Bill Chouneau

William Chouneau
(Chief or Nitchie)
born William Cadreau

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 150 lb.

• Debut October 9, 1910
• Final Game October 9, 1910
• Born September 2, 1889 in Cloquet, MN USA
• Died September 17, 1946 in Cloquet, MN USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Bill Chouneau, born William Cadreau, pitched one game in the majors at a young age, for the Chicago White Sox in 1910. He pitched five scoreless innings, but then Sam Crawford hit a triple off him that started a rally.

Chouneau was an Ojibwe Native American, and a member of the Fond du Lac Band, but not much is known about his early life. Like most Native American players at the time, he was nicknamed "Chief". He played a number of years in the minors, and was signed by the White Sox after developing a reputation as a strikeout pitcher with Ashland. He later pitched for the Chicago Union Giants, an African-American team, in 1917. He was the only non-Latin player to play in the white majors and for a top black team between Fleet Walker and Jackie Robinson, per Native American Major Leaguers.

Little is known about his life after baseball, although his death certificate listed him as a laborer and stated that he had served as a private in World War I.

Related Sites

• William Cadreau at the SABR Bio Project