Players
| Player | Position | Seasons | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allison, DougDoug Allison | C | 1878–1879 | In 1878, he was the back-up catcher to Lew Brown, and played in one game for the 1879 team. | |
| Andrus, WimanWiman Andrus | 3B | 1885 | His major league career consisted of a single game for the 1885 team. | |
| Arundel, HarryHarry Arundel | SP | 1884 | He pitched one game for the Grays, an 11–2 win over the Cleveland Blues. | |
| Bassett, CharleyCharley Bassett | IF | 1884–1885 | Bassett was used as a back-up infielder during his two seasons in Providence. | |
| Bradley, GeorgeGeorge Bradley | 3B / SP / RP | 1880 | During his lone season with the Grays, he was the starting third baseman, and was used as the alternate pitcher when John Montgomery Ward needed a rest. | |
| Brown, LewLew Brown | C | 1878–1879, 1881 | He was the starting catcher for the 1878 Grays, as well as 1879, until Emil Gross took over as the starter. Brown was sent to the Chicago White Stockings late into the 1879 season, and returned to the team as a reserve catcher in 1881. | |
| Carey, TomTom Carey | SS | 1878 | He was the starting shortstop for the 1878 Grays, batted .237, and scored 30 runs. | |
| Carroll, CliffCliff Carroll | LF | 1882–1885 | He began his career for the 1882 Grays, and became the starting left fielder for the 1884 Grays. He stayed in that position through the 1885 season. | |
| Cassidy, JohnJohn Cassidy | RF | 1883 | In 1883, he played his only season in Providence, and was the starting right fielder. | |
| Cattanach, JohnJohn Cattanach | SP | 1884 | He pitched in one game for Providence, and two for the St. Louis Browns during his only season in the majors. | |
| Conley, EdEd Conley | SP | 1884 | He pitched in eight games for the 1884 Grays, and had a 4–4 win–loss record, with a 2.12 earned run average. It was his only season in the majors. | |
| Corey, FredFred Corey | SP | 1878 | In his first major league season, Corey pitched in five games for the 1878 Grays, and played two other games at second base. | |
| Crane, EdEd Crane | LF | 1885 | Although he was known as a pitcher, he played left field in the only game he played for the Grays. | |
| Daily, ConCon Daily | C | 1885 | Daily, in his only season for the Grays, was the back-up catcher to Barney Gilligan. | |
| Denny, JerryJerry Denny | 3B | 1881–1885 | During his five seasons for the Grays, he led all NL third basemen in several fielding categories; in games played twice, putouts twice, and fielding percentage once. | |
| Dorgan, MikeMike Dorgan§ | RF | 1880 | Dorgan started in right field, and finished the season as their manager, with the team winning 26 of the final 39 games under his leadership. | |
| Farrell, JackJack Farrell§ | 2B | 1879–1885 | Farrell was the starting second baseman for the Grays from 1880 to 1885. In 1883, he led the league in fielding percentage among second basemen. | |
| Fisher, CherokeeCherokee Fisher | SP | 1878 | In his only game with the Grays, he pitched a complete game loss against the Cincinnati Reds on July 9. This was the last game he played at the major league level. | |
| Foley, JohnJohn Foley | SP | 1885 | Foley pitched a complete game loss against the St. Louis Maroons on September 18, his only major league appearance. | |
| Gilligan, BarneyBarney Gilligan | C | 1881–1885 | After splitting time at catcher with Emil Gross in 1881, he became the starter in 1882 and held the position through the 1885 season. | |
| Gross, EmilEmil Gross | C | 1879–1881 | After splitting time at catcher with Lew Brown in 1879, he became the starter in 1880 and led the league in games played. He played another season in Providence, splitting time with Barney Gilligan. | |
| Hague, BillBill Hague | 3B | 1878–1879 | In 1878, he was a starter while leading the league in assists and fielding percentage as a third baseman. | |
| Hallstrom, CharlieCharlie Hallstrom | SP | 1885 | Hallstrom pitched a complete game loss, on September 23 against the Chicago White Stockings. He is credited as the first person born in Sweden to play in the major leagues. | |
| Healey, TomTom Healey | SP | 1878 | He pitched in three games for Grays before finishing the season for the Indianapolis Blues. It was his only season in the major leagues. | |
| Higham, DickDick Higham | RF | 1878 | In his last full season as a player, Higham was the starting right fielder, and led the league in doubles and runs scored. | |
| Hines, MikeMike Hines | C | 1885 | In a four-season career, he played mainly for the Boston Beaneaters, but during the 1885 season, he played in one game for the Grays. | |
