The Bradenton Growers of Bradenton, Florida were charter members of central Florida's new professional league in 1919, and they hosted the first game in league history, welcoming Tampa to town on July 1, 1919. The Growers name honored the citrus and vegetable farms that drove the local economy, and the club wore green and white to match.
The team was founded and owned by Robert M. Beall Sr., the same man who founded the Bealls department store chain that Floridians still shop at today. The Growers played at Ninth Street Park before moving in 1923 into the newly built City Park, the ballpark that later became McKechnie Field, longtime spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and one of the oldest ballparks still in use in America.
Bradenton fielded the Growers in 1919-20, 1923-24, and 1926, with pitcher Logan Drake moving on from the Growers to relief work for the Cleveland Indians in the early 1920s. Professional baseball returned to town decades later, and Bradenton remains a baseball city to this day.
The Growers' league began play in 1919 as a Class D circuit of six teams clustered across central Florida, tracing what would later become the I-4 corridor decades before the interstate existed. The circuit ran through 1928, went dark during the Depression, returned in 1936, paused again for World War II, and resumed in 1946. Unlike most minor leagues of the era, it never truly died; the same circuit still operates across Florida today.
Retro Baseball Revival celebrates historic baseball teams with unique apparel, honoring their legacy and bringing history to one-of-a-kind clothing with our old school retro baseball tees from defunct Minor League Baseball teams. All of our high quality apparel is designed, printed, and shipped within the USA. This collection features 100% original designs based on the history and nicknames of historic minor league teams.
Our premium lightweight shirts are the hugely popular Bella+Canvas brand 3001 tees. They are much lighter and thinner feeling than a traditional heavyweight tee. They also are more form fitting and feel more snug. These are generally 90% to 100% cotton, although please note that heather colors in this item are 52% cotton.
Size Guide: Fit is true to size or a little snug. Considering ordering one size up if you are normally between sizes.
Brand: Bella Canvas | Product ID: 3001
- Made with 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²)) that is easy to layer, breathable. Perfect for active and leisure wear.
- The retail fit that is perfect for casual and semi-formal settings. The crew neckline adds a classic, neat style that's perfect for accessorizing.
- Bella+Canvas manufactures all its products in the US and internationally in humane, no-sweat-shop, sustainable way and is part of the Fair Labor Association as well as Platinum WRAP certified.
- The tear-away label minimizes skin irritations.
- Fabric blends: Ash and Heather Prism colors - 99% cotton, 1% polyester; Heather and Solid Blend colors - 52% cotton, 48% polyester; Athletic Heather and Black Heather - 90% cotton, 10% polyester.
