Hanford Braves

The Hanford Braves were a minor league baseball team from Hanford, California. They played only a short time in 1911 as part of the Class D San Joaquin Valley League, which shut down for good that same year. The Braves held their home games at Hanford Ball Park.

Hanford first saw minor league baseball in 1911, when the Braves joined the six-team San Joaquin Valley League. The other clubs were the Coalinga Tigers, Lemoore Cubs, Porterville Orange Pickers, Tulare Merchants, and Visalia Colts. The league had started its second season on April 16, 1911, with four teams expanding to six, and the Braves were a new franchise.

The league folded on July 18, 1911, after the Tulare and Porterville teams had disbanded a week earlier. At that point, the Braves were in fourth place with a 6–7 record under manager Sidney Jehl, finishing three games behind first-place Tulare. The final standings were: Tulare Merchants (9–4), Coalinga Tigers (8–6), Lemoore Cubs (7–6), Hanford Braves (6–7), Visalia Colts (5–8), and Porterville Orange Pickers (5–8).

After the league ended, a Hanford team reportedly kept playing as a semi-professional squad in 1911, now led by Frank Blakeley and including Oscar Jones, who had played for the Lemoore Cubs during the league season. Hanford has not hosted another minor league team since.

The Braves played at Hanford Ball Park, believed to be at North Kensington Way and East Grangeville Boulevard. That site now sits next to the ballparks used by Hanford High School, located at 120 East Grangeville Boulevard. Notable alumni include Oscar Jones. The full 1911 roster is unknown.