The Chehalis Gophers was the first nickname of the minor league baseball teams based in Chehalis, Washington. From 1910 to 1912, the Chehalis Gophers (1910), Chehalis "Proteges" (1911) and Chehalis "Farmers" teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level

Washington State League The Washington State League was a Class-D minor league baseball circuit in Washington state that existed for three seasons—from 1910 to 1912. Teams in the league included the Aberdeen Black Cats, Chehalis Gophers, Hoquiam Loggers, Centralia ...

, winning the 1912 league championship in the final season of the league. The Chehalis teams were known by a different nickname each season and hosted home minor league games at Millett Field.

History

Minor league baseball began in Chehalis, Washington in 1910, when the Chehalis "Gophers" became charter members of the six–team Class D level

. The

Aberdeen Black Cats The Aberdeen Black Cats were a minor league baseball team, based in Aberdeen, Washington that played sporadically in various Washington based leagues between 1903 and 1918. External linksBaseball Reference Hoquiam Loggers The Hoquiam Loggers was the name of at least three different baseball teams based in Hoquiam, Washington. The first incarnation of the team was formed in as the Hoquiam Perfect Gentlemen and played in the Southwest Washington League until (the t ...

Montesano Farmers The Montesano Farmers were a minor league baseball team based in Montesano, Washington. In 1905 and 1910, the Montesano Farmers played as members of the 1905 Class D level Southwest Washington League and 1910 Washington State League, winning the ...

Raymond Cougars The Raymond Cougars were a minor league baseball team based in Raymond, Washington. In 1910 and 1911, the Raymond Cougars and Raymond "Venetians" teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level Washington State League, with the Cougars w ...

and Tacoma Cubs teams joined Chehalis as beginning league play on May 10, 1910. On March 6, 1910, the Washington State League was organized in at a meeting held in Hoquiam, Washington. At the meeting, Walter A. MacFarlane was elected league president and W. E. Campbell was elected vice president. The league was structured as a six–team league, playing a 21-week schedule. The franchises voted to split the shares of tickets equally between the home and away teams. Ten percent of the ticket earnings were to be given to the league for travel expenses. During the 1910 season, the salary cap was set, with a limit of $850.00 per month per team. The month before the Gophers began their inaugural season, during an era in which organized baseball was segregated, the ballclub's ownership hosted a team fundraiser at the Chehalis Glide Theater (1910) by putting on a two-day minstrel show. The performance raised $200 for the team and included several Gopher ballplayers. Beginning Washington State League play, the Chehalis Gophers placed second in the final standings in their first season of play. Chehalis ended the season with a record of 35–19, playing the season under managers Fred Neghring and Thomas Kelly. The Gophers finished 1.0 game behind the first place Raymond Cougars (37–19) in the final standings. A late addition to the team,

Fielder Jones Fielder Allison Jones (August 13, 1871 – March 13, 1934) was an American center fielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was best known as the player-manager of the World Series champion 1906 Chicago White Sox, a team who succeede ...

of Chehalis won the Washington State League batting title, with a batting average of .358 playing in 37 games. Coming out of retirement to play for the Gophers, Fielder Jones was still the property of the Chicago White Sox and reportedly needed permission from White Sox owner Charles Comiskey to play in Chehalis. Jones had been player/manager when White Sox won the

1906 World Series The 1906 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1906 season. The third edition of the World Series, it featured a crosstown matchup between the American League champion Chicago White Sox and the National Leagu ...

. Jones joined the Chehalis team and reportedly agreed to play for no salary. Jones was needed after the Gophers' player/manager Fred Neghring was allegedly stabbed by player Tamp Osborn on the team train. Neghring was unable to play effectively after the stabbing. Osborn was reportedly jailed after the event. Playing for the Missoula team in Montana in 1911, Osborn was allegedly involved in another knife incident at a Missoula, Montana restaurant in July 1911. In 1911, the Chehalis Proteges continued play as the

reduced franchises and became a four–team league. The

Centralia Pets Centralia may refer to: Places Australia *Central Australia, sometimes called "Centralia" Canada * Centralia, Ontario ** RCAF Station Centralia, a former Royal Canadian Air Force training base ** Centralia (Essery Field) Aerodrome United States ...

