development. In December 2005, Sugar Land annexed

425-468: A generation ago. Many of its lower-income residents, including African American workers who at one time made up the majority working sugarcane, have been displaced and have had to seek work and housing elsewhere. The company maintains its headquarters in Sugar Land. The Texas Department of Transportation sold 2,018 acres (817 ha) of prison land in the western portion of Sugar Land to Newland Communities,

510-626: A harsh winter. As part of the Kempner-Copenhaver agreement, Copenhaver moved to the site to serve as general manager and build the company-owned town of Sugar Land. The trains running through Sugar Land are on the route of the oldest railroad in Texas. They run adjacent to the sugar refinery, west of the town, and through the center of what used to be known as the Imperial State Prison Farm . It operated with convict lease labor. Between

595-590: A level considered major league from 1914 to 1915. Few independent leagues existed between 1915 and 1993. Major exceptions included the Carolina League and the Quebec -based Provincial League . The Carolina League, based in the North Carolina Piedmont region, gained a reputation as a notorious "outlaw league" during its existence from 1936 to 1938. The Provincial League fielded six teams across Quebec and

680-773: A new 4-team independent league in Texas, with all 60 games played at Constellation Field , and the Somerset Patriots, who played weekend games with a second squad called the New Jersey Blasters. In July 2020, the league announced the addition of a new franchise in Gastonia, North Carolina beginning in 2021; it is the league's second team based in North Carolina. In November 2020, the Atlantic League lost its last charter franchise and its westernmost franchise when both teams became official minor league affiliates. On November 7,

765-506: A private home security service were part of the amenities developed. The success of Sugar Creek, buoyed by the construction of U.S. Highway 59, quickly made Sugar Land's vast farmlands attractive to real-estate developers for residential housing. In 1977, development began on First Colony , a master-planned community encompassing 10,000 acres (4,000 ha). Developed by a Gerald Hines -led consortium that became known as Sugarland Properties Inc., development on First Colony would continue over

850-529: A variety of independent semi-professional leagues consisting of industrial teams , where the players are regular employees of the company that own the team and are additionally paid to play baseball for the company on the side. South Korea also has series of small independent leagues. Additionally, as of 2024, two Japanese teams without affiliation to NPB teams play within NPB's minor leagues (the Eastern League and

935-453: Is a water-deposited layer of halite , a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into dome shapes, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. The region is earthquake -free. While the neighboring city of Houston contains 86 mapped and historically active surface faults with an aggregate length of 149 miles (240 km),

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1020-404: Is almost unheard of and typically does not accumulate. One such rare snowstorm hit Houston on Christmas Eve 2004. A few inches accumulated, but had melted by the next afternoon. The earliest snowfall to occur in any winter fell on December 4, 2009. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 111,026 people, 38,852 households, and 31,328 families residing in the city. At the publication of

1105-408: Is estimated that Sugar Land is subsiding at a rate of between 10 and 25 millimeters per year. The subsidence is exacerbated by Climate Change , increased suburban development, and inadequate replenishment. The subsidence has significant human cost. For example, the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey was worse than it would have otherwise been due to the effect, and houses and buildings in

1190-420: Is generally regarded as the most successful and highest level of baseball among independent leagues. The Atlantic League has had more marquee players than any other independent league, including Jose Canseco , Mat Latos , Steve Lombardozzi Jr. , Francisco Rodríguez , Chien-Ming Wang , Roger Clemens , Rich Hill , Scott Kazmir , Juan González , and Dontrelle Willis . Two former Atlantic League players are in

1275-448: Is home to the headquarters of Imperial Sugar; the company's main sugar refinery and distribution center were once located in the city. The Imperial Sugar crown logo is featured in the city seal and logo. Sugar Land has roots in the original Mexican land grant made to Anglo-American Stephen F. Austin . One of the first settlers of the land, Samuel M. Williams, called this area "Oakland Plantation". Williams' brother, Nathaniel, purchased

