Grand Rapids (baseball) explained

Grand Rapids
Firstseason:1883
Lastseason:1951
Allyears:1883–1884, 1889–1891, 1894–1917, 1920–1924, 1926, 1934, 1940–1941, 1948–1951
City:Grand Rapids, Michigan
Past Class Level:
  • Class A (1948–1951)
  • Class C (1940–1941)
  • Class B (1903–1934)
  • Class D (1902)
  • Class A (1899, 1901)
  • Class B (1898–1899)
  • Class A (1895–1897)
League:Central League (1948–1951)
Past League:
Pastmajorleague:
Pastnames:
  • Grand Rapids Jets (1948–1950)
  • Grand Rapids Colts (1941)
  • Grand Rapids Dodgers (1940)
  • Grand Rapids Tigers (1934)
  • Grand Rapids Black Sox (1912, 1915–1917, 1926)
  • Grand Rapids Homoners (1924)
  • Grand Rapids Billbobs (1922–1923)
  • Grand Rapids Joshers (1920–1921)
  • Grand Rapids Champs (1914)
  • Grand Rapids Bill-eds (1913)
  • Grand Rapids Grads (1912)
  • Grand Rapids Furniture Makers (1901, 1911)
  • Grand Rapids Raiders (1910)
  • Grand Rapids Wolverines (1906–1909)
  • Grand Rapids Orphans (1903–1905)
  • Grand Rapids Colts (1902)
  • Grand Rapids Furniture Makers (1899)
  • Grand Rapids Cabinet Makers (1898)
  • Grand Rapids Rippers (1894, 1896)
  • Grand Rapids Bob-o-links (1897)
  • Grand Rapids Gold Bugs (1896–1897)
  • Grand Rapids Shamrocks (1890–1891)
  • Grand Rapids Baseball Club (1883–1884, 1889–1890, 1901)
Pastparks:Recreation Park, Alger Park, Bigelow Field

The Grand Rapids Baseball Club was a minor league baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan that played under several different names at various times between 1883 and 1951. In the 1890s, they played in the Western League, a minor league precursor to what is now the American League of Major League Baseball, before moving to Cleveland in 1900 and becoming the present-day Cleveland Guardians. Later Grand Rapids teams played mostly in the Central League but also in various other Michigan-based leagues.

After a long minor league hiatus in Grand Rapids, the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League began play in Comstock Park, Michigan, just outside Grand Rapids, in 1994.

The ballparks

Early Grand Rapids teams played at Recreation Park for weekdays games and at Alger Park on Reeds Lake for the weekends. Later, the teams played at Bigelow Field on South Division Avenue.[1] A McDonald's restaurant occupies a portion of the site today.[2]

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

Notable alumni

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History.
  2. Web site: Bigelow Field.