Raymond Venetians Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᛗᚢᚾᛞ ( ...

and

South Bend River Rats The South Bend River Rats were a minor league baseball team based in South Bend, Washington. In 1911, the South Bend River Rats played as members of the Class D level Washington State League in their only season of play, finishing last in the fo ...

joined Chehalis in continuing 1911 league play. The 1911 Chehalis Proteges were again runner–ups in the Washington State League. The Proteges placed second in the final standings with a record of 36–20, playing under managers Dusty Miller and Lenny Taylor. Chehalis finished 2.5 games behind the first place

(38–17) in the final standings, followed by the Raymond Venetians (25–29) and South Bend River Rats (11–44). Chehalis pitcher Ray Callahan, who split the season with Centralia and Chehalis, led the Washington State League with both 13 wins and 131 strikeouts. In 1912, the Chehalis Farmers played the franchise's final minor league season and won the Washington State League championship when the league folded. On July 10, 1912, the Aberdeen Black Cats folded from the league. With three teams remaining, this caused the Washington State League to fold on July 14, 1912. When the season ended, the Chehalis Farmers were in first place with a 25–16 record. Playing under manager James Burns, the Farmers ended the season 3.5 games ahead of the second place

Centralia Railroaders Centralia may refer to: Places Australia *Central Australia, sometimes called "Centralia" Canada * Centralia, Ontario ** RCAF Station Centralia, a former Royal Canadian Air Force training base ** Centralia (Essery Field) Aerodrome United State ...

(19–17) in the final standings. They were followed by the Aberdeen Black Cats (16–21) and Hoquiam Cougars (17–23). L.G. Taylor of Chehalis won the Washington State League batting title, hitting .351 in the shortened season. The Washington State League did not return to play in the 1914 season and never reformed. Chehalis, Washington has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

From 1910 to 1912, the Chehalis Washington State League teams hosted minor league home games at Millett Field (also Millet Field). The park was founded in 1898, and named after Daniel Millett, then owner of the property via a business share of the Chehalis Land and Timber Company. Millett was also the city attorney and served as mayor. On April 13, 1914, Millett Field hosted an exhibition game between the

Chicago American Giants The Chicago American Giants were a Chicago-based Negro league baseball team. From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the American Giants were the most dominant team in black baseball. Owned and managed from 1911 to 1926 by player-manager Andrew "Rube" Fo ...

of the Negro Leagues and the

Portland Colts The Portland Colts were a minor league baseball team based in Portland, Oregon for five seasons (1909, 1911–14) in the Class B Northwestern League. The Colts served as an unofficial farm team for the Portland Beavers and the Cleveland Indians. ...

of the

Northwestern League The Northwestern League was a sports league that operated in the Central United States during the early years of professional baseball for five seasons: 1879, 1883–1884, and 1886–1887. After the 1887 season, the league was replaced by the We ...

. Chicago's player/manager was

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

member Rube Foster. The game was arranged by the Citizens' Club of Chehalis and the Centralia Commercial Club. Following the demise of the Chehalis minor league franchise, the ballpark hosted the Negro leagues Colored Giants of Tacoma, who played games at Millett Field throughout the 1920s against the local Chehalis Moose team and other semi-professional teams. The ballpark grandstands were removed in 1979. Millett Field has remained a public park. The park is located on Chehalis Avenue in Chehalis, Washington.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

* Ray Callahan (1910–1911) *

(1910) *

Con Starkel Conrad Starkel (November 16, 1880 – January 19, 1933), was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues in 1906. He would play in one game for the Washington Senators. External links 1880 births 1933 deaths W ...

(1910) *

Chehalis Gophers players Chehalis may refer to: People * Chehalis people, a Native American people of Washington state **Lower Chehalis language **Upper Chehalis language * Sts'Ailes people (Chehalis people), a First Nation in British Columbia * Chehalis First Nation, Bri ...

Chehalis Proteges players Chehalis may refer to: People * Chehalis people, a Native American people of Washington state **Lower Chehalis language **Upper Chehalis language * Sts'Ailes people (Chehalis people), a First Nation in British Columbia * Chehalis First Nation, Brit ...

Notes

References

{{reflist

External links

Chehalis - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in Washington (state) Baseball teams established in 1910 Baseball teams disestablished in 1910 Chehalis, Washington Washington State League teams 1910 establishments in Washington (state) 1910 disestablishments in Washington (state)