Welcome
The Olneyville Temperance Cadets existed in the late 1880s as a semi-professional base ball club in the Rhode Island State League. Though short lived, the club provided an opportunity for Providence base ball fans to enjoy the game as the city lost their National League franchise, the Providence Grays in 1885.
The Cadets, who were sponsored by a local militia group in Olneyville, charged an admission fee of fifteen-cents, and played on weekends at the Grays’ former home (the Messer St. Grounds), the Eagle Street Grounds and Merino Park. In their heyday, the Cadets often drew up to 1,000 spectators to their contests.
In the spring of 2008, the Cadets reformed and returned to the diamond. We play by the rules and customs of 1886, when it took seven balls to walk, foul balls were not strikes and large fielder’s gloves were not in use. The club will play eight-to-ten games in 2008.
Currently the club plays home games at Porter Field in Warwick, RI. Efforts are being undertaken to bring the club back to the Olneyville neighborhood by the beginning of the 2009 season.
To learn more about vintage base ball in New England, watch this short documentary, titled “Ballist.”
