Des Moines Champs

From BR Bullpen

Location: Des Moines, IA
League: Western League 1906-1907
Affiliation: none
Ballpark:

In 1906 the Western League's defending champions, the former Des Moines Underwriters, changed their name to the Des Moines Champs (or Champions). They went 97-50 to prove their name to be valid; the second-place Lincoln Ducklings finished 23 games back; the Champs had set a record for distance ahead of the #2 club. No other Western League team ever did as well or better. Roscoe Miller led the staff and league with 28 victories (he also lost 15), while Eddie Cicotte went 18-9 and Lou Manske was 23-10. 2B George Magoon fielded .968, the best mark at his position that year, and Mike Welday was second in the WL in average at .359. The team commissioned fancy horse blankets inscribed with the saying "Des Moines, Champions of the Western League".

The Champs slipped the next year, leading much of the way before falling behind the Omaha Rourkes and Lincoln Tree Planters to finish third at 76-63, 4 games behind Omaha. George Hogriever led the league in average at .319. The next season the WL team in Des Moines, IA became known as the Des Moines Boosters.

Source: "The Western League" by W.C. Madden and Patrick Stewart