It’s been more than a century since the Fresno Raisin Eaters took the field as one-season wonders of the Pacific Coast League, but their adorable logo will live on Friday on throwback night at the triple-A Fresno Grizzlies game. The Raisin Eaters’ lone season in Fresno in 1906 was the fourth of four stops for a team that was founded in Sacramento in 1903, moved to Tacoma in 1904, and moved back to Sacramento in 1905. They would drop out of the PCL after a dismal 1906 season in Fresno before resurfacing in Sacramento in 1909.
The name Raisin Eaters is a reference to Fresno’s role in the raisin production industry. The city’s location in California’s hot, dry San Joaquin Valley makes it a perfect place for turning delicious, juicy grapes into wrinkled, chewy pieces of fruit leather.
The throwback jerseys are part of the Grizzlies’ “Ag Night” promotion, which pays homage to Fresno’s leading industry. In 2013, grape production became Fresno County’s first billion-dollar crop.
The Grizzlies, an Astros affiliate, will auction off the jerseys during the game Friday, May 22.
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