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jamiehttp://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/about/page.jsp?ymd=20060119&content_id=38586&vkey=about_t422&fext=.jsp&sid=t422
1897 (East.)
Record: 74-58 - .561
(3) Mgr. - Jack Rowe
THE REDHEADED OUTFIELD
The odds against being a redhead are 16-1. What then would be the odds of a baseball team's having three redheaded outfielders, as did the '97 Bisons with Romer (R.C.) Grey in right, Billy Clymer in center and Larry Gilboy in left? Western novelist Zane Grey, older brother of R.C. Grey, and a professional ballplayer himself, later wrote a famous short story, called The Redheaded Outfield. For some reason he changed the locale of the team to Rochester; but there was no question he was writing about the '97 Bisons, since the three protagonists were Clammer, instead of Clymer; Gilbat, instead of Gilboy, and Ray, instead of Grey.
Fans in Buffalo and all around the league marveled at the play of the three redheads The Bisons were first for most of the season, but then faded to finish third. Clymer batted .268 and hit seven home runs; Gilboy led the team in hitting (.345), and Grey wound up at .313. Ed Greminger, non-redheaded third baseman, led the team in home runs (8) and batted .309. The leading pitchers were George (Chummy) Gray (23-13), James (Farmer) Brown (19-17), and Hallie Souders (16-10).
A remarkable tie game was played against Springfield on Sept. 5 at Franklin Park. In the first inning, Gilboy, Greminger and Jack Barry hit home runs for Buffalo. Later, Springfield's Dan Brouthers, once a member of Buffalo's famed "Big Four" and still a feared slugger at age 39, hit the longest home run ever seen at Franklin Park. The score was tied at 18 when it was halted by darkness after 10 innings.
Despite all the excitement, the season ended on a somber note. As the team slumped, the press became highly critical ("They are playing the type of ball that made Denmark odiferous in the days of Hamlet."); President Franklin was complaining ("This season has been no Klondike for me."), and several Eastern League teams were having financial troubles.