The Providence Grays were one of the great teams of baseball's early era. The Grays joined the National League in 1878, and in their eight years of existence only had one losing season, their last. In their first season the Grays managed a third place finish mainly due to the hitting of outfielder Paul Hines who led the league with a .358 batting average, and the pitching of an 18 year old rookie by the name of John Montgomery Ward who went 22-13.

The following season the Grays hired legendary shortstop George Wright as player-manager and he piloted the club to their first pennant. Also contributing to the club's success were; Hines who once again led the league in hitting with a .357 average, recently acquired outfielder Orator Jim O'Rourke who hit .348, and Ward who went 47-19.

During the next four seasons the Grays finished second three times. In 1884 they had their greatest season ever. The club compiled a 84-28 record and won their second pennant, behind the pitching of Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn who won 60 games that season, an all-time major league record. The Grays then went on to face the A.A. champion New York Metropolitans in the very first World Series that was ever played. The Grays took the best of five affair in three straight games. Radbourn won all three contests.

In 1885 the Grays sunk to a fourth place finish and home attendance, which never had been very good to begin with, suffered as a result. This caused the club to be dissolved at the end of the season.