Providence Grays (minor league)
Encyclopedia
The minor league Providence Grays was the name of several minor league baseball
teams between and . These teams were unconnected to the Major League Baseball
Providence Grays
.
The first minor league Grays were members of the Eastern League
in 1886, playing at the Messer Street Grounds
. The team folded in June. In , a team from Providence joined the Eastern League again, this time known as the Providence Clamdiggers. That team also lasted only one season.
The third Providence team was a bit more successful, joining the EL in as the Clamdiggers, then changing its name to the Grays soon thereafter. That team remained in operation through , at which point the EL had become the International League
. The team moved back to the new Eastern League in . Babe Ruth
played for this version of the Grays in 1914.
The Grays returned to the Eastern League again in as the Providence Rubes before changing back to "Grays" in . This team lasted until . Finally, in , the Providence Chiefs
were formed as members of the New England League
, who also changed their name to the "Grays" in before folding after the season.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
teams between and . These teams were unconnected to the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Providence Grays
Providence Grays
The Providence Grays were a Major League Baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island who played in the National League from until . The Grays played at Messer Field in the Olneyville neighborhood. The team won the National League title twice, in and...
.
The first minor league Grays were members of the Eastern League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
in 1886, playing at the Messer Street Grounds
Messer Street Grounds
Messer Street Grounds is a former baseball ground located in Providence, Rhode Island. The ground was home to the Providence Grays baseball club of the National League from 1878 to 1885....
. The team folded in June. In , a team from Providence joined the Eastern League again, this time known as the Providence Clamdiggers. That team also lasted only one season.
The third Providence team was a bit more successful, joining the EL in as the Clamdiggers, then changing its name to the Grays soon thereafter. That team remained in operation through , at which point the EL had become the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. The team moved back to the new Eastern League in . Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
played for this version of the Grays in 1914.
The Grays returned to the Eastern League again in as the Providence Rubes before changing back to "Grays" in . This team lasted until . Finally, in , the Providence Chiefs
Providence Chiefs
The Providence Chiefs, sometimes known as the Cranston Chiefs, were a Rhode Island-based minor-league baseball club in the class-B New England League. From 1946-47 the club was known as the Chiefs, and its team logo was a fire chief. In 1948 and 1949 the team was known as the Providence Grays...
were formed as members of the New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
, who also changed their name to the "Grays" in before folding after the season.