| Providence Grays |
1879 National League Champion Providence Grays
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1884 National League Champion Providence Grays
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| Founded: 1878 |
| Folded: 1885 |
| League: National League |
| Stadium: Messer Street Grounds, (1878–1885) |
| Championships: 2 (1879), (1884) |
The Providence Grays were a Major League Baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island who played in the National League from 1878 until 1885. The Grays played at Messer Field in the Olneyville neighborhood. The team won the National League title twice, in 1879 and 1884. The team folded after the 1885 season.
[edit] 1879 champions
One of the leading players from the 1879 pennant winner was Hall of Famer John Montgomery Ward.
The team had a putative claim to being the first Major League Baseball team to field an African-American baseball player, William Edward White, a Brown University student who played one game for the Grays on June 21, 1879. Evidence is strong but not conclusive: Peter Morris of the Society for American Baseball Research has researched this issue, as reported by the Wall Street Journal on January 30, 2004. However, it has been acknowledged that White, who had at least one Negro ancestor, lived his life as a white man, and his race sparked no controversy when he was hired by Providence. Brothers Dan and Cliff Falk, who were both starting pitchers on the club during the 1883 season, may also have been of partial Negro ancestry.
[edit] 1884 champions
The 1884 team was led by ace pitcher Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn (sometimes spelled Radbourne), who won a record 60 (59, according to some sources) games that year and led the Grays to the pennant. When the team's other star pitcher, Charlie Sweeney, defected to the rival Union Association league in July, it looked like the Grays' season was doomed, but "Old Hoss" offered to pitch the rest of the team's games. The Grays went on a 20-game winning streak and topped the league ahead of their ferocious New England rivals, the Boston Red Stockings.
At the close of the season Providence officials accepted New York Metropolitans” (AA) manager Jim Mutrie's challenge to a three game postseason match. All of the games took place at the Polo Grounds in New York and were played under American Association rules, which forbade overhand pitching.[1]
On October 23, 1884, the Providence Grays (NL) whitewash the New York Metropolitans (AA), 6–0, behind Radbourn, in what is considered to be the first official postseason interleague game. Radbourn would allow two hits and strikeout nine. Tim Keefe is the loser.
The very next day, Radbourn three hits the Metropolitans and wins 3–1 in a game called after seven innings due to darkness. Grays third baseman Jerry Denny hits a three-run homer in the fifth inning. It is the first homerun in World Series history. Tim Keefe loses for the second time.
On October 25, 1884 the Providence Grays defeat the New York Metropolitans, 11–2, in the final game of the series. Radbourn wins for the third time in three days. Buck Becannon takes the loss as Tim Keefe, New York Metropolitans losing pitcher in games 1 and 2, umpired the contest.[2]
[edit] Other highlights
Other memorable highlights of the Grays' short existence include a no-hitter by Radbourn on July 25, 1883, the second perfect game in MLB history, pitched by John Montgomery Ward on June 17, 1880, and pitcher Charlie Sweeney striking out 19 batters in a nine-inning game on June 7, 1884, a record that would stand until broken by Roger Clemens 102 years later.
[edit] Season records
| Season |
Record |
Pct. |
Result |
| 1878 |
33-27 |
.550 |
Third place |
| 1879 |
59-25 |
.702 |
Won National League Pennant |
| 1880 |
52-32 |
.619 |
Second place |
| 1881 |
47-37 |
.560 |
Second place |
| 1882 |
52-32 |
.619 |
Second place |
| 1883 |
58-40 |
.592 |
Third place |
| 1884 |
84-28 |
.750 |
Won National League Pennant |
| 1885 |
53-57 |
.482 |
Fourth place |
[edit] Notable alumni
- Lip Pike, major league baseball 4x home run champion
[edit] See also
[edit] References and notes
[edit] External links
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Providence Grays
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| The Franchise |
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| Championships |
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