Chippewa Falls took a swing at minor league baseball 110 years ago

Original Publication: Chippewa Herald-Telegram, May 3, 2016, p. B1-B2

This year marks the 110th anniversary of an important event in the history of Chippewa Falls.

In March 1906 prominent businessman William Irvine donated 85 acres to the city for a park. His philanthropic efforts, as well as those of the Chippewa Lumber and Boom Co. (an Irvine-owned enterprise) and L.C. Stanley, another distinguished name in area business, led to the establishment of Irvine Park.

That same month another announcement of interest was made, perhaps one that may have been met with more excitement. After years of trying, the city landed its first and to date last minor league baseball team.

For years Chippewa Falls had been unsuccessful in trying in trying to gain entrance into the minor leagues. Each spring came rumors of the prospects, but each time nothing came of the hearsay. 1906 was to be no different.

Yes, there was a chance, but as the season approached, it seemed that the only pressing issue seemed to be if the winner of the spring mayoral race would allow baseball within the city limits on Sunday. That all changed in late March.

On March 28, the Chippewa Falls Baseball Association and the Eau Claire Baseball Association entered a cooperative agreement to field a team in the Wisconsin State League. The league, in its second year of existence, had hoped to expand to 10 teams from six, but found themselves at just five when Beloit failed to finance a club for the 1906 season.

On paper, it seemed like it might work. Both Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire had been fielding reputable semi-pro teams for years. In fact, some of the strongest clubs in the Midwest. With a limited amount of time the baseball associations from the two cities began sorting out the details.

The first order of business was raising the $2,500 league entrance fee. At $5 a share, the sum was raised almost immediately. A five-person advisory board from each city was then formed to promote the team. Chippewa Falls’ officers were: Matt Leinenkugel, G.A. Mandelert, D.O. McGuire, Dr. J.D. McRae and James Tracy. Games were to be split between the two cities — at the south side Athletic Park in Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire’s Driving Park. A peculiar detail was that the players would split residence between both cities.

It seemed like an ideal fit, as the two fan bases could easily move between the two cities on the Chippewa Valley Electric Railway. There were areas of disagreement, though. One point of contention was the name of the team. When an agreement couldn’t be reached, they decided to allow the public to pick it through a contest in the newspapers in each town.

The manager of the team was a no-brainer. In the last several years no one had a larger impact on the area’s baseball reputation than Chippewa Falls native Andy Porter. A former minor leaguer known as “Captain,” Porter spent the last three years managing Chippewa Falls’ baseball team. He led the squad to the semi-pro Championship of the Northwest (Minnesota and Wisconsin) in 1903 and 1904 and came within a run of doing so in 1905.

Porter immediately went about assembling a roster. He sent word out to his contacts within the state and beyond. In late April over 600 spectators gathered at the south side Athletic Park to watch as 28 potential players took part in an exhibition game. Still, Porter was making adjustments right up until Opening Day, May 3 in Chippewa Falls at the south side Athletic Park.

There was a big to-do for the first game. Nearly all businesses in the city closed by 3 p.m. A parade went through town that included police, a band and city officials, including newly-appointed mayor George McCall. Team officials and the players, riding in carriages, brought up the rear of the parade. They traveled to the ballpark, where over 1,000 fans waited. There, short speeches were given by McCall and Wisconsin League President John Powers spoke glowingly of the addition of the Chippewa Falls-Eau Claire franchise to the league.

The game itself had moments of excitement, too. In the bottom of the ninth Chippewa Falls-Eau Claire tied the game 3-3. The weather then took over with rain washing out the playing surface, causing the game to end in a 3-3 tie. Plans to continue the game at a later were made.

A week into the season, the team was in first place with a 5-2 record. Things quickly began to unravel. Much of the initial blame was put on Porter, who was perceived as having a difficult time handling the team on and off the diamond. After a particularly rough road trip that saw them lose three games in Green Bay and four in La Crosse, the board made sweeping changes, starting with Porter being relieved of his managerial duties after a 5-9 start.

When the Chippewa Falls-Eau Claire team took the field without a manager on May 22, the press quickly picked up on the situation. The naming contest was cast aside and the team was referred to as the “Orphans” from there foreword. Less than three weeks later Porter’s successor, George Tebeau, was let go as manager. In stepped Tom Asmussen as player-manager who didn’t have much success either.

By July it had become apparent that Chippewa Falls was the secondary city in this partnership. Press coverage in Chippewa Falls dwindled and when there was mention of a game the team was simply referred to as “Eau Claire.” A two-game series in the middle of the month that was scheduled for Chippewa Falls was inexplicably moved to Eau Claire, foreshadowing coming events. The team left on a two-week road trip and major changes starting happening. On July 20 a small blurb in the Chippewa Falls Daily Independent said that “Eau Claire has the game to itself now — teams and all live there.”

A week later, July 27, it became official. All of the officers from each city’s advisory board were said to be resigning and the team would be entirely financed by the city of Eau Claire moving forward. The change did little for the Orphan’s fortunes. They went through one more managerial change when Asmussen deserted the team. Under four managers the Orphans finished in last place with a 44-71.

The missed opportunity was a disappointment to Chippewa Falls’ baseball fans. For years they had tried to get a minor league team and when they did it failed miserably. The baseball scene — albeit at the amateur level thrived thereafter — a tradition that continues to this day.