Courtesy of Library of Congress, 1887 Ex-ballplayer and now minor league owner Charles Comiskey transferred his ball club from St. Paul to Chicago in an attempt to upgrade the American League to major league status and named the team the White Stockings, after the Chicago team that dominated the National League in the 1880s. The new White Stockings won the minor-league AL championship in 1900 and after the league's owners signed numerous National League stars and up-graded to major league status won the first ever American League Championship (1901). The top stars of Comiskey's White Stockings were pitchers Clark Griffin and Roy Patterson and position players Sam Mertes, Dummy Hoy, Frank Isbell and team captain Fielder Jones. Old Baseball History |