Grand Rapids (baseball)

(Redirected from Grand Rapids Billbobs)

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.

Grand Rapids
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)
LeagueCentral League (1948–1951)
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
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

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

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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

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Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "History".
  2. ^ "Bigelow Field".
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