The Tulare Merchants were a minor league baseball team based in

Tulare, California Tulare ( ) is a city in Tulare County, California. The population was 68,875 at the 2020 census. It is located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, eight miles south of Visalia and sixty miles north of Bakersfield. The city is named for th ...

. In 1910 and 1911, the Merchants played exclusively 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 T ...

, winning the 1911 league championship in their final season of play.

History

Minor league baseball play was first hosted in Tulare, California in 1910. The Tulare "Merchants" team became charter members of the four–team Class D level

. The Bakersfield Drillers,

Coalinga Savages Coalinga ( or ) is a city in Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the western San Joaquin Valley, in central California about 80 miles (128 km) southeast of Salinas, California, Salinas. It was formerly known as ''Coaling Station A' ...

and

Visalia Pirates 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 Tulare as 1910 San Joaquin Valley League charter franchises. In their first season of play, the 1910 Tulare Merchants franchise folded before the end of the San Joaquin Valley League season. On August 8, 1910, the team folded with a 13–15 record. The 1910 Tulare managers were Gene Nast and Willis Kelley. Later, the Coalinga franchise disbanded on August 18, 1910. The San Joaquin Valley League folded on September 12, 1910, with the Bakersfield Drillers (21–10) and Visalia Pirates (13–17) as the remaining teams. Red Kuhn of Tulare won the San Joaquin Valley League batting title, hitting .375, while Kuhn and teammate Slim Bath led the league with 2 home runs. In 1911, the Tulare Merchants continued San Joaquin Valley League play, as the league expanded to become a six–team league. The Coalinga Tigers,

Hanford Braves The Hanford Braves were a minor league baseball team based in Hanford, California. In 1911, the Hanford Braves played a partial season as members of the Class D level San Joaquin Valley League, which permanently folded during the 1911 season. The ...

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 level San Joaquin Valley League, which permanently folded before the conclusion of the se ...

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 ...

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 Tulare in the second season of San Joaquin Valley League play. After the 1911 San Joaquin Valley League began their second season of play on April 16, 1911, the league permanently folded with the Tulare Merchants as league champions. On July 18, 1911, the Tulare Merchants were in 1st place when the San Joaquin Valley League folded. The league folded after the Tulare Merchants and Porterville Orange Pickers franchises had both disbanded on July 11, 1911. Tulare ended the season with an overall record of 9–4. Playing under managers Otto Dye and Johnny Eagle, the Merchants finished 1.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Coalinga Tigers 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 (4–8). The Tulare Merchants continued play in subsequent years as a team in semi–professional leagues. Tulare, California has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

The name of the Tulare Merchants' home minor league ballpark is unknown. Tulare ATSF station 1910 postcard

Year–by–year record

Notable alumni

Jess Buckles Jesse Robert Buckles (May 20, 1890 – August 2, 1975), nicknamed "Jim", was a Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in two games, both in relief, for the New York Yankees near the end of the 1916 season. Buckles made his major league deb ...

(1910) The 1910 and 1911 Tulare Merchants' complete rosters are unknown. Hugh Garrity played for the 1911 Tulare Merchants.

References

{{reflist

External links

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 Tulare County, California