1360-550: Is located in northeast Fort Bend County, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of downtown Houston. It is bordered by Houston to the northeast, and by Stafford , Missouri City , and Meadows Place to the east. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city of Sugar Land has a total area of 42.9 square miles (111.1 km ), of which 40.5 square miles (104.8 km ) are land and 2.4 square miles (6.3 km ), or 5.7%, are covered by water. The elevation of most of

1445-533: Is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas , United States, located in the southwestern part of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Located about 19 miles (31 km) southwest of downtown Houston , Sugar Land is a populous suburban municipality centered around the junction of Texas State Highway 6 and Interstate 69 / U.S. Route 59 . Beginning in the 19th century,

1530-565: Is the national headquarters for the United States Ismaili Community. Jajoo stated that the quality of the jobs, schools, and parks attracts people of Indian origin to Sugar Land. Of the 26,709 households, 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.0% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were not families. About 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% were someone living alone who

1615-641: The American Association and Frontier League . In 1998, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball played its inaugural season, with teams in Bridgewater , Newark , and Atlantic City, New Jersey ; Nashua, New Hampshire ; Newburgh, New York ; and Bridgeport, Connecticut . The creation of the league was the result of the New York Mets ' objection to Frank Boulton 's proposal to move the former Albany-Colonie Yankees because of its territorial rights to

1700-544: The COVID-19 pandemic , the league announced that it would be unable to operate for the 2020 season with the current 8 member ballclubs, thereby canceling its season. Several teams (Somerset, York, and Lancaster) did not gain necessary approval from governmental and health officials to open their ballparks to the capacity level necessary for competition. They used their stadiums to host recreational and community-based events, as well as local baseball activities where allowed. Meanwhile,

1785-749: The MLB Draft League , which operates as an amateur collegiate summer baseball league in the first half of each season and a professional league outside of the structure of Minor League Baseball for the remainder. Independent baseball leagues and teams exist outside of North America, though rarer. In Japan, the Japan Independent Baseball League Organization, which consists of the Shikoku Island League Plus and Baseball Challenge League , operates independently from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Japan also has

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1870-519: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum , Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson . Gary Carter , another Hall of Famer, managed in the league. The Atlantic League has had many notable managers and coaches, including Wally Backman , Frank Viola , Tommy John , Sparky Lyle , and Bud Harrelson . The Northern League alumni include Leon "Bull" Durham , J. D. Drew , and Darryl Strawberry . Independent leagues are those professional leagues in

1955-437: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum , Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson . Gary Carter , another Hall of Famer, managed in the league. The Atlantic League has had many notable managers and coaches, including Wally Backman , Frank Viola , Tommy John , Sparky Lyle , and Bud Harrelson . The Atlantic League has consistently posted higher per game and per season attendance numbers than other independent circuits including

2040-770: The Pacific Coast League . On February 18, 2021, the league announced the addition of the Lexington Legends , previously the Class A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals , for the 2021 season. The Charleston Dirty Birds , formerly the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League, announced their move to the league on February 24, 2021. On September 1, 2021, the league announced

2125-947: The Somerset Patriots announced that they were leaving the league to join the MLB-affiliated Eastern League , where they will replace the Trenton Thunder as the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees . Approximately two weeks later, the Houston Astros announced that they had purchased a controlling stake in the Sugar Land Skeeters and, as a result, the Skeeters would become the Astros' Triple-A affiliate and join

2210-564: The Western League ). Similarly, within KBO Futures League , the minor league of Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), there is an unaffiliated team that consists only of South Korean military personnel . A select number of Japanese independent teams also participate in the off-season Miyazaki Phoenix League alongside Japanese and Korean minor league teams. Sugar Land, Texas Sugar Land (sometimes spelled as Sugarland )

2295-463: The census of 2010, 78,817 people, 26,709 households, and 21,882 families were residing in the city. The population density was 2,432.6 inhabitants per square mile (939.2/km ). The 27,727 housing units averaged 855.8 per square mile (330.5/km ). In 2010, the racial makeup of the city was 52.0% White, 7.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 35.3% Asian, 2.34% other race, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 10.6% of

