Pawtucket Maroons
The Pawtucket Maroons were an early minor league baseball team based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The "Maroons" were part of a Pawtucket tenure as members of the New England League beginning in 1892 and continuing through the 1899 season. Pawtucket teams then played briefly in the 1908 Atlantic League and were members of the Colonial League in 1914 and 1915.
The Colonial teams of the era hosted minor league home games at the Dexter Street Grounds, with select Sunday games played at Crescent Park.
Pawtucket next hosted minor league baseball in 1946, when the Pawtucket Slaters resumed play in the New England League, after a thirty-season gap between Pawtucket minor league teams.
History
1892 to 1895 - New England League
Pawtucket hosted minor league play for the first time in 1892, when the Pawtucket franchise joined the eight-team, Class B level New England League.The Pawtucket "Secrets" played a partial season in the 1892 New England League. Pawtucket disbanded on July 26, 1892, with a 17–43 record in the eight–team New England League, which lost two other teams during the season. Pawtucket finished behind first place Woonsocket team in the final standings, as the New England League ended the season with five remaining teams.
In 1893, Pawtucket did not continue play as the New England League reduced two teams and played the season as a six team, Class B level league. The Fall River Indians were the league champions, placing first in the league standing, as no playoffs were held.
The Pawtucket "Maroons" resumed minor league play as the 1894 New England League expanded to again become an eight–team league, adding the Pawtucket and Haverhill teams as members to the league. Haverhill and Pawtucket joined the Bangor Millionaires, Brockton Shoemakers, Fall River Indians, Lewiston, Portland and Worcester teams in beginning league play on April 28, 1894.
On July 30, 1894, Buck Freeman, playing for Haverhill at home against Pawtucket Maroons, hit four home runs in the game. Freeman went 5-5 with four homers with 13 RBIs. In the next game, Freeman hit 2 more home runs.
Catcher George Yeager had a whirlwind season in 1894, ending up on the Pawtucket roster. Beginning the season with a semi-professional team in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Yeager was involved in a fight at a cigar shop where he fractured the skull of another man. Yeager faced a trial, but the other victim had fled to Illinois and had been arrested in another incident, escaped from jail and was still a fugitive when Yeager's case went to trial. Charges were dismissed against Yeager. In July, Yeager was playing with the Brockton Shoemakers in the New England League. After the Brockton team folded on August 25, 1894, Yeager was signed by Pawtucket. Yeager would remain with Pawtucket for three seasons.
Pawtucket ended the season in sixth place in the 1894 New England League season. With a record of 46–52, playing the season under managers Frank Leonard and Royal Perrin. The Fall River Indians were the league champions for the second consecutive season, finishing 16.5 games ahead of Pawtucket. Tom Bannon of Pawtucket led the New England League with both 101 stolen bases and 137 runs scored.
As the Pawtucket Maroons continued New England League play in 1895, catcher George Yeager continued to make news with Pawtucket. On May 4, 1895, Yeager had five hits, with a double and two home runs in the contest. On June 8, 1895, he hit a grand slam. On June 19, 1895, Yeager was ejected from a game for throwing a broom at the umpire. On July 8, 1895, Yeager was fined $10 by a different umpire "for insolent language and threatening with the bat." On July 11, 1895, Yeager went 5-for-5 at the plate in a home game.
File:Harry H. Davis.jpg|thumb|left| Harry Davis, Philadelphia Athletics. Davis played with Pawtucket in 1884 and 1895, managing the team in 1895. Davis went on to lead the American League in home runs four times in his 22 year major league career.
The Pawtucket Maroons continued membership in the 1895 Class B level New England League and began the season with the rest of the eight–team league. The Pawtucket Maroons finished in fourth place in the eight–team league. With a final record of 52–53, the Maroons ended the season 14.5 games behind the first place Fall River Indians in the final standings. Louis Bacon and Harry Davis managed Pawtucket during the 1895 season. Player/manager Harry Davis led the New England league with a.391 batting average and 16 home runs, as well as 189 total hits. Irv Waldron had 84 stolen bases to lead the league.
After the 1895 season ended for Pawtucket, Harry Davis was signed by the New York Giants and made his major league debut in on September 27, 1895, getting three hits the game against the Boston Red Sox in his first game. Davis went on to play for the Philadelphia Athletics, leading the American League home runs in four consecutive seasons from 1904 to 1907. Davis would play 22 seasons in the major leagues.
After the 1895 New England season concluded, Pawtucket catcher George Yeager was recruited to play for a Fall River, Massachusetts team in an exhibition series featuring teams from Fall River, New Bedford, Massachusetts and Newport, Rhode Island. In the era of segregated baseball, the three teams joined by the trailblazing African-American Cuban Giants, which featured future Baseball Hall of Fame member Frank Grant. Each team was to play at least 11 games. Yeager played in the game against the Cuban Giants was on September 13, 1895, in a game won 16-9 by the Fall River team.
1896 to 1899 - New England League
With Germany "Phenomenal" Smith beginning a tenure as manager, the 1896 Pawtucket Maroons finished in fifth place in the New England League season. Smith had reportedly received the nickname "Phenomenal" after pitching a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Athletics against the Baltimore Orioles on October 3, 1885, facing the minimum of 27 batters in the game.George Yeager played his final season with Pawtucket in 1896. On May 20, 1896, Yeager and manager Joe Smith were both ejected from a game. On June 5, 1895, Yeager homered twice in an 11-inning game won by Pawtucket. In August Yeager was fined $25 "for giving unsolicited advice to his manager," as the Boston Herald reported. Later in August while catching, he became angry at Pawtucket’s pitcher and he was ordered to switch positions with the Pawtucket right fielder.
