Grand Rapids (baseball)

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 Prodigals (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, Angler Park, Bigelow Field

The Grand Rapids Baseball Club was a minor league baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA that played under several different names at various times between 1883 and 1951. They 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 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]

Bigelow Field was located at 3873 Division Avenue South Grand Rapids, MI 49548. A fast food 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[]

^ "History".
^ "Bigelow Field".

External links[]

Baseball Reference

This article about a baseball team in Michigan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

[1] "History".

[2] "Bigelow Field".

[1]

[2]

Minor league affiliations
Grand Rapids 1883–1951 (1883–1884, 1889–1891, 1894–1917, 1920–1924, 1926, 1934, 1940–1941, 1948–1951) Grand Rapids, Michigan
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 Prodigals (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, Angler Park, Bigelow Field