Grand Rapids (baseball)

Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids
1883–1951; (1883–1884, 1889–1891, 1894–1917, 1920–1924, 1926, 1934, 1940–1941, 1948–1951); Grand Rapids, Michigan ;
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes	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)
Previous leagues	Michigan State League (1940–1941); Central League (1934); Michigan State League (1926); Michigan–Ontario League (1923–1924); Central League (1903–1917, 1920–1922); Michigan State League (1902); Western League (1901); Western Association (1901); International League (1900); Western League (1899); Interstate League (1898–1899); Western League (1894–1897); Northwestern League (1891); International Association (1890); Michigan State League (1889–1890); Northwestern League (1883–1884);
Major league affiliations
Previous teams	Chicago Cubs (1950–1951); Brooklyn Dodgers (1940–1941); Detroit Tigers (1939);
Team data
Previous names	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);
Previous parks	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

Burleigh Grimes (1940, MGR) Inducted, 1964
Rube Waddell (1899) Inducted, 1946
Sam Crawford (1899) Inducted, 1957

Notable alumni

Nick Altrock (1899)
Theodore Breitenstein (1891) ERA Leader

Hal Carlson (1915)
Bud Clancy (1923)
Josh Devore (1920-1921, 1923-1924)
Red Donahue (1895)
Red Dooin (1899)
Pat Duncan (1916)
Pretzels Getzien (1883-1884)
Charlie Hemphill (1899)
Joe Heving (1924)
Dave Hoskins (1948)
Bert Humphries (1909)
Frank Killen (1901)
Bobby Lowe (1908)
Jeff Pfeffer (1913)
Dusty Rhodes (1950)
Lance Richbourg (1920)
Milt Shoffner (1926)
Sherry Smith (1913)
Ed Summers (1906)
Lee Tannehill (1917)
Jack Taylor (1909) ERA Leader
Maurice Van Robays (1934)
Stan Wasiak (1941)
Al Wickland (1911)

References

External links

Baseball Reference

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[1] "History".

[2] "Bigelow Field".