Bring back the Chi-Feds

Yesterday's game between the Chicago Federals and the Kansas City Packers (A.K.A. Cubs and Diamond Backs) celebrating the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field was a good history lesson for Chicago fans not conversant with the old Federal League, for which Weeghman Park (Wrigley Field) was built. Though only lasting two years, 1914 through 1915, the Chicago team dominated the eight team "third" major league which went bust when their anti trust lawsuit against the American and National Leagues languished under Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis, who was rewarded for his delaying tactics by being elected Baseball Commissioner after the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Missing first place by just a game and a half in 1914, the Chi-Feds, as they were called till getting an official team name of Whales for the 1915 season, eeked out first place over the St. Louis Terriers by .001 % (84-66 vs. 87-67) since they didn't play an equal number of games as is the custom today. Trivia buffs know this was the closest major league pennant race ever. Chi-Feds owner Charles Weeghman, whom the 1914 park was named for, was one of two owners allowed to buy into the original major leagues. Weeghman bought the Cubs, merged his two teams together, and moved the revamped Cubbies into Weeghman Park for the 1916 National League season. Alas, it did not stop a seven year skid since the last Cub championship. The Cubbies have since logged another ninety-eight seasons of futility, making the Chi-Feds the last North Side major league team to earn a downtown Chicago parade. Maybe it's time for the Cubs to fold their National League tent, form a new Federal League and press those Chi-Fed uniforms from the 100th anniversary game. In the first season of a re-incarnated Federal League, they'd be going for their second straight championship.