October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
1915 Chicago Whales: Ending the Outlaw League
The Federal League served as a third path to the Major Leagues in the mid-1910s, but for many reasons, the league folded after only a couple of seasons. The main reasons for its collapse were ongoing financial problems and the rapid departure of its players to the National and American Leagues. The other two Major Leagues were said to feel pressured by the Federal League’s presence. In truth, the Federal League constantly had to relocate some of its franchises just to keep going, which made the league look unhealthy and unstable.
Formerly known as the Chicago Federals because they couldn’t come up with a team name, the Chicago Whales took the field in 1915 and played one of the most memorable seasons in the history of Chicago baseball, a history that includes the Chicago Cubs of the National League. Their home, Weeghman Park, would go on to become a storied ballpark that many baseball fans still love today, better known as Wrigley Field. Because they played in a big market, the Whales had no problem attracting star players.
The 1915 Chicago Whales went 86-66, finishing in a virtual tie with the St. Louis Terriers atop the Federal League standings. The Terriers went 87-67, so by a margin of .001 in winning percentage, the Whales were declared Federal League champions. The Whales finished with a .566 winning percentage, while the Terriers finished at .565. The two clubs went an even 11-11-1 against each other in head-to-head play. The Whales went 44-32 at Weeghman Park and 42-34 on the road.
With the exception of August, the Whales played solid baseball every month of the regular season, going 8-5 in April, 15-11 in May, 14-13 in June, 17-11 in July, 17-6 in September and 3-1 in October. In blowout games decided by five runs or more, the Whales went 22-12.
Right fielder Max Flack batted .314 with 164 hits, 20 doubles, 14 triples and 37 stolen bases. Outfielder Les Mann batted .306 with 144 hits, 12 doubles, 19 triples and 18 stolen bases. Catcher Art Wilson batted .305 with 7 home runs, 82 hits, 11 doubles and 8 stolen bases in 96 games. Center fielder Dutch Zwilling batted .286 with 13 home runs and 94 RBIs on 157 hits, 32 doubles, 7 triples and 24 stolen bases. Catcher William Fischer batted .329 with 96 hits and 15 doubles in 105 games. Second baseman Rollie Zeider had 112 hits, 22 doubles and 16 stolen bases. Fred Beck had 83 hits and 9 doubles in 121 games. Shortstop Jimmy Smith had 69 hits and 11 doubles in 95 games. Third baseman Harry Fritz had 59 hits and 8 doubles in 79 games.
The pitching staff for the 1915 Chicago Whales featured Major League talent, and some of its pitchers went on to have successful careers in the other two Major Leagues. George McConnell went 25-10 with 151 strikeouts and a 2.20 ERA, recording 23 complete games, 4 shutouts and 1 save. Mordecai Brown went 17-8 with 95 strikeouts and a 2.09 ERA, recording 17 complete games, 3 shutouts and 4 saves. Claude Hendrix went 16-15 with 107 strikeouts, recording 26 complete games, 5 shutouts and 4 saves.
Mike Prendergast went 14-12 with 95 strikeouts and a 2.48 ERA, recording 16 complete games and 3 shutouts. Ad Brennan recorded a 3.74 ERA, 7 complete games and 2 shutouts despite going 3-9. In 10 starts, Dave Black recorded a 2.45 ERA and 2 complete games despite going 6-7. Rankin Johnson had 3 complete games and 1 save in 6 starts despite going 2-4. In 5 starts, Bill Bailey went 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA, recording 3 complete games and 3 shutouts.
One fine example of a Chicago Whales-style game was an 8-0 shutout victory over the Buffalo Blues on June 18 at Federal League Park (not to be confused with the park of the same name in Indianapolis). Mordecai Brown pitched a complete game, giving up just 1 hit and 3 walks while recording 3 strikeouts. Rollie Zeider had 3 hits and 1 RBI, while Max Flack had 3 hits, a stolen base and a walk. Dutch Zwilling had 2 hits, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base and a walk. Fred Beck and Les Mann each had 2 hits and 1 RBI. Brown also helped himself with 1 hit and 1 RBI.
Another defining game came on July 16 at Handlan’s Park in St. Louis, when the Whales handed the St. Louis Terriers a 6-0 defeat. Dave Black pitched 8 solid innings, giving up 5 hits and 3 walks while recording 3 strikeouts. Harry Fritz was the star of the game with 2 hits, 3 RBIs and a walk. Dutch Zwilling had 2 hits, 2 RBIs and a stolen base. Jimmy Smith had 1 hit and 1 RBI, while Max Flack, Les Mann and William Fischer each had 2 hits.
The 1915 Chicago Whales would be the last champions in the Federal League’s existence, as the league brought an antitrust lawsuit in federal court against both the National and American Leagues during the 1914-1915 offseason. The federal judge overseeing the lawsuit was none other than future Major League Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who preferred that both sides negotiate their way through their legal troubles. This in part contributed to the Federal League’s growing financial issues.
The team owners of the National and American Leagues eventually bought out half of the Federal League’s owners, particularly those of the teams in Newark, Buffalo, Brooklyn and Pittsburgh. St. Louis Terriers owner Phil Ball was given permission to buy the American League’s St. Louis Browns, while Charles Weeghman, owner of the Chicago Whales, was allowed to buy the National League’s Chicago Cubs. Both Ball and Weeghman merged their defunct Federal League teams with their newly purchased clubs. The Federal League was the last true attempt to break the two-league establishment in Major League Baseball, so ending the “Outlaw” League was a significant part of MLB’s long-term survival.
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