2380-490: The 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) First Colony master-planned community, bringing the city's population to almost 60,000. This was Sugar Land's largest annexation at the time. Sugar Land boasted the highest growth among Texas' largest cities, per the U.S. Census 2000, when it had a population of 63,328. In 2003, Sugar Land became a "principal" city, recognized in the metropolitan area's official title change to Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, with Sugar Land replacing Galveston as

2465-560: The 1910s until 1959, Sugar Land was virtually self-contained. Imperial Sugar Company provided housing for the workers, encouraged construction of schools, built a hospital to treat workers, and provided businesses to meet the workers' needs. Many of the original houses built by the Imperial Sugar Company remain today in The Hill and Mayfield Park areas of Sugar Land, and have been passed down through generations of family members. During

2550-410: The 1950s, Imperial Sugar wanted to expand the town by building more houses. It developed a new subdivision, Venetian Estates, which featured waterfront homesites on Oyster Creek and on man-made lakes. As the company town expanded, so did the interest of establishing a municipal government . Voters chose to make Sugar Land a general-law city in 1959, with T. E. Harman becoming the first mayor . In

2635-469: The 1980s. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas. The 2020 United States Census reported that the city's population had grown more than 40% in the preceding 10 years following the annexation of the Greatwood and New Territory communities in December 2017. Over the same 10-year period, the number of employed persons living in Sugar Land increased by 61%. Sugar Land

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2720-450: The 2014 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the city was $ 115,069, and for a family was $ 132,534. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 98,892 versus $ 60,053 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 48,653. About 6.4% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over. Catholics account for over 30% of

2805-399: The 2023 season: In April 2023, it was announced that the Atlantic League would be testing three rules for the 2023 season: League members Moved to another league The ALPB Championship Series is played as a best-of-five. Numbers in parentheses denote the number of championships won by a team to that point, when more than one. † Freedom Division won the 2019 game in a "homer-off" after

2890-580: The 2024 season due to the league now having an odd number of teams with the addition of the Hagerstown franchise. The team was set to return for the 2025 season; however, the Ghost Hounds were not listed on the 2025 season schedule. On November 22, 2023, the Atlantic League terminated the membership of the Gastonia Honey Hunters , citing significant unpaid debts to the league. Rick White, president of

2975-571: The 5,300-acre (2,100 ha) Ellis Plantation, one of the few plantations in Fort Bend County to survive the Civil War. The Ellis Plantation had originally been part of the Jesse Cartwright league; Will Ellis had operated it after the Civil War by a system of tenant farming , made up mostly of African-American families who were previously enslaved on the land. In 1908, the partnership acquired

3060-503: The Albert and Mamie George Building, and as a result, the multi-institution teaching center was renamed as the University of Houston Sugar Land . In 2003, the Imperial Sugar Company refinery plant and distribution center were closed, but the effect on the local economy was minimal. Sugar Land has become an affluent Houston suburb rather than the blue-collar , agriculture -dependent town it was

3145-557: The Atlantic League, confirmed that the Honey Hunters were terminated, but said that the Atlantic League intended to field a team in Gastonia in 2024. In February 2024, the league named Zawyer Sports & Entertainment as the new owners for the 2024 season with the team name, Gastonia Ghost Peppers , announced in October 2024. The Gastonia Ghost Peppers played their first game on April 25, 2024,

3230-647: The Bluefish go inactive for the 2018 season. In 2015, the Atlantic League experienced a watershed moment for independent baseball when it signed a formal agreement with Major League Baseball which put into writing the rules which the ALPB would follow in selling its players' contracts to MLB clubs and their affiliates. This marked the first time that MLB, which has enjoyed a U.S. Supreme Court -granted antitrust exemption since 1922, had made any formal agreement with or acknowledgment of an independent baseball league. In 2020, due to

3315-476: The Houston city limits. It occupies the 450-person, 9,000-square-foot (840 m ) former La Festa Hall. It was established in 2011 with about 200 people in its congregation; originally the temple rented its property. In October 2015 the temple organizers bought the current site for $ 1.3 million. In December 2015 its congregation had numbered over 800. The Islamic Society of Greater Houston operates two mosques in

