The Hutchinson Wheatshockers took their name from the harvest practice of stacking cut wheat into upright bundles called shocks to dry in the field, fitting for Hutchinson, Kansas, the city at the heart of the wheat belt. The Wheatshockers' Western League run was brief, eventful, and never once ended a season where it started.
The name arrived mid-season in 1917, when the St. Joseph franchise relocated to Hutchinson on July 24. The new Wheatshockers went 32-24 the rest of the way under a succession of three managers, including Babe Adams, the Pittsburgh Pirates' 1909 World Series hero, then serving out a mid-career exile in the minors before returning to Pittsburgh the following year. Hutchinson won the league's second-half title, swept Joplin in the playoff, and lost the finals to Des Moines four games to two.
The 1918 season went stranger still. The Wheatshockers started 14-19, and on June 2 the franchise moved to Oklahoma City, while on the very same day the Topeka franchise moved into Hutchinson and became the Salt Packers, a same-day team swap with few parallels in baseball history. A month later the federal "work or fight" order folded the entire league anyway.
The Wheatshockers name carried on in Class C ball through the 1920s and early 1930s, then made one final Western League appearance in 1933, which ended true to form: the franchise relocated mid-season to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where it finished the year as the Broncs.
The Western League was a Class A circuit for most of its life, operating from 1900 through 1937 and again from 1947 through 1958, fielding teams across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain states, including Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, and later Texas and New Mexico. For its first decade it stood just one step below the major leagues. An earlier league of the same name, which ran from 1885 to 1899, renamed itself the American League in 1900 and lives on today as one half of Major League Baseball.
Retro Baseball Revival celebrates historic baseball teams with unique apparel, honoring their legacy and bringing history to one-of-a-kind clothing with our old school retro baseball tees from defunct Minor League Baseball teams. All of our high quality apparel is designed, printed, and shipped within the USA. This collection features 100% original designs based on the history and nicknames of historic minor league teams.
Our premium lightweight shirts are the hugely popular Bella+Canvas brand 3001 tees. They are much lighter and thinner feeling than a traditional heavyweight tee. They also are more form fitting and feel more snug. These are generally 90% to 100% cotton, although please note that heather colors in this item are 52% cotton.
Size Guide: Fit is true to size or a little snug. Considering ordering one size up if you are normally between sizes.
Brand: Bella Canvas | Product ID: 3001
- Made with 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²)) that is easy to layer, breathable. Perfect for active and leisure wear.
- The retail fit that is perfect for casual and semi-formal settings. The crew neckline adds a classic, neat style that's perfect for accessorizing.
- Bella+Canvas manufactures all its products in the US and internationally in humane, no-sweat-shop, sustainable way and is part of the Fair Labor Association as well as Platinum WRAP certified.
- The tear-away label minimizes skin irritations.
- Fabric blends: Ash and Heather Prism colors - 99% cotton, 1% polyester; Heather and Solid Blend colors - 52% cotton, 48% polyester; Athletic Heather and Black Heather - 90% cotton, 10% polyester.
