The Adrian Reformers were a minor league baseball team based in

Adrian, Michigan Adrian is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Lenawee County. The population was 20,645 at the 2020 census. Adrian lies in Michigan's 7th congressional district. History Adrian was founded on June 18, 1826 by Addison Co ...

. In 1895, the Reformers played as a member of the Class B level

Michigan State League The Michigan State League was a minor league baseball league that operated in various seasons between 1889 and 1941. The league franchises were based exclusively in Michigan, with the league forming on six different occasions. Twenty two different ...

, winning the league championship. The Reformers were also known by the Adrian Demons moniker during the 1895 season. In 1895, Adrian, Michigan had two teams, also playing host to the

Page Fence Giants The Page Fence Giants were a professional Black-American baseball team based in Adrian, Michigan, from 1895 to 1898, performing as one of the nation's top teams in the Negro leagues. Named after the Page Woven Wire Fence Company in Adrian, they ...

of the

negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

. With the two franchises sharing management, the Adrian Reformers signed six players from the Page Fence Giants during the 1895 season, integrating the Michigan State League and leading to the moniker change. The Reformers/Demons were followed in Adrian by the 1909 Adrian Yeggs, who began play in the

Southern Michigan League The Southern Michigan League was a Minor League Baseball circuit which operated between 1906 and 1912. It was classified as a Class D league from 1906 to 1910 and as a Class C league from 1911 to 1912. After that, the league was known as the Sou ...

. Adrian hosted all 1895 baseball home games at Lawrence Park.

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

members Bud Fowler and Honus Wagner both played for Adrian in 1895.

History

The Adrian Reformers became members of the reformed Class B level

in 1895. The Michigan State League began play on May 21, 1895 with the Adrian Demons (Reformers), Battle Creek Adventists,

Kalamazoo Kazoos Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropoli ...

Lansing Senators Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

Owosso Colts The Owosso Colts were a minor league baseball team based in Owosso, Michigan. In 1895, the Colts played as a member of the Class B level Michigan State League, before folding during the season. The Colts hosted home games at the Athletic Associa ...

, and

Port Huron Marines A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

comprising the six-team league. The Michigan State League played in the 1889 and 1890 seasons before reforming in 1895. Adrian started the 1895 season with a 7–8 record and fell behind early leader Battle Creek/Jackson. During the 1895 season, prior to a series against the Owosso Colts, with future

member Honus Wagner on their roster, the "Demons" signed six members of the

Negro league baseball The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

team

to play against the Colts, possibly as injury replacements, including Baseball Hall of Fame member Bud Fowler. The Page Fence Giants were also based in

, and the two franchises shared management groups. In the 1895 pre-season, referring to the Page Fence Giants, the '' Chicago Inter Ocean'' newspaper stated that the "Giants are the best colored team ever organized." In April 1895, the Giants had played two exhibition games against the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, losing both games. The six players moving from the Page Fence Giants to the Demons were Bud Fowler,

William Binga William H. Binga (February 26, 1869 – October 14, 1950) was an American third baseman, catcher and manager in the pre- Negro league baseball era. Born in Michigan, Binga played most of his career in Chicago, Illinois, Philadelphia, Pennsylva ...

, Pete Burns, Vasco Graham,

Cannon Ball Miller Joseph "Cannon Ball" Miller (birthdate unknown) was an American baseball pitcher in the pre-Negro leagues. His first known games were played for the Page Fence Giants. Miller played a few seasons for Chicago teams Columbia Giants and Chicago Un ...

, and George Wilson. Binga, Burns, and Wilson returned to playing for the Page Fence Giants after the series against Owosso, while the others remained for longer durations. During the series, Adrian swept all three games playing at Owosso. When the team train arrived home to Adrian after the series sweep, they were met by celebrating fans gathered at the Wabash Depot. The entire team was taken out for a dinner celebration at Schwartz and Emmers restaurant.

Erve Beck Ervin Thomas Beck (July 19, 1878 – December 23, 1916), nicknamed "Dutch", was an American second baseman. He played three seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1899 to 1902 for the Brooklyn Superbas, Cleveland Blues, Cincinnati Reds, and ...

made his professional debut for Adrian in 1895, playing at age 16. The Adrian Demons/Reformers captured the 1895 Michigan State League championship. Adrian finished the season with a 57–30 record under manager R.G. Taylor. With Honus Wagner playing for Adrian in his first professional season at age 21 and with George Wilson compiling a 29–4 record on the mound, Adrian finished 3.5 games ahead of the second place Lansing Senators (56–36) in the final league standings. The Kalamazoo Kazoos (50–41) and Battle Creek Adventists / Jackson Jaxons (36–53) rounded out the final standings as both Owosso (37–47) and the Port Huron Marines (27–51) franchises folded on September 8, 1895, before the season was completed.Lutzke, Mitch (2019)The Page Fence Giants: A History of Black Baseball's Pioneering Champions. p119. McFarland & Company. Honus Wagner played 16 games for Adrian in 1895, while shuttling between Adrian and the

Wagner, Pennsylvania Wagner is a census-designated place located in Decatur Township, Mifflin County in the state of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, N ...

team of the

Iron and Oil League The Iron and Oil League was a minor league baseball league that played in the 1895 and 1898 seasons. League teams were based in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York (state), New York and West Virginia. History The Iron and Oil League was a minor league ...

, eventually playing for five teams in his first professional season. The Michigan State League folded after the 1895 season, before returning to play in 1897 as a six–team league. The Adrian franchise did not return to the 1897 Michigan State League. The Adrian Demons were followed by the 1909 Adrian Yeggs, who began play as members of the Class D level

Ballpark

The Adrian Demons and Adrian Reformers teams were noted to have played home minor league games at Lawrence Park. Lawrence Park also hosted

home games. The ballpark was named for its owner and had first been a racetrack. Lawrence Park was located on Maumee Street, along Race Street, west of the

Raisin River The River Raisin is a river in southeastern Michigan, United States, that flows through glacial sediments into Lake Erie. The area today is an agricultural and industrial center of Michigan. The river flows for almost ,U.S. Geological Survey. ...

, Adrian, Michigan.

Year–by–year record

Notable alumni

* Bud Fowler (1895) Inducted

, 2021 * Honus Wagner (1895) Inducted

, 1936 *

(1895) *

Bill Carrick William Martin Carrick (September 5, 1873 – March 7, 1932) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed Doughnut Bill.Wilbert, Warren N. ''The arrival of the American League: Ban Johnson and the 1901 challenge to National L ...

(1895) *

(1895) * George Wilson (1895)

References

{{reflist

External links