Providence Grays

The Grays won the National League pennant in 1879 and 1884 and took the first interleague championship series in 1884, sweeping the New York Metropolitans of the American Association. Eight seasons at 438-278, a rate of .612 that few clubs have matched.

The 1884 season belongs to Old Hoss Radbourn. After the club's other pitcher was suspended in July he started nearly every remaining game. The archive credits him with 60 wins against 12, in 73 starts — the figure is disputed between 59 and 60 depending on how one 1884 game is scored, and nobody has approached either number since. The club went 84-28 that year, its best.

Four Hall of Famers played here: Radbourn, John Ward, who pitched a perfect game for the club in 1880 and later founded the players' union, George Wright and Jim O'Rourke. Harry Wright managed for two seasons. The club folded after 1885 and Providence has not had a major-league team since. The Messer Street Grounds was its ground.