Chicago Whales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chicago Whales |
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| Information | |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Year founded | 1913 |
| Year disbanded | 1915 |
| Nickname(s) |
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| League championships | 1 (1915) |
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| Former league(s) | |
| Former ballparks | |
| Colors | blue, white |
| Ownership | Charles Weeghman |
| Manager | Burt Keeley (1913) Joe Tinker (1914–1915) |
The Chicago Whales were a professional baseball team from Chicago. They played in a league called the Federal League. This league was a "third Major League" for a short time in 1914 and 1915. At first, they didn't have a special team name. People just called them the "Chicago Federals" or "Chi-Feds". This helped tell them apart from the other Chicago teams, the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.
The team did very well in the Federal League. They finished second in 1914. Then, they won the league championship in 1915. The Federal League ended when it made a deal with the National League and American League. This deal caused all Federal League teams to stop playing. The Whales are famous because they were the first team to play in the stadium now known as Wrigley Field. This stadium is still used today by the Chicago Cubs. It is the only stadium from the Federal League that is still in use.
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The Chicago Whales: A Brief History
The Chicago baseball team started playing in 1913. This was the first season of the Federal League. Back then, the league was a smaller, independent league. The team didn't have an official nickname. So, they were called the Chicago Keeleys in 1913. This name came from their manager, Burt Keeley.
In 1913, the Chicago team finished in fourth place. Their record was 57 wins and 62 losses. They were 17.5 games behind the first-place Indianapolis Hoosiers. Other teams in the 1913 Federal League were the Cleveland Green Sox, St. Louis Terriers, Covington Blue Sox/Kansas City Packers, and Pittsburgh Filipinos.
Becoming a Major League Team
While the 1913 season was happening, the Federal League decided to become a major league in 1914. James A. Gilmore became the new president of the Federal League. He replaced John T. Powers. Gilmore found Charles Weeghman, a rich restaurant owner from Chicago. Weeghman became the owner of the Chicago team. Gilmore also found important owners in Brooklyn and St. Louis. This helped the league grow stronger.
In 1914, the Chicago team finished very close to first place. They were only 1½ games behind the Indianapolis Hoosiers. This was the Federal League's first season as a major league. The team still didn't have an official nickname. They were simply known as the Chicago Federals.
Before the 1914 season, Charles Weeghman built a new stadium for the team. It was called Weeghman Park. The stadium was designed by Zachary Taylor Davis. He also designed Comiskey Park. Weeghman leased the land for the park for 99 years.
Winning the Championship as the Whales
In 1915, the Federal League played its second and final season. The Chicago Federals finally got a nickname: the "Whales." They even had a logo of a whale inside a big "C" on their uniform shirts. The Whales had a great season. They won the league championship! They finished with 86 wins and 66 losses. This was just slightly better than the St. Louis Terriers.
The End of the Federal League
The Federal League came to an end because of a deal. Kenesaw Mountain Landis helped make this agreement between the Federal League, American League, and National League. As part of the deal, Charles Weeghman was allowed to buy a big part of the Chicago Cubs team. He then combined the Whales with the Cubs. He moved the Cubs from West Side Park to his new stadium, Weeghman Park.
Weeghman himself had financial problems and left the team after four years. But the Cubs still play in the park he built today. It is the only Federal League park still in use. The park was renamed Cubs Park in 1920. In 1926, it got its current name, Wrigley Field.
Many players on the Whales team had played in the American or National Leagues before. These included their manager Joe Tinker, along with players like Dutch Zwilling, Mordecai Brown, and Rollie Zeider.
The Federals played the very first game at Wrigley Field on April 23, 1914. To celebrate the park's 100th birthday on April 23, 2014, the Cubs wore the Federals' old uniforms.
Baseball Hall of Famers
Some players who played for the Chicago Whales later became famous enough to be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. These are players who were truly excellent at baseball.
| Chicago Whales Hall of Famers | |||||||||
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| Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | |||||||||
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See also
- Chicago Whales all-time roster
- 1914 Chicago Federals season
- 1915 Chicago Whales season
