{"product_id":"des-moines-undertakers-crewneck-sweatshirt-vintage-defunct-baseball-teams-iowa","title":"Des Moines Undertakers Crewneck Sweatshirt - Vintage Defunct Baseball Teams - Iowa","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Des Moines Undertakers carried the best team name Des Moines, Iowa ever produced, in an era when the city went through names the way most clubs went through pitchers. The club was named the Undertakers for the offseason profession of its manager, Joe Quinn, who ran a mortuary business when he wasn't running a ballclub. Quinn was no ordinary skipper: born in Australia, he was the first Australian ever to play major league baseball, spending 17 seasons in the big leagues before Des Moines wired him an offer to manage in 1902. The choice made sense on both sides. Quinn's family had settled in Iowa when he was a teenager, and he'd spent three seasons playing amateur ball in Des Moines before his professional career began; the local papers welcomed him back as an \"old time\" Des Moines player.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe team finished 55-76, seventh in the eight-team Western League, though pitcher Harvey Cushman led the league with 195 strikeouts and shortstop Charley O'Leary hit .311 with the best fielding percentage at his position. O'Leary went straight on to Detroit, where he spent nearly a decade as the Tigers' shortstop alongside Ty Cobb, appearing in three World Series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Undertakers were one stop on a remarkable naming carousel. The same Des Moines franchise played as the Hawkeyes in 1900 and 1901, the Midgets in 1902, the Undertakers in 1903, the Prohibitionists in 1904, and the Underwriters in 1905, that last one a nod to the insurance industry that was turning Des Moines into a company town. The Underwriters won the pennant, so the club renamed itself the Champions for 1906, won again, and played 1907 as the Champs before settling into two decades as the Boosters and, from 1925, the Demons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n    \u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRetro 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur crewneck sweatshirts are classics that anyone is sure to recognize. They are thick, durable Gildan brand crews. They are a cotton\/poly blend that stands the test of time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize Guide: True to size\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cul class=\"listMCE\"\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eMade with a medium-heavy fabric blend of 50% cotton and 50% polyester (8.0 oz\/yd² (271.25 g\/m²)), this sweatshirt feels cozy and is the perfect choice for those colder months.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eThe classic fit along with the crew neckline deliver a comfy wearing experience with a clean-cut style. Meanwhile, the double-needle stitching at the shoulder, armhole, neck, waistband, and cuff seams add top-tier durability.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eSay goodbye to itchiness thanks to the gray, pearlized tear-away label.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eMade using 100% ethically grown US cotton. Gildan is also a proud member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol ensuring ethical and sustainable means of production. The blank shirt's dyes are OEKO-TEX-certified dyes with low environmental impact.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMachine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Non-chlorine: bleach as needed; Tumble dry: low heat; Do not iron; Do not dryclean.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n    ","brand":"Retro Baseball Revival","offers":[{"title":"S \/ Sand","offer_id":48519949615326,"sku":"10476469342008527786","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"S \/ Sport Grey","offer_id":48519949648094,"sku":"21271162531215357423","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"M \/ Sand","offer_id":48519949680862,"sku":"14282124200803823680","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"M \/ Sport Grey","offer_id":48519949713630,"sku":"23246478466605526573","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"L \/ Sand","offer_id":48519949746398,"sku":"22249326614898748664","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"L \/ Sport Grey","offer_id":48519949779166,"sku":"16812393930105327901","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"XL \/ Sand","offer_id":48519949811934,"sku":"21074675799088782957","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"XL \/ Sport Grey","offer_id":48519949844702,"sku":"29503847795580086285","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2XL \/ Sand","offer_id":48519949877470,"sku":"56263640317155953093","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2XL \/ Sport Grey","offer_id":48519949910238,"sku":"14033161366534543897","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3XL \/ Sand","offer_id":48519949943006,"sku":"15817184565154056908","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3XL \/ Sport Grey","offer_id":48519949975774,"sku":"23011215456927551880","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4XL \/ Sport Grey","offer_id":48519950008542,"sku":"21004338955041026404","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5XL \/ Sport Grey","offer_id":48519950041310,"sku":"29498395655905673336","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0279\/1545\/2468\/files\/17172407190233315881_2048.jpg?v=1785344477","url":"https:\/\/retrobaseballrevival.com\/products\/des-moines-undertakers-crewneck-sweatshirt-vintage-defunct-baseball-teams-iowa","provider":"Retro Baseball Revival","version":"1.0","type":"link"}