3400-560: The Long Island Ducks, High Point Rockers, and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs initially attempted to partner with teams from other leagues in order to play a 70-game season from mid-July through the end of September. However, due to ongoing restrictions and capacity limitations, they ultimately decided to suspend all baseball activities for the 2020 season. The only teams that played in 2020 was the Sugar Land Skeeters, who would create

3485-716: The National Association after one season of independence. Notable exceptions were the California League , which was independent in 1902 and from 1907 to 1909; the United States Baseball League , which folded during its independent 1912 season; and the Colonial League, a National Association Member that went independent in 1915 and then folded. Another independent league, the Federal League , played at

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3570-522: The Northern League's success paved the way for other independent leagues like the Texas-Louisiana League and Northeast League . Over the next eight years, at least 16 independent leagues formed, of which six existed in 2002. As of the 2024 season, there are seven active leagues, with four of them acting as MLB Partner Leagues . Additionally, Major League Baseball co-operatively operates

3655-507: The United States and Canada not under the purview of organized Minor League Baseball and the Commissioner of Baseball. Independent baseball existed in the early 20th century and has become prominent again since 1993. Leagues operated mostly autonomously before 1902, when the majority joined the NAPBL. From then until 1915, a total of eight new and existing leagues remained independent. Most joined

3740-517: The addition of a new Hagerstown, Maryland franchise with the intent to begin play in 2023 pending ballpark construction. In 2022 it was announced that the team wouldn't begin play until 2024 due to construction delays. In 2022, Kelsie Whitmore signed with the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League, and started a game for them in left field; this made her the first woman to start an Atlantic League game. Later that year she became

3825-587: The adjoining 12,500-acre (5,100 ha) Cunningham Plantation, with its raw-sugar mill and cane-sugar refinery. The partnership changed the name to Imperial Sugar Company; Kempner associated the name "Imperial", which was also the name of a small raw-sugar mill on the Ellis Plantation, with the Imperial Hotel in New York City. Around the turn of the 20th century, most of the sugarcane crops were destroyed by

3910-465: The area's land surface are unconsolidated clays , clay shales , and poorly cemented sands , extending to depths of several miles. The region's geology developed from stream deposits from the erosion of the Rocky Mountains . These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic matter that, over time, were transformed into oil and natural gas . Beneath these tiers

3995-599: The city and announced plans to convert The Ballpark at Harbor Yard into a music amphitheater; the Bridgeport Bluefish announced plans to relocate to High Point, North Carolina in 2019 when the construction of a new multipurpose facility in High Point is completed. League officials announced the return of the Pennsylvania Road Warriors , an all road game team, to keep the league at an even eight teams while

4080-612: The city are sinking and having their foundations damaged. To manage the rapidly increasing subsidence, the Texas State Legislature created the Fort Bend Subsidence District in 1989. The US Geologic Survey and the US Army Corps of Engineers have performed studies and monitoring of the subsidence. Sugar Land sits atop three aquifers : Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper. The Chicot and Evangeline Aquifers have been

4165-454: The city is between 70 and 90 feet (21 and 27 m) above sea level. The elevation of Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR) is 82 feet (25 m). Sugar Land has two major waterways running through the city. The southwestern and southern portion of the city were developed along the Brazos River, which runs into Brazoria County . Oyster Creek runs from the northwest to the eastern portion of

4250-399: The city limits and into Missouri City. Sugar Land developers have built many artificial lakes connecting to Oyster Creek or the Brazos River, as part of new master-planned communities. Sugar Land and other surrounding areas are subsiding and the rate of subsidence is increasing. The area sunk about 1 foot between 1943 and 1964, while it sunk over 6 feet between 1988 and 2016 Currently, it

4335-506: The city population with 11,998 households registered by St. Laurence, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Theresa parishes. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston operates three churches in Sugar Land: The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston , a Swaminarayan sect Hindu temple, is along Brand Lane in unincorporated Fort Bend County , near Stafford and Sugar Land. The Sri Saumyakasi,