With Yeager’s performance getting notice from scouts he was purchased by the Boston Beaneaters on September 5, 1895. Two days later, in his last game before joining Boston, Yeager hit a game winning grand slam.
Pawtucket ended the 1896 New England League season with a 55–54 record, playing its first season under manager Phenomenal Smith. The league championship was won again by the Fall River Indians, who finished 14.0 games ahead of fifth place Pawtucket in the final standings, as the league held no playoffs. The Maroons' Irv Waldron led the New England League with both 137 runs and 182 total hits. Pawtucket catcher George Yeager led the league with 25 home runs before he advanced to catch for the Boston Beaneaters at the end of the season.
In 1897, the Pawtucket team was called the "Phenoms" as the team was managed again by their new namesake, Phenomenal Smith. The New England League reduced teams and played as six–team Class B level league The Brockton Shoemakers, Fall River Indians, New Bedford Whalers, Newport Colts and Taunton Herrings teams joined Pawtucket in 1897 New England League play.
After beginning league play on May 1, 1897, the Pawtucket Phenoms ended the New England League season in third place. The Phenoms ended the season with a 70–37 record, playing under returning manager Phenomenal Smith. Brockton and Newport finished in a first-place tie, as they ended the New England League season identical records and no playoff was held between the two teams. Brockton and Newport were followed in the New England League standings by the Pawtucket Phenoms, Fall River Indians, Taunton Herrings and New Bedford Whalers. Tom News of Pawtucket hit 17 home runs to lead the New England League.
In 1898, Phenomenal Smith left Pawtucket and became manager of the Fall River Indians, replaced as manager in Pawtucket by Hobe Whiting, who had played with Pawtucket since 1895. In 1900, while manager of the Norfolk Phenoms, Phenomenal Smith resurrected the career of Baseball Hall of Fame member Christy Mathewson. Smith had signed Mathewson after his 2–13 season pitching for the Taunton Herrings in the 1899 New England League. Signed by Smith to a contract for $90.00 per month, Under Smith's tutelage, Mathewson went on to have an 18–2 season with the Phenoms, before being acquired by the New York Giants. Mathewson made his debut with New York on July 18, 1900, beginning a major league career that saw him win 373 games for the Giants.
Continuing play in the 1898 six–team Class B level New England League, the Pawtucket "Tigers" played a shortened season. On July 5, 1898, the New England League stopped play. The Pawtucket Tigers ended the season with a record of 26–23 and were in second place under new manager Hobe Whiting when the New England League folded. Pawtucket finished 6.5 games behind of the first place Brockton Shoemakers in the final standings. In the shortened season, Tom News of the Tigers won the New England league batting title, hitting.401, and added a league leading 9 home runs. Pawtucket pitcher Frank Todd led the New England League with a 13 wins.
File:Hobe Ferris, Boston Americans second baseman - DPLA - b3eacdf006a5885b3d39b25f74f39e9e.jpg|alt=Hobe Ferris, Boston Americans second baseman, . Michael T. "Nuf Ced" McGreevy Collection, Boston Public Library|left|thumb| Hobe Ferris, Boston Americans. Ferris played for Pawtucket from 1897 to 1899.
Infielder Hobe Ferris played for Pawtucket from 1897 to 1899. He played sparingly in 1897 and 1898 before playing regularly with Pawtucket in 1899 before the team folded. He played for the Norwich Witches in 1900 before making his major league debut with the Boston Americans of the newly formed American League in 1901 and committing 61 errors as a rookie, a record at the time. Ferris's error total remains the second-highest total ever for a second baseman in American League history. Ferris was previously a shortstop and his fielding improved greatly over the following seasons. Known to be feisty, in 1902, Ferris was suspended for an altercation with umpire Jack Sheridan and received a three-day suspension from American League president Ban Johnson. "Ferris deserves his suspension, and while it will hurt Collins’ club, I am glad of it," wrote Peter Kelley of the Boston Journal, regarding the incident. On September 11, 1906, he fought with Boston teammate Jack Hayden during a game in New York and kicked Hayden in the face, knocking out some of Hayden's teeth. Both players were arrested, but neither pressed charges. Ban Johnson suspended Ferris for the remainder of the season.
The Pawtucket "Colts" continued play as the New England League resumed play in 1899 after folding during the previous season. The league expanded from six teams to eight teams to begin the 1899 season, but four of the teams folded during the season, Pawtucket included. On August 8, 1899, with a 37–40 record, Pawtucket folded along with the Brockton Shoemakers, who were leading the league standings. Pawtucket played the shortened season under returning manager Hobe Whiting. The Portland Phenoms, led by manager Phenomenal Smith, were the eventual league champion in 1899, completing the season in first place, but not without controversy.
There was controversy surrounding the conclusion of the New England League season. The Newport Colts won the second half of the 1899 New England League season but did so under dubious circumstances. Allegedly, the Portland Phenoms and Manchester, not wanting Newport to win the second half of the season, expanded the schedule on the final day from a doubleheader to play six games in one day, beginning at 9:00 AM. Manchester won all six games, to move ahead of Newport in the standings, but the league allowed only two of the wins. In was noted that Portland subsequently refused to play Newport in the finals after their initial impropriety.
After failing to complete the previous two seasons, the New England League did not return to play in the 1900 season. The league reformed in 1901 without Pawtucket as a member.