Berkeley Clarions

The Berkeley Clarions were a minor league baseball team based in Berkeley, California. In the 1910 and 1911 seasons, the Clarions played as members of the Class D level Central California League, with the team playing partial seasons in both years. Berkeley hosted home minor league games at the Dwight Way Grounds.

History

Minor league baseball play was first hosted in Berkeley, California in 1910. The Berkeley team became members of the eight–team Class D level Central California League during the season.

The Central California League began play on April 17, 1910, and played through November 6, 1910. The league played a full schedule, but only the weekend games counted in the standings. Berkeley joined the league as part of a league trend involving franchise relocations. Of the eight Central California League teams that began the 1910 season, seven of those teams moved during the year, with three teams moving twice or more, with three teams disbanding before the end of the season. In all, fifteen different team relocations occurred in 1910, with two cities hosting two different teams during the season.

The 1910 Berkeley team was in three other cities before settling in Berkeley. During the 1910 season, the Santa Rosa Prune Pickers moved to become the Alameda Bracketts on May 5, 1910. Alameda then moved to become the Oakland Basches on July 10, 1910. The team made moved to its fourth city when Oakland moved to Berkeley on July 31, 1910. Playing under managers William Bailey and T. Walton, the team finished in fourth place with 14–15 overall record. In the final standings, the first place Richmond Merchants ended the regular season with a record of 18–10, finishing 1.0 game ahead of the second place Alameda Alerts, who were the second team hosted in Alameda in 1910. Berkeley finished 4.5 games behind. In the finals, the Alameda Alerts defeated Richmond 2 games to 0.

In the 1911 Central California League season, Berkeley returned to play, as the Clarions did not relocate. However, two other Central California League teams moved and Berkeley and the Oakland Emery Arms folded during the season, before the league permanently folded on July 9, 1911. After Oakland folded on June 18, 1911, Berkeley folded on June 23, 1911, leading to the demise of the league. The league played a full schedule, but only the weekend games counted in the standings.

After beginning play on April 8, 1911, the league folded on July 9, 1911, with Berkeley officially ending the season in fifth place after folding two weeks earlier. The Clarions had a final record of 5–6, playing under manager Jim Kane. Berkeley finished 3.5 games behind the first place San Leandro Cherry Pickers.

Berkeley next hosted minor league baseball in 1915, when the Berkeley team played as members of the Class D level California State League.

The "Berkeley Clarions" nickname was revived by today's Bay Area Vintage Base Ball League team.

The ballpark

The Berkeley Central California League teams hosted home minor league games at the Dwight Way Grounds. The ballpark was located at Derby Street, Carleton Street and Grove Street. Today, the site is still in use as a ballpark, renamed as Tim Moellering Field in 2012. The ballpark is utilized by Berkeley Public Schools athletic teams from Berkeley High School and Berkeley Tech High School.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

* William Bailey (1910, MGR)

References

{{reflist

External links

Berkeley - Baseball Reference

Defunct minor league baseball teams
Professional baseball teams in California
Defunct baseball teams in California
Baseball teams established in 1910
Baseball teams disestablished in 1911
1910 establishments in California
1911 disestablishments in California
Central California League teams
Sports in Berkeley, California
Sports clubs and teams in Alameda County, California