Kent Base Ball Club of Grand Rapids

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Awaiting Review
Nick Name Kent
Earliest Known Date Thursday, April 4, 1867
Location Grand Rapids, MI, United States
Nine Class Senior
Description

"Kent Base Ball Club

An attempt was made, last spring and summer to organize and keep alive a Base Ball Club in our city. A club was formed, officers elected, and one or two meetings held, and from some unaccountable cause, no more after, and nothing more was heard of it, except when some of our young men would get together and talk over the things that were.

Again the experiment of organizing and keeping up a club of this description is being tried. On the evening of April 4, 1867, a small number of the energetic, wide-awake young men of the city, held a meeting at Perkins’ leather store, Canal st., and organized a club to be known as the “Kent Base Ball Club.” Mr. D. K. Hulbert was called to the chair and L. C. Earle appointed Secretary, pro tem. The club then proceeded to the election of officers, with the following results:

President.―S. K. Pierce

Vice President.―D. K. Hulbert

Secretary.―L. C. Earle

Treasurer.―A. P. Sinclair

Directors.―W. S. Earle, L. Withey, John W. Avery

The following business was then transacted:

Initiation fee fixed at two dollars and yearly dues one dollar. Fines for the violation of the following rules, twenty-five cents for each offence: Disrupting the decision of the Umpire. Refusing full obedience to the Captain. For non-attendance. The National Constitution and By-Laws were adopted, and the club adjourned until the 18th of April, 1867, to meet at the store of G. H. Morgan & Co., Monroe st.

The club has about thirty names signed on its roll, and the number of its members is limited to fifty. There is every reason to believe that this second attempt at organizing and maintaining a Base Ball Club will not prove an abortive one. The club is composed of the best of material; its members are young, vigorous, enthusiastic, and lovers of manly sports and exercise; and they express a determination to live up to their Constitution, By-Laws, and Rules, and use every endeavor to bring the undertaking to a successful issue. The Board of Directors have already, as we understand, set about the task of putting the grounds in readiness for use. They have made a good selection of grounds, upon the hill east of the city proper on what is known as Coit’s addition.

We wish the young men success in their present undertaking. We claim, for them, among their numbers some of the best shots and most expert sportsmen in the State, and we see no reason why they cannot excel in the practice of our national game, and can give no reason for croakers entertaining the opinion that there exists the shadow of the possibility of a failure in the enterprise.”

Sources

Grand Rapids Daily Eagle, April 6, 1867, courtesy Kent Baseball Club website

Comment

Grand Rapids is in Kent County, MI. Its population was 14,000 in 1870.

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Found by Bruce Allardice
Entered by Bruce Allardice

Win/Loss Records As Far As We Now Know

Warning: Users should not rely on a team's won-loss record as a reflection of its "standing" among all base ball clubs. Team schedules were not balanced, and a good record against mostly weak opponents does not signify a leading club.

Year Games Wins Losses Ties
1867 1 Played 0 Won 0 Lost 0 Tied

Ballgames

Page Date City Borough State Team 1 Team 2 Score First in Contributor
Ballgame 1867-05-24 Grand Rapids MI Kent Base Ball Club of Grand Rapids Custer Club of Ionia Grand Rapids, MI Peter Morris

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Players

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Playing Fields

Field Years Edit Association with Club
Kent Club Grounds 1867

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