2006 -- H 8287

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LC03322

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2006

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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

HONORING THE 1884 PROVIDENCE GRAYS OF THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASE BALL'S

NATIONAL LEAGUE, RECOGNIZING THE TEAM'S INAUGURAL CHAMPIONSHIP OF

AMERICA, AND THANKING THE PROVIDENCE GRAYS VINTAGE BASE BALL CLUB

FOR ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC REGARDING RHODE ISLAND'S

UNIQUE AND LITTLE KNOWN 19TH CENTURY BASE BALL HISTORY

     Introduced By: Representatives Dennigan, Rose, McNamara, Malik, and Laroche

     Date Introduced: June 22, 2006

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, The City of Providence was once home to major league baseball's first

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World Champions in October of 1884. The Providence Grays existed from 1878 to 1885, they

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defeated the New York Metropolitans of the American Association to make the City of

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Providence the Capitol of the baseball world; and

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     WHEREAS, Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn won an astounding 59 games for Providence

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in 1884, leading the Grays to the pinnacle of their sport. The team played home games at the

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Messer Street Field in the west end of Providence, while traveling far and wide demonstrating

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their clear and thrilling superiority; and

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     WHEREAS, The Grays defeated the Metropolitans at the Polo Grounds in New York,

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winning all three games and distinguishing themselves generally in varied and historical ways;

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and

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     WHEREAS, The Providence Grays employed the first African-American player, William

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E. White, for a single game; and

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     WHEREAS, Catcher Sandy Nava was the first Latino player to toil for the Grays or any

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Major League team. Partially deaf outfielder Paul Hines completed the game's first unassisted

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triple play while helping bring about the use of hand signals by umpires of the era; and

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     WHEREAS, The Grays' success lent recognition and glory to Providence, a leading and

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vital metropolis, then as now; and

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     WHEREAS, The great George Herman "Babe" Ruth played briefly for the minor league

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Providence Grays of 1914 and struck his only official minor league home run for that team; and

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     WHEREAS, Baseball Hall of Famer John Montgomery Ward, Providence Grays pitcher

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and leader of the first player's union, pitched for the original team and was inducted into the

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Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame for his many accomplishments; and

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     WHEREAS, The Providence Grays Vintage Base Ball Club was founded in 1998 by Tim

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Norton, Kevin Faria, Gil Faria, Rick Stattler, Scott Olsen and other devoted men who refused to

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let this important piece of Rhode Island history go unremarked upon; and

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     WHEREAS, Brian Travers, Charlie Dryer, Dave Watson, Justin Munroe, Chris Perkins,

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Neal Bogosian, Byron Bratt, Erek Bratt, Kevin Neves, Frank Lucas and others sacrificed for the

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good of baseball and for greater awareness of Rhode Island's proud sporting history; now,

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therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby honors the Providence Grays of the National League, as well as

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the Providence Grays Vintage Base Ball Club. We thank the modern team for its long fidelity to

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Rhode Island's sporting heritage; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the members of the Providence Grays Vintage

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Base Ball Club.

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LC03322

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