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4420-556: The city. Approval of this amendment authorized the mayor to be a voting member of council, in addition to performing duties as presiding officer of the council. Sugar Land annexed Sugar Creek in 1986, after the latter community was nearly built-out. That same year, the city organized the largest celebration in its history, the Texas Sesquicentennial Celebration, celebrating 150 years of Texan independence from Mexican rule (DGA). An amendment on May 5, 1990, changed

4505-484: The city. This resulted in a favorable 40/60 ratio of residential to commercial tax base within the city. In 1981, a special city election was held for the purpose of establishing a home-rule municipal government . Voters approved the adoption of a home-rule charter, which established a mayor-council form of government, with all powers of the city vested in a council composed of a mayor and five councilmen, elected from single-member districts . A special city election

4590-468: The clay below the surface in Sugar Land precludes the buildup of friction that produces ground shaking in earthquakes. These faults move only very gradually in what is termed "fault creep". Sugar Land's climate is classified as being humid subtropical , featuring two seasons, a wet season from April to October, and a dry season from November to March. The city is located in the Gulf coastal plains biome , and

4675-709: The composition of the city council, adding a mayor and two council members, each to be elected at-large , to the five-member council. The at-large positions require election by a majority of voters, which reduces representation of any minority interests. Throughout much of the 1990s, Sugar Land grew rapidly. The majority of residents are white-collar and college-educated, working in Houston 's energy industry. An abundance of commercial development, with numerous low-rise office buildings, banks, and high-class restaurants, has taken place along both Interstate 69 / U.S. Highway 59 and State Highway 6 . Sugar Land added to its tax base with

4760-493: The early 1960s, a new subdivision development called Covington Woods was constructed. Later that year, the Imperial Cattle Ranch sold about 1,200 acres (490 ha) to a developer to create what became Sugar Creek in 1968. As a master-planned community, Sugar Creek introduced the concept of country club living to Sugar Land. Custom houses were built to surround two golf courses , and country clubs, swimming pools, and

4845-413: The end of the Civil War and 1912, more than 3,500 prisoners died in Texas as a result of the racist convict leasing program. Archaeologists have uncovered unmarked graves of African Americans from this period in the region around Sugar Land's prison and sugar factory. Since the early 21st century, this area has been largely redeveloped as the suburban planned community of Telfair . As a company town from

4930-525: The first woman to pitch in an Atlantic League game when she made her first pitching appearance for Staten Island; entering the game with the bases loaded and two outs , she retired Ryan Jackson , a former major leaguer, on a fly out to end the inning. On July 20, 2023, the Hagerstown team announced that they would be named the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars . In September 2023 it was announced that Spire City Ghost Hounds would be on hiatus during

5015-470: The former refinery property of Imperial Sugar Company. This development includes Constellation Field , home of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys , originally an independent baseball team but later a member of affiliated Minor League Baseball . Retail needs are to be served in the planned Imperial Market development. In 2017, the 6,400-seat Smart Financial Centre concert hall opened. Sugar Land

5100-617: The land from Austin in 1838. They developed the plantation by growing cotton , corn , and sugarcane . During these early years, the plantation was the center of social life along the Brazos River. In 1853, Benjamin Terry and William J. Kyle purchased the Oakland Plantation from the Williams family. Terry is known for organizing a division of Texas Rangers during the Civil War and for naming

5185-421: The level of play above other independent leagues. In 2010, the league announced that it would be expanding to Sugar Land, Texas and adding its first franchise not located in an Atlantic coast state. The Sugar Land Skeeters began play in 2012. In 2010, amid financial struggles, the Newark Bears moved from the Atlantic League to the Can-Am League , leaving the Bridgeport Bluefish and Somerset Patriots as

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5270-409: The low to mid 70°Fs, creates a heat index around 100 °F each day. Summer thunderstorms are common with 30 to 50% of the days having thunder. The highest temperature recorded in the area was 109 °F in August 2023. Winters in the area are cool and mild. The average winter high/low is 62/45 °F (16/7 °C). The coldest period is usually in January, when north winds bring winter rains. Snow

