Previously Unknown 1914 Federal League Photo

[prewarsports]

Hi Guys. I have had this photo from a former players estate for about a year and always assumed it was a Western League photo. I was doing some research today and double checked the date and discovered this player was not in the Western League in 1914 (the date on the back) but was in the Federal League. I looked up the game date and saw it matched and then noticed the little scoreboard on the outfield wall and sure enough, it matched up perfectly. So....

This is a photo of the opening weekend of the "new" Federal League. It is an action photo of a game between the Kansas City Packers and the Chicago Chi-Feds on April 19, 1914. I dont know of any other photos of Gordon & Koppel Field in Kansas City, but when you think of the Federal League you think of Wrigley and these beautiful stadiums, but this was NOT one of those.

Anyways, I thought you guys might like to look at this rare image from the genesis of the Federal League.

Rhys Yeakley

[barrysloate]

What a great photo. That stadium looks awfully small, doesn't look like too many fans could get in to see a game.

[drc]

Nice pic, with the trees in the background. Resembles a college stadium.

[GKreindler]

KILLER photo Rhys!! Thanks so much for posting it...

[brickyardkennedy]

Love this shot. Even if the trees do outnumber the fans. Thanks!

[Oldtix]

Spectacular discovery! Thank you for sharing it!

[bmarlowe1]

There are 2 really bad quality photos of Gordon & Koppell Field in Marc Okkonen's "The Federal League of 1914-1915." He says that "they may be the only existing photographic view of Gordon & Koppell field."

One photo clearly shows that, at least on the right field side, the seating extended well past the grandstand roof deep into the outfield. The left field line area is just too fuzzy to see if it matches Rhys's photo where the left field line seating does not extend very far beyond the roofline.

The second photo is a very wide panorama, also of poor quality, but in that one you can see that seating does extend only somewhat beyond the roof-line down the left field line - similar to Rhys's photo.

Also - the 1914 KC home uniforms are unknown (the road unis are listed).

Rhys - can you post a magnifcation of the scoreboard and perhaps the KC pitcher and Chi player near 3rd base?

[cardguru67]

Anybody know a good place to buy more vintage photos like this?

[drc]

Legendary Auctions has lots of photos in their current auction, and Lelands usually has lots too.

[thekingofclout]

Well done Rhys.

[slidekellyslide]

Very nice Rhys! Great detective work.

[prewarsports]

These photos dont really help a whole lot, but at least you can see the scorecboard. Picture was snapped during the visiting-half of the fourth inning it appears with Chicago threatening to score. Looks like another Fed Lg. game had just gotten under way elsewhere as well.

I enlarged some scans of the uniforms as best as my scanner could do, but the distance between the field and the photos origin point is just too large to get exact details. It does appear the KC uniforms have a K on one breast and a C on the other but it could just be the shadows.

Hope this helps, it is the best I could do.

Rhys

[bmarlowe1]

Very cool - great find! Thanks.

The socks are right, the Chicago caps are right. It looks like the KC unis are just white versions of the already known gray road unis as expected.

[barrysloate]

Among the many things I love about that photo is that you can practically pinpoint the time of day it was taken. If you know what time the game started, say 1:00 PM, you could estimate that photograph was taken around 1:45 on April 19 and you would be accurate within a couple of minutes!

[rhettyeakley]

Looks like the pitcher for Kansas City in that game on April 19, 1914 was Ben Harris (a right hander like in the picture). KC would win the game 7-6.

Also, Indianapolis did indeed play St. Lous that same day in St. Louis w/ St. Louis winning the game 9-2. It probably isn't a stretch that they were getting live updates from St. Louis (ie both of the Missouri teams' scores were being recorded on the board)

[jimthorpe]

Great research Rhys.

Congrats

Mike McKee

[perezfan]

Great stuff Rhys! I believe the "K C" is definitely there, as those can't be the same shadows on all 3 players shirts.

Thanks for posting this!

[KansasCityYeti]

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

Rhys

Great photo.

We have a few Federal League player photos. They are hard to find
In the last Legendary auction there was a photo of all the Federal League team owners. We left a generous bid, but somebody topped us

Good luck. Let us know if you discover any other photos.

Best


Bruce

[sox1903wschamp]

Very very nice photo. Thanks for posting.

[KansasCityYeti]

I think it had the same configuration as the later Municipal Stadium, so the left side of the stands is short while the right side may extend all the way to the outfield. Plus, Brush Creek is right up against the left field fence which caused flood damage to the fence later on. Stupid choice of a spot, but it may not have been as much of a small hobo park as is insinuated with this much appreciated pic. Do you realize this could be a photo of the 1st major league game in 20th century Kansas City? 1880's KC Cowboys were the first pro team.

[sox1903wschamp]

I know this thread is about the Federal League picture but the previous poster mentioned Municipal Stadium in KC and I thought I would post this large PC which I think is a great shot of the old stadium.

[KansasCityYeti]

Still takes a second to the view of the field from Charlie O's Petting Zoo. Anyways, the left grandstand cuts off at nearly the same spot as the older stadium because the spectators in the foreground are sitting in lawn chairs or the grass. This confirms my suspicion that Koppel was duplicated at municipal (Muelbach when it 1st opened) and survived into the 70's due to lack of a flood plain and tacked on upper deck in the 50's for the A's. Even left field at Municipal was pretty shallow just like Koppel. Charlie O' hated it too because a deep right field made up 4 it. It was the opposite of Yankee Stadium.

[KansasCityYeti]

http://www.nlbpa.com/bluesstadium_KC.jpg

[Ladder7]

Nice work Rhys.,

Below the scoreboard, just above the ground it lists, "Blues" and "Visitors". Seems they shared the park with another league, or perhaps, the Blues became the Packers in the new League?

Terrific shot.

[bmarlowe1]

Originally Posted by Ladder7

Nice work Rhys.,

Below the scoreboard, just above the ground it lists, "Blues" and "Visitors". Seems they shared the park with another league, or perhaps, the Blues became the Packers in the new League?

Terrific shot.

Yes I noticed that. The KC Blues were an American Association team at that time. I contacted a Deadball Era American Assn expert. The AA's KC Blues played at Association Park, and it is certain that Rhys' photo is not Association Park. The Blues/Vis line at the botton had to be just to keep the locals informed about the other KC team.

[KansasCityYeti]

Had official names untill 1920. They all went by the following names:
Blues
Blue Stockings
Blue Sox
Cowboys
Packers
KawFeds - only used 4 the Federal League team

So Blues could mean the AA team or the KawFeds

[jimonym]

What a great photo. Here's a box score for the game. The runner on third was stranded...forever.

[bmarlowe1]

Originally Posted by KansasCityYeti

Had official names untill 1920. They all went by the following names:
Blues
Blue Stockings
Blue Sox
Cowboys
Packers
KawFeds - only used 4 the Federal League team

So Blues could mean the AA team or the KawFeds

Thanks Kirk. I knew the FL team had gone by Packers and Kawfeds, but I didn't know they also used Blues. Is there a reference you could point me to that has that info. I'm writing an article about Rhys's photo, and I want to be sure I have my ducks in a row.