33 in ‘19: Grays Take Last Two From Brooklyn to Cap Record-Setting Season

Jon Henson

October 31, 2019

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence Grays concluded the 2019 campaign on the Town Common in Salem, Mass., on Saturday, October 19^th, with two victories in an 1864 doubleheader with the Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn. The games completed a 13-game win streak to close out the season, securing the final record at 33 wins against 11 losses, the most wins in a season for the club since its inception in 1998.

Providence vs. Brookyln, Town Common, Salem, Mass, October 19^th

The Grays struck first in game one in Salem, tallying two aces off singles from left fielder Jamie Maynard, short stop Mike “Banquet” Swanson, and second baseman Jerry McCormack. The Atlantic answered back in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs of their own off captain Brian Travers’ pitching. Providence added two more in the second with a leadoff double from third baseman Chris Welch, who scored on catcher Johnny Carlevale’s single. Carlevale touched the dish on a Travers’ single to give the Grays a two-run advantage after two.

First baseman Jay Gildea made his first in the top of the third on a single, stole two bases, then scored when right fielder Ryan “Loggy” Logsdon reached base on an error to second. Brooklyn put up two in the bottom of the third to keep the score tight, 5-4 Providence. Travers’ pitching took command over the middle three innings, holding the Atlantic scoreless through the sixth, while the Grays added six more runs across that span: three in the fourth inning off singles from Travers, Banquet, Maynard, and McCormack; and three more in the fifth with Carlevale, Travers, and Maynard knocking singles and McCormack belting a triple to make it 11-4 Grays going into the final stretch.

Providence added another tally in the seventh with Maynard reaching base on a single then scoring on a Banquet double. The Atlantic tallied two of their own in the seventh, making it 12-6 Providence going into a scoreless eighth inning for both squads. Each added one more in the ninth, for a final score of Providence 13, Brooklyn 7.

Game two found Providence striking first once again and jumping out to an early lead, when Maynard hit a single, stole a base, and scored as Banquet reached on an error. Travers’ pitching and the Grays defense held Brooklyn scoreless in the first, then the Grays added two more in the top of the second off singles from Welch and Carlevale. The Atlantic got on the board in their second, making it 2-1 Providence early. The Grays added one more in the third and another in the fourth, as Brooklyn couldn’t put any across through the fifth inning to set the score at 5-1 Providence heading into the sixth.

Gildea reached base on an error in the top of the sixth and was driven in on a single by center fielder John McColgan. Brooklyn got two back in their sixth before Providence returned to the dish in the seventh, tallying four aces in the frame off singles from Travers, Welch, and Maynard, a sacrifice bounce out to center from Banquet, and a triple each for McCormack and McColgan. After another scoreless eighth frame for both squads, Providence plated no more in their ninth. Brooklyn wouldn’t give up the fight, however, and scored two more in the final frame, though not enough to overcome the Grays’ lead. Final score: Providence 10, Brooklyn 5.

2019 Season Recap

Coming off a banner 2018 campaign (25 wins, 12 losses), Providence sought to maintain this momentum as the new season unfolded. The Grays warmed to the new season quickly at Milot Field in Rehoboth on April 13, sweeping the season-opening doubleheader with Boston Union, 20-1 in the 1884 game and 26-14 in the ’64. With a week off, Providence next hit the road for the Atlantic 1864 Festival in Smithtown, N.Y., April 27–28, where the first day went the Grays’ way, taking the first game from the Mountain Athletic Club 14-10 as well as game two from the Lisbon Tunnelmen 11-7. Day two was the first taste of defeat in the young season, with Providence falling short in game one to Talbot 10-6, then succumbing to the Brooklyn Eckfords 13-4 in the second game.

In May, the Grays looked to improve on their 4 and 2 record, starting with a trip up to the South Shore to face the Coopers of Hingham, Mass., in an ‘84/‘64 doubleheader. Solid defense and stellar pitching secured the 11-5 victory in the overhand match, while the club struggled defensively in the underhand, taking a 25-11 loss as a wake-up call to tighten the fielding. May 19^th in Roslindale offered the squad the chance to test its focus, as they faced off in a rematch with the Union club on a rain-soaked field in another ‘84/’64 twin bill. Despite the inclement weather, Providence held on for a 10-9 win in the overhand match and took the ’64 game 27-1 to get back to winning ways.

The eventful month of June got its start with a round robin in Wood River Junction, R.I., with Providence taking an 1884 win (15-2) from the Boston Beaneaters then winning 29-6 against the newly-minted Westerly Quarrymen to finish the day.  The Grays were honored once again to play the Atlantic BBC of Brooklyn on Old Dutch Day (June 8^th), where they handed the first game (1864) to their New York friends 12-10 but managed to overcome a poor defensive showing with strong pitching to take the second game (1884) 16-14 to salvage a split on the road trip. The very next weekend, June 15^th, the Grays and Atlantics extended their series, this time in the Ocean State, as the friendly rivals squared off on the Town Common in Bristol in an 1864 doubleheader for the Fourth of July Committee celebrations. This time it was all Brooklyn, as the Atlantic took two decisive victories from the Rhode Islanders, 18-8 in game one and 22-18 in game two.

