A brief history of the Gate City Grays, who prepare to kickoff their playoff run Monday in Pocatello

POCATELLO — Earlier this summer, Major League Baseball wholly altered its grounds books by accepting Negro Leagues statistics. In 1 day, Negro League fable and shot Hall of Famer Josh Gibson became nan all-time leader successful galore violative categories.

Gibson, who ne'er played for a Major League organization, spent astir of his master profession pinch nan Homestead Grays — nan namesake of Pocatello’s existent semi-pro team, nan Gate City Grays.

Terry Fredrickson, half of Gate City’s husband-wife ownership team, said that while location is nary written history evidencing Homestead’s regular visits to Pocatello, location is spoken lore. Fredrickson has chatted pinch galore Pocatello residents who person shared stories they heard from family members who attended games betwixt Gibson’s Grays and nan Pocatello Cardinals — past a insignificant convention squad affiliated pinch nan St. Louis Cardinals.

Fredrickson pointed to nan galore shot legends who made yearly accumulation stops successful Pocatello. Players for illustration Gibson, Buck Leonard and “Cool Papa” Bell. Those barnstorming Negro Leagues teams, he said, did truthful overmuch to turn nan crippled and grow it west.

“Every day, it’s humbling to deliberation … astir nan history that they brought to this game,” Fredrickson told EastIdahoNews.com. “To beryllium capable to play nether that sanction is huge.”

Grays outfielder Brayden Peiper lines a double to near section during nan Grays’ July 24 triumph complete nan Brigham City Peaches. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

Fredrickson and his woman Erica are some Idaho State University graduates and supporters of Bengal athletics. Their emotion for Bengal athletes and shot had nan Fredricksons driving to Smithfield, Utah play for years, to spot erstwhile ISU athletes play for nan Northern Utah League’s Smithfield Blue Sox.

During 1 of their trips, nan mates decided that Pocatello needed its ain team, and began nan process of bringing NUL shot to nan Gate City. Their dream became reality successful 2014, erstwhile nan Grays played their inaugural season.

But those trips besides brought an thought astir nan ambiance for which Grays shot is now known.

At nan Blue Sox location field, Fredrickson explained, young fans play their ain crippled of wiffle shot down nan bleachers. And those kids don’t imitate MLB stars. Instead, they impersonate their favourite Blue Sox players – their “hometown heroes,” arsenic Fredrickson called them.

Now, attending a Grays crippled gives you entree to 2 different games played simultaneously — nan Grays connected nan gem and a wide of children playing their ain crippled down nan Halliwell Park bleachers.

“It’s awesome because that was a dream that we had — to person each these kids travel retired present and play,” Fredrickson said. “I would’ve killed to person this arsenic a kid. Kids nether 8 are free, for that reason, to get them retired present and person fun.”

As for nan merchandise connected nan field, Fredrickson said nan dream goes good beyond occurrence successful nan win-loss column. Winning, he said, is nan “byproduct of creating a bully culture.” A civilization of improving nan players and advancing nan game.

“The biggest triumph for Erica and I is erstwhile we person a kid travel backmost and say, ‘Hey, I conscionable sewage picked up astatine a four-year aliases a D1 (college). … Or having a feline travel backmost and say, ‘I had a hellhole of a assemblage play because I had immoderate summertime ABs (at-bats) and sewage immoderate awesome activity in.”

The Fredricksons person besides been blessed by conversations pinch assemblage coaches, who lauded their players and nan maturation they knowledgeable during a summertime pinch nan Grays.

“I’m not going to dishonesty to you though, it’s a unreserved to clasp up a trophy successful beforehand of these fans,” Fredrickson added. “I’ve gotten to do it 3 times, and there’s thing for illustration it.”

The NUL playoffs statesman this week, and nan Grays will statesman their quest for a 4th convention title astatine home, against The Lab — a Logan, Utah-based team. Earning home-field advantage for nan first information was “super-huge,” according to head Rhys Pope.

“We’ve sewage nan champion fans successful nan Northern Utah League. They battalion this spot each azygous night,” Pope told EastIdahoNews.com. “We’ve sewage a 10th man retired there, because you’ve sewage to fight, not only america you’ve sewage to conflict nan sound and nan crowd.”

Winning successful nan playoffs and earning that 4th banner will trust connected Pope and his squad relaxing and allowing nan crippled to travel to them.

“We request to get backmost to having fun,” nan skipper said. “Sometimes, erstwhile you’re up and down and get connected a small spot of a losing kick, you benignant of suffer show that, we’re playing a shot game. The first point you’ve sewage to do erstwhile you’re playing a crippled is, person fun.”