•October 26, 2016•

The January 8, 1917 edition of the Decatur Herald ran an article entitled: “Frank Chance Recalls His Debut in Sullivan”.  Frank Chance was player-manager of the Chicago Cubs on the only two World Series championship teams in 1907 and 1908.

The short of it is that in 1895 at either 17 or 18 years of age, Chance was observed playing in Fresno, Calif. by someone who enticed him to come to Sullivan, Illinois to play for the semi-pro team based there at the time.

Two different accounts indicate his salary to have been $25/month or $40/month (plus board).

There were two sources, one of which had him playing both in 1896 and 1897 in Sullivan while the other indicated he returned to play in Fresno in 1897 where he impressed a former Cub player who contacted Cubs management that they needed to sign him, which they did. He began his career with the Cubs in 1898.

Thanks to Brett Robinson Bethany baseball great for this story.