The 1916 Fort Dearborn National Bank team
According to The Chicago Examiner, in 1916 there were “more than 2000 amateur teams in Chicago, representing an army of from 18,000 to 25,000 young Americans who believe in clean living and wholesome athletic diversion.” The team from the Fort Dearborn National Bank was the best.
On August 6 the Fort Dearborn’s beat out The First National Bank of Chicago team for the Bankers League Championship in August. They next won Chicago’s month-long City League Championship elimination series, beating The Illinois Toll Company 10-1 in the championship game on September 2.
The team traveled to Des Moines, Iowa where they were defeated two games to one by the Des Moines Gas Company team and eliminated from the National Baseball Federation tournament, which was eventually won by the “Norwoods,” a powerful semi-pro team from Norwood, Ohio, who also won the tournament in 1917.
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