The 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.
The 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.
The 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.
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.
