The Hanford Braves were a minor league baseball team based in

Hanford, California Hanford is a city and county seat of Kings County, California, located in the San Joaquin Valley region of the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley. The population was 53,967 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History ...

. In 1911, the Hanford Braves played a partial season as members of the Class D level

San Joaquin Valley League The San Joaquin Valley League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1910 through 1911. The league operated primarily in the San Joaquin Valley in California. The league disbanded on July 18, 1911. The Bakersfield Drillers and Tu ...

, which permanently folded during the 1911 season. The Braves hosted home minor league games at the Hanford Ball Park.

History

Minor league baseball play was first hosted in Hanford, California in 1911. The Hanford "Braves" team became members of the six–team Class D level

during the season. The Coalinga Tigers,

Lemoore Cubs The Lemoore Cubs were a minor league baseball team based in Lemoore, California. In 1911, the Lemoore Cubs played a partial season as members of the Class D (baseball), Class D level San Joaquin Valley League, which permanently folded before the co ...

Porterville Orange Pickers Porterville may refer to: * Porterville, California * Porterville, Kansas * Porterville, Mississippi * Porterville, Texas * Porterville, Utah * Porterville, Western Cape in South Africa * "Porterville", a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival from ...

, Tulare Merchants and

Visalia Colts Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-largest city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 42nd most populous in California, and 192nd in ...

joined Hanford in 1911 San Joaquin Valley League play. The 1911 San Joaquin Valley League began their second season of play on April 16, 1911, expanding from four teams to six teams, with the Hanford Braves being a new league franchise. The San Joaquin Valley League permanently folded during the 1911 season. On July 18, 1911, the Hanford Braves were in fourth place when the San Joaquin Valley League folded. The league folded after the Tulare and Porterville franchises had disbanded on July 11, 1911. Hanford ended the season with an overall record of 6–7. Playing under manager Sidney Jehl, the Braves finished 3.0 games behind the first place Tulare Merchants in the San Joaquin Valley League final standings. The overall 1911 San Joaquin Valley League standings were led by the Tulare Merchants (9–4), followed by the Coalinga Tigers (8–6), Lemoore Cubs (7–6), Hanford Braves (6–7), Visalia Colts (5–8) and Porterville Orange Pickers (5–8). After the San Joaquin Valley League folded, a Hanford team reportedly continued play in 1911 as a semi–professional team. The reformed Hanford team was noted to be under the direction of Frank Blakeley with Oscar Jones on the roster. Jones had played with the Lemoore Cubs during San Joaquin Valley League play. Hanford, California has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

The 1911 Hanford Braves were noted to have hosted home minor league games at the Hanford Ball Park. The ballpark was reportedly located at North Kensington Way & East Grangeville Boulevard. The location today is directly adjacent to the ballparks for

Hanford High School Hanford High School is a public high school located on the northern edge of Richland, Washington. It is part of the Richland School District. The school's mascot is the falcon, and its school colors are purple and gold. The high school, buil ...

teams. Hanford High School is located at 120 East Grangeville Boulevard, Hanford, California. Hanford ATSF station 1910 postcard

Year-by-year record

Notable alumni

* Oscar Jones (1911) The complete 1911 Hanford Braves' roster is unknown.

References

{{reflist

External links

Hanford - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in California Defunct baseball teams in California Baseball teams established in 1911 Baseball teams disestablished in 1911 Hanford, California