| Hines, PaulPaul Hines | CF | 1878–1885 | Hines played in each season the Providence Grays franchise was in the league. He is the Grays' all-time leader in games played with 705, and nearly all offensive categories. In 1878, he led the league in home runs, RBIs, and batting average, known later as baseball's triple crown. | |
| Houck, SadieSadie Houck | LF | 1880 | Houck played in 49 games with the Grays, and had a batting average of .201, while playing mostly in left field. | |
| Irwin, ArthurArthur Irwin | SS | 1883–1885 | Irwin played three seasons for the Grays as their starting shortstop. In 1883, he collected 116 hits and had a batting average of .286; both were his career highs. He broke a finger during the 1885 season, which he protected with a padded fielding glove. It is believed to be the first glove used in league play, other than ones used by catchers and first basemen. | |
| Kemmler, RudyRudy Kemmler | C | 1879 | Kemmler played in two games with the 1879 Grays, and collected one hit in seven at bats. | |
| Kimber, SamSam Kimber | SP | 1885 | In his only game for the Grays, he pitched a complete game loss against the Detroit Wolverines on September 29. It was his last game in major league play. | |
| Knight, LonLon Knight | RF | 1885 | ||
| Lyons, DennyDenny Lyons | 3B | 1885 | In the first of his 13-season career he played four games at third base, and collected two hits in 16 at bats. | |
| Manning, TimTim Manning | SS | 1882, 1885 | Manning had two different stints in Providence. He played in 21 games in 1882, and 17 in 1885. Combined, he collected 10 hits in 111 at bats for a .090 batting average for the Grays. | |
| Mathews, BobbyBobby Mathews | SP | 1879, 1881 | Mathews played a full season for the Grays in 1879 and had a win–loss record of 12–6. He then returned for a partial season in 1881, winning four games against eight losses. | |
| McClellan, BillBill McClellan | SS / RF | 1881 | He was the starting shortstop during his only season with the Grays. | |
| McCormick, JimJim McCormick | SP | 1885 | McCormick collected one of his 265 career wins while playing for the Grays. He was sold to the Chicago White Stockings by early July. | |
| McGeary, MikeMike McGeary§ | 2B / 3B | 1879–1880 | He played two seasons with the Grays. In 1879, he led the National League in games played, then was named player-manager for the 1880 season. Soon after the season began, McGeary was replaced as manager and released from the team. Later in the season, the Cleveland Blues hired him as both player and manager. | |
| Miller, CycloneCyclone Miller | SP / RP | 1884 | In 1884, Miller was a well-travelled pitcher, with Providence being the second of three major league teams he played for that season. During his time with the Grays, he pitched in six games, had a win–loss record of 3–2, and a 2.08 earned run average. | |
| Mulvey, JoeJoe Mulvey | SS | 1883 | In the first of Mulvey's 12 major league seasons, he appeared in four games, and had a .125 batting average. | |
| Murnane, TimTim Murnane | 1B | 1878 | In his only season with the Grays, Murnane was their starting first baseman. This was his last major league season before reappearing with the Boston Reds of the Union Association in 1884. He later became a long-time sportswriter for The Boston Globe and was enshrined into the Honor Rolls of Baseball by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. | |
| Murray, MiahMiah Murray | C | 1884 | He played in eight games, and had a .185 batting average. | |
| Myers, HenryHenry Myers | SS | 1881 | He played in one game for the Grays, and had no hits in four at bats. | |
| Nava, SandySandy Nava | SS | 1882–1884 | He played three seasons for the Grays as their back-up catcher. Nava is the first known Mexican American and second Hispanic baseball player to play at the major league level. | |
| Nichols, TrickyTricky Nichols | SP | 1878 | In his only season playing for Providence, Nichols had a 4–7 win–loss record and a 4.22 earned run average. | |
| O'Leary, DanDan O'Leary | RF | 1879 | O'Leary played in two games for the Grays, and collected three hits in seven at bats. | |
| O'Rourke, JimJim O'Rourke | RF / 1B | 1879 | Baseball Hall of Famer O'Rourke had a batting average of .348, and led the National League with a .371 on-base percentage during his only season with the Grays. | |
| Peters, JohnJohn Peters | SS | 1880 | During his only season with the Grays, Peters led all National League shortstops in games played, putouts, and fielding percentage. | |
| Pike, LipLip Pike | 2B | 1878 | He played in five games for the Grays, and had a batting average of .227 in 22 at bats. | |
| Radbourn, CharlesCharles Radbourn | SP / RF | 1881–1885 | Baseball Hall of Famer Radbourn is the Grays' all-time leader in nearly all major pitching categories. He played 5 seasons for the Grays, during which he led the NL in several seasonal pitching categories, including an all-time leading 59 wins in 1884. | |
