Fort Wayne Chiefs

Baseball Hall of Fame member Chuck Klein played for the 1928 Fort Wayne Chiefs.

[8] The Dayton Veterans, Evansville Evas, Grand Rapids Black Sox, Muskegon Reds, Richmond Quakers, South Bend Benders and Springfield Reapers teams joined with Fort Wayne in beginning Central League play on May 3, 1917.

[9][10] Fort Wayne Chiefs finished in last place in the 1917 Central League final standings.

Playing under manager Carl Vandagrift, the Chiefs finished 31.0 gamed behind the first place Grand Rapids Black Sox.

[9][2] The Central League folded following the 1917 season due to World War I, reforming in 1920 and playing thorough 1926 without Fort Wayne as a member.

The Yankees, with Babe Ruth, played an exhibition game against a "Lincoln Lifers" local semiprofessional team, with 3,000 fans in attendance.

Ruth reportedly hit a 10th–inning home run to give the Yankees a 5–3 win in the contest, played at League Park.

[15][16] Baseball Hall of Fame member Chuck Klein played for Fort Wayne in 1928 at age 23.

After the commissioners ruling on the conflict regarding the dual St. Louis Cardinal affiliation with Dayton and Fort Wayne, Klein became available to other teams.

[19] In 1926, Simon lost three fingers off of his left hand in a factory accident, but continued to play in professional baseball as a third basemen.

[14] The league played a split-season schedule and the Chiefs qualified for the final by winning the pennant in the first half standings.

[23] With a record of 68–70 managed by Everett Booe, Fort Wayne ended the season 12.0 games behind the first place Canton Terriers.

[2] The Chiefs had Triple Crown winner in the 1930 Central League season with the team finishing in third place.

Fort Wayne had a final record of 72–67, playing the season under returning manager Punch Knoll.

[27] Wright finished the season with a batting average of .419, with 52 home runs and 169 RBI to lead the Central League in all three categories for the Triple Crown.

[29][2] Fort Wayne ended the 1932 regular season with an overall record of 77–60 and placed second under manager Bill Wambsganss.

[33] Fort Wayne finished with a 19–4 record, ending the season 6.5 games ahead of the second place Springfield Red Birds, followed by the Grand Rapids Tigers and Peoria Tractors teams.

[34][2] The Bloomington Bloomers, Decatur Commodores, Peoria Tractors, Springfield Senators and Terre Haute Tots teams joined Fort Wayne Chiefs in beginning league play on May 5, 1935.

[37] Laabs was leading all of the minor leagues with a .427 average after 54 games before missing a month due to an ankle injury.

[2] The Fort Wayne Generals played the season as members of the reformed Class B level league.

[42] The Fort Wayne Chiefs teams hosted minor league home games at "The Grand Dutchess."

The Grand Dutchess was the nickname given to the grandstands at the League Park site in 1871, so named because of their extravagant construction for the era.

The Yankees, with Babe Ruth, played an exhibition game against the "Lincoln Lifers" semiprofessional team, with a crowd of 3,000 in attendance.

Ruth reportedly home run to give the Yankees a win in the contest..[11][12] There is a historical marker placed at the League Park site.