5355-514: The next 30 years. The master-planned community offered homebuyers formal landscaping, neighborhoods segmented by price range, extensive green belts , a golf course and country club, lakes and boulevards, neighborhood amenities, and shopping. Around the same time as First Colony, another master-planned community development called Sugar Mill was started in the northern portion of Sugar Land, offering traditional, lakefront, and estate lots. The master-planned communities of Greatwood and New Territory, at

5440-428: The only teams remaining from the league's inaugural season. In the summer of 2013, then-ALPB President Frank Boulton announced that he would be resigning so that he could devote more time to operating the Long Island Ducks . He was replaced by longtime high-ranking Major League Baseball executive Rick White. On July 8, 2015, the Atlantic League began using Rawlings baseballs with red and blue seams, virtually unused in

5525-411: The opening of First Colony Mall in 1996. The more than one-million-square-foot (100,000 m ) mall , the first in Fort Bend County, is located at the busiest intersection of the city: Interstate 69/U.S. 59 and State Highway 6. The mall was named after the 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) master-planned community of First Colony. In November 1997, Sugar Land annexed the remaining municipal utility districts of

5610-405: The organized baseball system to have minor league franchises of their own. The Atlantic League requires cities to have the market for a 4,000 to 7,500-seat ballpark and for the facility to be maintained at or above Triple-A standards. When Atlantic League professionals are signed by MLB clubs, they usually start in their Double-A or Triple-A affiliates. The league uses a pitch clock and limits

5695-444: The owner of Campbell's Field, the Camden County Improvement Authority. The team was replaced by the New Britain Bees for the 2016 season. On May 29, 2016, Jennie Finch was the guest manager for the league's Bridgeport Bluefish, thus becoming the first woman to manage a professional baseball team. Shortly before the conclusion of the 2017 season, the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut voted to not continue with professional baseball in

5780-510: The population. Sugar Land has the highest concentration of Asian Americans in Texas. Altogether in 2010, 10.7% were Indian, 11.5% Chinese , 4.5% Vietnamese , and 2.0% Filipino . There is also a sizable Pakistani community in Sugar Land. As of 2013, about one-third of the Asian population was Indian American , according to Harish Jajoo, a former city council member of Indian origin. The Sugar Land area has Indian grocery stores, temples, several mosques and many Ismaili Jamatkhanas. Sugar Land

5865-491: The present-day Sugar Land area was home to a large sugar plantation situated in the fertile floodplain of the Brazos River . Following the consolidation of local plantations into Imperial Sugar Company in 1908, Sugar Land grew steadily as a company town and incorporated as a city in 1959. Since then, Sugar Land has grown rapidly alongside other edge cities around Houston, with large-scale development of master-planned communities contributing to population swells since

5950-401: The primary source of municipal water for Sugar Land, Houston, Galveston and other surrounding areas. The Jasper Aquifer is the only one of the three that is not used to extract drinking water. Due to the rapid building of suburbs in the city and surrounding region, aquifer replenishment has significantly decreased. The city government has enacted a program to manage the aquifers. Underpinning

6035-499: The recently built-out, master-planned community of Avalon and four sections of Brazos Landing subdivision, adding about 3,200 residents. The city eventually annexed the communities of River Park, Greatwood , and New Territory , with the latter two being annexed on December 12, 2017, bringing the city proper's population to 117,869. In the 2010s, development began on the Imperial master-planned community, located in undeveloped territory east of Sugar Land Regional Airport and incorporating

6120-453: The region. Boulton, a Long Island, New York native, decided to create a new league that would have a higher salary cap for its players and a longer season than most of the other independent baseball organizations. He modeled the Atlantic League after the older Pacific Coast League , with facilities that exceed AAA-level standards. Boulton also emphasized signing players of Major League Baseball experience for all Atlantic League teams, raising

6205-470: The second half of the league's 2019 season are: The Atlantic League and MLB jointly announced that the former would adopt several additional experimental rules for the 2021 season: In January 2022, the Atlantic League announced they would no longer be using the following rules for the 2022 season: In March 2022, the MLB announced modifications to the "double-hook" rule and reintroduced the "dropped pitch" rule for

