The city of Billings, Montana was nicknamed the “Magic City.”  This related to the rapid growth of the city during its infancy.  At the same time, there has always been a bit of “magic” in the community’s baseball history.

Legendary pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Dave McNally, grew up in Billings.  He along with many other “boys of summer” played Little League Baseball and later American Legion ball.

Dave McNally and team photo of his 1960 American Legion baseball team which played in the Little World Series. (courtesy of Pinterest)

In 1948, minor league baseball arrived in Billings through the enterprising spirit of Bob Cobb.  He had spent much of his childhood in Billings before moving to California.  Cobb was the entrepreneur of the famous Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood, California.  He had invested in minor league baseball with the Hollywood Stars, who played in the Pacific Coast League.  The Mustangs were destined to be a farm team affiliated with the Hollywood Stars.

Rubbing elbows with the rich and famous in Hollywood, Cobb enlisted others to invest in his baseball empire in Hollywood and Billings.  Bing Crosby, who also owned a piece of the Pittsburgh Pirates, came onboard.  He was joined by actress Barbara Stanwyck, filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, actor Robert Taylor, and many others.  Crosby’s ownership with the Pirates would be rewarded when the team won the 1960 World Series.

left to right:  Bob hope and bing Crosby wearing baseball uniforms (Hope was a minority owner of the cleveland indians while crosby owned a stake with the Pittsburgh pirates, hollywood’s brown derby restaurant (1950s), Bob Cobb.

The Mustangs joined the Pioneer League, and they would be affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) through 1963.  The Brooklyn Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals rotated through the years as they sent young ball players to Billings.

Following the 1963 season, the Mustangs folded up their operations.  However, dreams of more baseball soon finalized when a rookie-level affiliation started up in 1969, and the Mustangs were reborn again in the Pioneer League.  During these early seasons, the Seattle Pilots and later the Kansas City Royals were tied into the Mustangs operation.  The longest affiliation found a lasting partnership with the Cincinnati Reds (1974-2019). 

The Mustangs have won a total of 15 Pioneer League titles.  The team’s most famous alum is Hall of Famer George Brett who played third base during the 1971 season.  He would later play his entire career with the Kansas City Royals.  The 13-time American League all-star also played on a World Series title team in 1985.

In 1989, Brett was interviewed by Sporting News about his memories of playing in Billings.  Some of his remarks included, “The memories are so vivid.  Taking the 13- to 14-hour hour bus trips, getting my $4 per day meal money, and making my $500 a month.”

Hall of Famer George Brett early in his career and later on.  His batting average was .291 during his season with the Mustangs.  (Courtesy of Pinterest)

The Mustangs continue to play under an independent affiliation agreement with MLB.  The original ball park was called Cobb Field, which was named after owner Bob Cobb. Many locals mistakenly thought Cobb Field was named after Hall of Fame baseball player, Ty Cobb.  The stadium served the Billings Mustangs and local American Legion teams from 1948-2007.  Today, the teams play at Dehler Park, which was built at the same location of Cobb Field.

Row 1:  Cobb Field.  Row 2:  Dehler Park.  (Courtesy of Pinterest)