| Radford, PaulPaul Radford | RF | 1884–1885 | He was the Grays' starting right fielder for two seasons. | |
| Reilley, CharlieCharlie Reilley | C | 1882 | He played in three games for the Grays, and had a batting average of .182 in 11 at bats. | |
| Richmond, LeeLee Richmond | LF / SP | 1883 | A starting pitcher during the bulk of his career, he played mainly in left field for the Grays. | |
| Seward, EdEd Seward | RP | 1885 | Seward pitched six innings in relief on September 30, his only game for the Grays. | |
| Shaw, DupeeDupee Shaw | SP | 1885 | Shaw pitched in 49 games during his only season with the Grays. He completed 47 of his 49 starts, had an earned run average of 2.47, struck out 194 batters in 399.2 innings, and a 23–26 win–loss record. | |
| Smith, EdgarEdgar Smith | SP / LF | 1883, 1885 | During Smith's two seasons with the Grays, he played in a total of three games. | |
| Start, JoeJoe Start | 1B | 1879–1885 | Start was the starting first baseman for the Grays for the final seven seasons of the franchise. He twice led NL first basemen in putouts and fielding percentage. | |
| Stellberger, BillBill Stellberger | SP | 1885 | Stellberger pitched a complete game loss on October 1, against the Detroit Wolverines, his only game with the Grays. | |
| Sullivan, DennyDenny Sullivan | 3B | 1879 | He played his first of two major league seasons for the Grays. In five games played, he batted .263 in 19 at bats. | |
| Sweasy, CharlieCharlie Sweasy | 2B | 1878 | He played his final season in the major leagues for the Grays. In 55 games played, he had a .175 batting average. | |
| Sweeney, CharlieCharlie Sweeney | SP | 1882–1884 | Sweeney had a 17–8 win–loss record when he left the field and later quit the team for being relieved from the game as the pitcher. His absence from the team for the remainder of the season left Charles Radbourn as the only viable starting pitcher on the team. Radbourn finished the season with all-time record for wins in a season with 59. | |
| Troy, DasherDasher Troy | SS | 1882 | He played in four games during his lone season with the Grays, and batted .235 in 17 at bats. | |
| Ward, John MontgomeryJohn Montgomery Ward§ | SP / IF / RF | 1878–1882 | The first five seasons of Ward's Hall of Fame career were spent with the Grays. He led the NL in earned run average in 1878, and in 1879, he led the league in pitching wins. | |
| Ward, JohnJohn Ward | SP | 1885 | He pitched in one game for the Grays, a complete game loss on September 19 to the St. Louis Browns. | |
| Wheeler, HarryHarry Wheeler | SP | 1878 | During his lone season with the Grays, he pitched in seven games, completed all six of his starts and had a 6–1 win–loss record. | |
| White, William EdwardWilliam Edward White | 1B | 1879 | He played in one game for the Grays, and had one hit in four at bats. Evidence suggests that White was the first African-American to have played in the major leagues, pre-dating the Walker brothers, who played for the Toledo Blue Stockings in 1884. | |
| Whitney, ArtArt Whitney | SS | 1882 | During his lone season with the Grays, he collected three hits in 40 at bats, and was released from the team in June. | |
| Wright, GeorgeGeorge Wright§ | SS | 1879, 1882 | The first of Hall of Famer George Wright's two, one-year, stints with the Grays was in 1879, when he was the team's player-manager for its first NL championship season. He then left the team, but returned in June 1882, the final season of his career. | |
| York, TomTom York§ | LF | 1878–1882 | York was the Grays' left fielder for the first five seasons of their existence, and had two different stints as their player-manager. |
Read more about this topic: Providence Grays All-time Roster
Famous quotes containing the word players:
“Will you see the players well bestowed? Do you hear, let them
be well used, for they are the abstracts and brief chronicles of the time. After your death you were better have a bad epitaph than their ill report while you live.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The players have often mentioned it as an honour to Shakespeare, that in his writing, whatsoever he penned, he never blotted out [a] line. My answer hath been, “Would he had blotted a thousand.””
—Ben Jonson (c. 1572–1637)
“The whole idea of image is so confused. On the one hand, Madison Avenue is worried about the image of the players in a tennis tour. On the other hand, sports events are often sponsored by the makers of junk food, beer, and cigarettes. What’s the message when an athlete who works at keeping her body fit is sponsored by a sugar-filled snack that does more harm than good?”
—Martina Navratilova (b. 1956)