The Eugene Blues were a minor league baseball club based in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...

. In 1904, the Blues played as members of the short lived Class D level

Oregon State League The Oregon State League was a minor league baseball league that played briefly in the 1904 season. The Class D (baseball), Class D level Oregon State League featured four teams based in Oregon and Washington (state), Washington. The league permanen ...

. The 1904 Blues ended the shortened season in second place. The Blues were succeeded decades later in Eugene by the 1950

Eugene Larks The Eugene Larks were a class-D minor league baseball, club based in Eugene, Oregon. The team played in Far West League and was an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1951. The team was preceded in Eugene by the 1904 Eugene Blues, who played ...

of the Far West League.

History

Eugene began minor league play in 1904, when Oregon State League was formed for the 1904 season as a Class D level minor league. The Oregon State League began play as a four–team league, with the league hosting franchises from

Roseburg, Oregon Roseburg is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is in the Umpqua River, Umpqua River Valley in southern Oregon and is the county seat and most populous city of Douglas County, Oregon, Douglas County. Founded in 1851, the population was 23,683 a ...

( Roseburg Shamrocks),

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...

( Salem Raglans) and Vancouver, Washington ( Vancouver Soldiers) in addition to Eugene. The league began play in controversy due to the Vancouver franchise. On May 18, 1904, the Vancouver Soldiers, with a 3–8 record, moved from Vancouver, Washington to Albany, Oregon to become the

Albany Rollers The Albany Rollers were a minor league baseball team based in Albany, Oregon. In 1904, the Rollers became members of the Class D level Oregon State League during the season, hosting home games at the Albany Base Ball Park. The Albany Rollers ca ...

. This was because Oregon State League was not going to be admitted to the National Association until it vacated the Vancouver, Washington franchise, which was deemed to be in the territory of the Portland Browns franchise of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

. Eugene began the season with a 22–19 record, playing under managers Terry McKune and Frank DuShane. On July 6, 1904, the Eugene Blues franchise folded, with the Roseburg Shamrocks folding at the same time. Reduced to two teams, the Oregon State League immediately stopped play on that date. The Oregon State League never returned to minor league play. The Eugene Blues ended the 1904 season in 2nd place, finishing 5.5 games behind the 1st place Salem Raglands in the final standings. In 1950, the

were the next minor league team hosted in Eugene, Oregon, playing as members of the Far West League.

The ballpark

The 1904 Blues were noted to have played at "The Palms."

Year-by-year record

Notable alumni

Heinie Reitz Henry Peter Reitz (June 29, 1867 – November 10, 1914), nicknamed "Heinie", was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was born in Chicago. Car ...

(1904)

References

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External links