6290-653: The second-most important city in the metropolitan area after Houston. The metro area is now officially referred to as the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area. With its population increase, the city needed to attract higher education facilities. In 2002, the University of Houston System at Fort Bend moved to a new 250-acre (100 ha) campus located off the University Boulevard and Interstate 69/U.S. 59 intersection. The city helped fund

6375-590: The sport since the American League swapped the blue in their seams for red in 1934. On September 1, 2015, the Atlantic League announced conditional approval for an expansion team or a relocated team to play in New Britain, Connecticut for the 2016 season. On October 21, 2015, the Camden Riversharks announced they would cease operations immediately due to the inability to reach an agreement on lease terms with

6460-554: The teams were tied at the end of nine innings. Some Atlantic League players have come from, or advanced to, the higher ranks of Major League Baseball . Some have resurrected their careers and returned to the majors, while others played in the independent league during the start or end of their careers. The following is a list of some of those players: Independent baseball league Independent leagues have flourished in northeastern states, where dense populations can often support multiple franchises . Because they are not subject to

6545-587: The territorial limitations imposed on affiliated minor-league teams, independent clubs can relocate as close to affiliated teams (and one another) as they choose to. For example, the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania , cannot have an affiliated team because of its proximity to the Harrisburg Senators and Reading Fightin Phils , leaving the Atlantic League to place a team—the Lancaster Barnstormers —to fill

6630-616: The time between innings in an effort to speed up the game. In 2019, the Atlantic League began a three-year partnership with Major League Baseball allowing MLB to implement changes to Atlantic League playing rules, in order to observe the effects of potential future rule changes and equipment. In 2020, the Atlantic League, together with the American Association , the Frontier League , and the Pioneer League , expanded this agreement to become an official MLB Partner League. The Atlantic League

6715-467: The time situated west of the city in what was then its extraterritorial jurisdiction, also began to be developed by the end of the 1980s. In addition to the development of master-planned communities targeted at commuters from Houston, Sugar Land began attracting the attention of major corporations throughout the 1980s. Many chose to base their operations in the city. Fluor Daniel , Schlumberger , Unocal , and others began to locate offices and facilities in

6800-504: The town. Upon the deaths of Terry and Kyle, Colonel E. H. Cunningham bought the 12,500-acre (5,100 ha) plantation soon after the Civil War. He had a sugar-refining plant built here, and developed the town around it in 1879, platting the land and attracting settlers during the post-Reconstruction era. In 1906, the Kempner family of Galveston , under the leadership of Isaac H. Kempner , and in partnership with Logan J. Copenhaver, purchased

6885-484: The vegetation is classified as a temperate grassland . The average yearly precipitation is 48 inches. Prevailing winds are from the south and southeast during most of the year, bringing heat and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico . In the summer, daily high temperatures are in the 95 °F (35 °C) range throughout much of July and August. The air tends to feel still and the abundant humidity, with dewpoints typically in

6970-714: The void. Another example is the greater New York City metropolitan area, where there are many independent teams: the Long Island Ducks , Staten Island FerryHawks , New Jersey Jackals , New York Boulders , and Sussex County Miners . The Atlantic League considered as the top level of competition among the independent leagues, and has had more marquee players than any other independent league, including Jose Canseco , Mat Latos , Steve Lombardozzi Jr. , Francisco Rodríguez , Chien-Ming Wang , Roger Clemens , Rich Hill , Scott Kazmir , Juan González , John Rocker , and Dontrelle Willis . Two former Atlantic League players are in

7055-411: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90, and the average family size was 3.25. In the city, the age distribution was 24.6% under 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. According to

7140-409: Was held August 9, 1986, to submit the proposed changes to the electorate for consideration. By a majority of the voters, amendments to the charter were approved that provided for a change in the city's form of government from that of "mayor-council" (strong mayor) to that of a " council-manager " form of government, which provides for a professional city manager to be the chief administrative officer of

7225-425: Was independent from 1948 to 1949. Similarly to early 20th-century independent leagues, it joined the National Association in 1950, playing for six more years. Independent leagues saw new growth after 1992, after the new Professional Baseball Agreement in organized baseball instituted more stringent revenue and stadium requirements on members. The Northern League and Frontier League both started play in 1993, and

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