1883 Brooklyn Grays season

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1883  Brooklyn Grays
Interstate Association Champions
League Interstate Association
Ballpark Washington Park
City Brooklyn, New York
Record44–28 (.611)
League place1st
Owners Charles Byrne, Ferdinand Abell
President Charles Byrne
Manager Joseph Doyle
1884  

The Brooklyn baseball club was formed in 1883 by real estate magnate and baseball enthusiast Charles Byrne who convinced his brother-in-law Joseph Doyle and casino operator Ferdinand Abell to start the team with him. Byrne set up a grandstand on fifth avenue and named it Washington Park in honor of George Washington. The team played in the minor Inter-State Association of Professional Baseball Clubs.

Contents

Doyle became the first manager of the team, which drew 6,000 fans to its first home game on May 12, 1883, against the Trenton team. (This was actually the second game the club played in Brooklyn; three days earlier, with Washington Park not yet ready, the Greys beat Harrisburg 7–1 at the Parade Ground. [1] It was the only professional match ever held at the ground, with some 2,000 fans in attendance.) The team won the league title after the Camden Merritt club disbanded on July 20 and Brooklyn picked up some of its better players. The Grays were invited to join the American Association for the following season. [2]

Season standings

Interstate Association WLGBPct.
Brooklyn Grays 4428.611
Camden Merritts 278NA.711
Harrisburg 43333.566
Reading Actives 33359.485
Trenton343810.472
Pottsville Antharcites 284617.378
Wilmington Quicksteps 274818.5.360

Roster

1883 Brooklyn Grays
Roster
Manager

References

  1. "BrooklynBallParks.com – Parade Ground". covehurst.net. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  2. Goldblatt, A. (2003). The Giants and the Dodgers: Four Cities, Two Teams, One Rivalry. McFarland & Company. p. 12. ISBN   9780786416400 . Retrieved December 13, 2014.