Fresno Raisin Eaters
Encyclopedia
The Fresno Raisin Eaters were a minor league baseball
team which played in the Pacific Coast League
in 1906. The Sacramento Solons
, a charter member of the PCL which began play in 1903, moved to Tacoma in 1904, where the team won the PCL pennant playing as the Tacoma Tigers. The team returned to Sacramento
during the 1905 season, then moved to Fresno
for the 1906 season.
A crowd of 2,500 (considered large by the standards of the day) greeted the Raisin Eaters for their home opener against the Portland Beavers
, which Portland
won, 1-0. That was the high-water mark of the season, as fan support eroded as a result of the team's poor play.
The Raisin Eaters finished dead last in the six-team league, with a record of 64-117 (.353). The one-year wonders dropped out of the PCL after that year, returned to Sacramento, and re-entered the League in 1909 as the Sacramento Solons once more.
Although Fresno would field teams in the California State League and the California League
in subsequent years (most notably the Fresno Cardinals
), the Pacific Coast League would not return to Fresno for another 92 years, when the Fresno Grizzlies
were admitted to the league in 1998.
During the 2006 season, the Grizzlies honored the 100th year anniversary of their short-lived PCL predecessors in Fresno by wearing Raisin Eaters jerseys on the field during each Wednesday home game.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team which played in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in 1906. The Sacramento Solons
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
, a charter member of the PCL which began play in 1903, moved to Tacoma in 1904, where the team won the PCL pennant playing as the Tacoma Tigers. The team returned to Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
during the 1905 season, then moved to Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
for the 1906 season.
A crowd of 2,500 (considered large by the standards of the day) greeted the Raisin Eaters for their home opener against the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
, which Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
won, 1-0. That was the high-water mark of the season, as fan support eroded as a result of the team's poor play.
The Raisin Eaters finished dead last in the six-team league, with a record of 64-117 (.353). The one-year wonders dropped out of the PCL after that year, returned to Sacramento, and re-entered the League in 1909 as the Sacramento Solons once more.
Although Fresno would field teams in the California State League and the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
in subsequent years (most notably the Fresno Cardinals
Fresno Cardinals
The Fresno Cardinals were a minor league baseball team that played in the California League from 1941-1956. The team was owned by the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League and was based in Fresno, California....
), the Pacific Coast League would not return to Fresno for another 92 years, when the Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
were admitted to the league in 1998.
During the 2006 season, the Grizzlies honored the 100th year anniversary of their short-lived PCL predecessors in Fresno by wearing Raisin Eaters jerseys on the field during each Wednesday home game.