The following weekend (June 22–23), a Providence nine was dispatched to the state of Maryland to participate in the 3^rd Annual Weekend at the Winery in Rising Sun for four 1864 games across the two days. The Grays played .500 ball on the weekend, with a win and a loss each day. The Saturday matches saw Providence defeat the Mutuals of New York 13-9 in the opening match then lose to the host Rising Sun BBC in game two. On Sunday, the Grays took the first game from the Mutuals 26-10 before taking a loss from the Brandywine BBC of West Chester 13-9 in the final game of the weekend. Providence held a 12-8 record (5-0 in overhand matches) after these first twenty games; solid, but this club was looking for more.

  

July, the heart of the season, offered many opportunities for the Grays to improve on their record, starting with an ‘64/’65 doubleheader with the Mudville Nine at Salem Willows on the 13^th. Providence rose to the occasion, taking the 1864 game 16-7 and also prevailing in the ’65 match 21-3. The highlight of any season is the trip to the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg for the renowned 19c Base Ball Festival at the Schroeder Farm, and this year (July 20-21), Providence returned to New England with a 3-1 record on the weekend. Two 1863 matches on Saturday provided Providence with two more victories, 22-6 against the Monarchs of Moscow, Ohio, and 15-10 against the Allegheny Ironsides. Sunday’s matches started with a 10-6 loss against the Talbot Fairplays, in which the Grays could not generate offense through eight innings but made a late charge in the ninth, scoring six runs to make it interesting for their Maryland opponents. The final game of the weekend ended in dramatic fashion with a 10-9 walk-off victory against the Gettysburg Generals as the Grays’ perseverance was on full display.

On July 28, the Grays enjoyed an exhibition with the Connecticut Bulldogs at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford before the start of the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats game with the Akron Rubber Ducks. The two squads managed to play three innings, so the game was not official, but Providence held a 6-3 lead before the pros took the field.

The month of August is typically when things really heat up, and this year was no different, as Providence made the journey to Old Bethpage, Long Island, to play in the celebrated Doc Adams Base Ball Festival (August 3^rd and 4^th). The Grays took the first game of the weekend from the host Mutuals 13-9, then dropped their first overhand match of the season, losing 18-16 to Mountain Athletic in an 1895 outing. Day two was a different story, as the Grays completed a sweep before heading back home, taking game one 16-15 from the Eckfords as well as game two 19-5 from the Westfield Wheelmen.

A week off gave way to the much-anticipated, inaugural Rocky Point Historic Base Ball Festival hosted by the Grays at the scenic site of the old amusement park on Narragansett Bay. The event was well-attended, and the venue proved to be an ideal setting for day-long historic base ball action on two fields with gorgeous views of the coast adjacent to the legendary site of a Babe Ruth wallop in 1915 that landed in the water just off shore. Providence took a 26-15 loss to the Connecticut Bulldogs in the opening game (1884) then held on for a 10-9 win against the Dirigo BBC of Maine in the matinee match. The last Saturday of the month (August 31^st) offered Dirigo an opportunity to avenge the defeat and then some, as Providence traveled to the Ever After Mustang Rescue in Biddeford for an 1864 doubleheader with the gents from Maine. The Grays defended well, however, taking both games from Dirigo to sweep the day, 16-7 in the first game and 12-9 in game two. The wins left Providence with a much-improved 23-11 record going into the last two months of the season.

It turned out that the loss to the Bulldogs at Rocky Point would be the last defeat of the season for the Grays, as the club put together an unprecedented 13-game win streak to sweep the remainder of the 2019 campaign, from the end of August through September and October. The Grays took two from the Beaneaters on Boston Common on September 7^th, 16-14 in an 1884 match and 14-7 in an underhand. On September 14^th, Providence traveled by ferry along with the Union club to Fort Warren on Georges Island in Boston Harbor for an 1864 doubleheader and sailed away with two wins, 30-17 and 18-3 respectively. The Long Island Fair in Old Bethpage on September 28^th offered a rematch with friendly rivals the New York Mutuals, and the Grays fended off the home team in game one, holding on for an 8-7 win, then took the second match 25-11.

Bittersweet October marks a return of the crisp air that perfectly suits a game played in wool uniforms but also signals the end, for a while, of the joys of the field. This year, when the weather cooled, the Grays stayed hot. On October 6^th, Providence traveled to Hartford for the Showdown at Colt Meadows, where the opponent for the first game (1884) was the superlative overhand squad, the Wheelmen of Westfield, Mass. The tightly-contested match-up ended with a 16-14 victory for Providence, the 30^th win of the season. The Grays followed up this high mark with one more win on the day, 19-7 over a tenacious Connecticut Bulldogs nine in an 1865 game.

The season finale on the Town Common in Salem has become a tradition for the Grays as well as for their perennial opponents the Brooklyn Atlantic. The friendships, the respect for authenticity, sportsmanship, and the competitive play between these two teams make this final event of the season a special occasion for anyone who celebrates the nineteenth-century game. With these two final wins on October 19^th, Providence set a new mark for most wins in a Grays’ season at 33 and, in turn, set a new goal for the team, the quest for which begins in earnest just a few months hence: 34 in ’20.