The Des Moines Boosters were a Western League minor league baseball team based in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

, United States that existed from 1908 to 1924. Des Moines fielded teams in the Western League from 1900-1937 and 1947–1958.

Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

s George Davis and

Red Faber Urban Clarence "Red" Faber (September 6, 1888 – September 25, 1976) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from through , playing his entire career for the Chicago White Sox. He was a member of the 1919 Chicago White So ...

played for the Des Moines Boosters.

History

The Des Moines Boosters won two Western League championships - their first in 1915 under manager

Frank Isbell William Frank Isbell (August 21, 1875 – July 15, 1941) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman, and outfielder in the 1910s. Career Born in Delevan, New York, Isbell was nicknamed Bald Eagle due to his receding hai ...

and their second in 1917 under Jack Coffey. Des Moines had first fielded a Western League team in 1900, playing under several monikers before being called the "Boosters." At the time, the league was a Class A league, the highest level of minor league play. The teams that directly preceded the Des Moines Boosters in Western League play were the Des Moines Hawkeyes (1900–1901), Des Moines Midgets (1902), Des Moines Undertakers (1903), Des Moines Prohibitionists (1904), Des Moines Underwriters (1905), Des Moines Champions (1906) and Des Moines Champs (1907) before becoming the Des Moines Boosters (1908–1924). Des Moines won Western league Championships in 1905 and 1906, leading to the championship reference monikers. The

Des Moines Demons The Des Moines Demons were a minor league baseball team that was located in Des Moines, Iowa from 1925 to 1937 and 1959 to 1961. The teams played at Holcomb Park. The first professional night baseball game was played at Holcomb Park when the Dem ...

continued play the Western League, playing in the league from 1925–1937. The Western League did not play in 1938, but resumed in 1938 without a Des Moines franchise. The

Des Moines Bruins Des Moines Bruins were a minor league baseball team based in Des Moines, Iowa. The team played in the Western League from 1947 to 1958. Their home ballpark was Pioneer Memorial Stadium, and they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs (1947–195 ...

rejoined the Western League in 1947. The Des Moines Bruins remained in the Western League until it folded in 1958.

The ballparks

From 1912–1924 the Des Moines Boosters played home games at Western League Park, also known as Holcomb Avenue Park or just Holcomb Park. The ballpark had a maximum capacity of 12,000 (1930). It was on the northwest corner of Holcomb Avenue (south, home plate) and Seventh Street (east, right field), near the

Des Moines River The Des Moines River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwestern United States that is approximately long from its farther headwaters.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe N ...

(west, left field). The park opened on April 14, 1912, with the Boosters defeating Ottumwa 10-3. es Moines ''Register'', April 15, 1912, p.6 On May 2, 1930, Western League Park and the Des Moines Demons hosted the first night game played under permanent light standards. The ballgame was partially broadcast nationally on NBC. Today, the site contains Des Moines North High School's Grubb Community Stadium. Seventh Street no longer cuts through the area. The high school stadium is on the northwest corner of Holcomb Avenue and Sixth Street. Prior to Western League Park, the Des Moines clubs played at these locations, as listed in contemporary city directories: *1887–1897 Athletic Park, south of West Elm Street and west of South Seventh Street, also given as "foot of Seventh Street" *1900–1908 West of Fourth Street between Grand Avenue and Chestnut Street, west side of river *1909–1911 Northeast corner of East Walnut Street and 20th Street, east side of river

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...
alumni

* George Davis *

Notable alumni

* Mack Allison * Goat Anderson *

Art Bader Arthur Herman Bader (September 21, 1886 – April 15, 1957) was a Major League Baseball player. Bader played for the St. Louis Browns in the 1904 season. In two games, he had no hits in three at-bats, playing the outfield. He batted and threw rig ...

* Ira Belden *

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* Felix Chouinard * George Clark * Jack Coffey *

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* Red Corriden * Nick Cullop * Jack Dalton *

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* Phil Douglas * Bernie Duffy *

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* Ray Flaskamper * Gene Ford * Ray French * Jack Gilligan * Peaches Graham *

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* Jim Grant *

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* Bruce Hartford * Ziggy Hasbrook *

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* Shags Horan * Bernie Hungling * Bill Hunter *

* Tex Jones *

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* Joe Klugmann *

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* Frank Lange *

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* Willie Ludolph *

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* Wally Mattick * Red McDermott * Polly McLarry * Frank McManus *

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* Billy Meyer * Horace Milan *

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* Buzz Murphy *

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* Andy Nelson *

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* Fred Olmstead * Harry Patton * George Payne * Herman Pillette * Tom Reilly *

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* Carl Sawyer * Frank Schneiberg * Paul Sentell * Al Shaw *

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* Phil Slattery * Claude Thomas * Art Thomason * Bert Whaling *

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* Clyde Williams *

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* Mike Wilson * George Winn *

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* Moses J. Yellow Horse

External links

Sanborn map showing Holcomb ballpark, 1951Sanborn map showing Des Moines ballpark, 1901

References

{{reflist Baseball teams established in 1908 Defunct minor league baseball teams Sports in Des Moines, Iowa Defunct baseball teams in Iowa 1908 establishments in Iowa Baseball teams disestablished in 1924 1924 disestablishments in Iowa Defunct Western League teams Des Moines Boosters players

History

The ballparks

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ... alumni

Notable alumni

External links

References

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...
alumni