Fort Wayne, Indiana , is home to several sports teams. These include the
NBA 's
Fort Wayne Pistons (now in Detroit), the
Fort Wayne Daisies of the
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League , and the
Fort Wayne Kekiongas of the
National Association of Professional Baseball
History
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (top) and Parkview Field (bottom).
Fort Wayne has been home to a few sports firsts. On June 2, 1883, Fort Wayne hosted the Quincy Professionals for one of the first lighted baseball games ever recorded.
[1]
[2] Fort Wayne has been credited for being the birthplace of the
NBA when
Fort Wayne Pistons owner
Fred Zollner brokered the merger of the
BAA and the
NBL in 1949 from his kitchen table.
[1]
[3] Also, on March 10, 1961,
Wilt Chamberlain became the first player in the NBA to reach 3,000 points in a single season while competing at
Memorial Coliseum .
[1]
Fort Wayne hosted two
NBA Finals Games in 1955 and 1956, as well as the third city to host the
NBA All-Star Game in 1953.
[4] The
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was also venue to the 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Volleyball Championship matches, in addition to hosting the 2000, 2001, and 2002
Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournaments . Fort Wayne also annually hosts the U.S.S.S.A. National and Boys State Championships, held at Spiece Fieldhouse.
[5]
On November 22, 1950, the
Fort Wayne Pistons defeated the
Minneapolis Lakers with a final score of 19 to 18 in the lowest scoring game in
NBA history.
[6]
Fort Wayne hosted another major league team in a
Big Four sport, the
Fort Wayne Kekiongas of the
National Association . The National Association was the first professional baseball league and the forerunner of the
National League ; it is
sometimes considered to have been a major league, and sometimes not . The Kekiongas were a founding member of the national association (in 1871), and played and won the first National Association game, but disbanded partway through the 1871 season.
Wildcat Baseball League was a
baseball league in Fort Wayne formed by Dale McMillen in April 1960 as an alternative to
Little League Baseball .
[7]
[8]
[9]
Fort Wayne was rated the "Best Place in the Country for Minor League Sports" in a 2007 issue of Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal .
[10]
Current sports teams
Former sports teams
Notable natives and former residents
Athletes
Professional baseball
Manager of the Cleveland Indians from 2003 to 2009, Fort Wayne native
Eric Wedge .
Rob Bowen ,
MLB (2003–2008)
[11]
Minnesota Twins ,
San Diego Padres ,
Chicago Cubs ,
Oakland Athletics
Dottie Collins ,
AAGPBL (1944–1950)
[12]
Minneapolis Millerettes ,
Fort Wayne Daisies
David Doster , MLB (1996, 1999)
[11]
Philadelphia Phillies
Bill Everitt , MLB (1895–1901)
[11]
Chicago Colts/Orphans ,
Washington Senators
Louie Heilbroner ,
manager , MLB (1900)
St. Louis Cardinals
Butch Henline , MLB (1921–1931)
[11]
New York Giants ,
Philadelphia Phillies ,
Brooklyn Robins ,
Chicago White Sox
Ralph Miller , MLB (1920–1924)
[11]
Philadelphia Phillies ,
Washington Senators
Eric Wedge , player, MLB (1991–1994)
[11]
Boston Red Sox ,
Colorado Rockies ; manager, MLB (2003–2009)
[11]
Cleveland Indians and
Seattle Mariners
Kevin Kiermaier , MLB (2013–present day)
[11]
Tampa Bay Rays ,
Toronto Blue Jays
Jarrod Parker , MLB (2011–2013)
[11]
Arizona Diamondbacks ,
Oakland Athletics
Professional basketball
Paul "Curly" Armstrong ,
NBA (1948/49-1950/51)
[13]
Fort Wayne Pistons
Dan Godfread , NBA (1990/91-1991/92)
[13]
Minnesota Timberwolves ,
Houston Rockets
Ralph Albert "Ham" Hamilton , NBA (1948/49)
[13]
Fort Wayne Pistons
Henry James , NBA (1990/91-1997/98)
[13]
Cleveland Cavaliers ,
Utah Jazz ,
Sacramento Kings ,
Los Angeles Clippers ,
Houston Rockets ,
Atlanta Hawks
Bobby Milton, player and manager of
Harlem Globetrotters
Brad Miller , NBA (1998/99-2011/12)
[13]
Charlotte Hornets ,
Chicago Bulls ,
Indiana Pacers ,
Sacramento Kings ,
Houston Rockets ,
Minnesota Timberwolves
Bill Roberts , NBA (1948/49-1949/50)
[13]
Chicago Stags ,
Boston Celtics ,
St. Louis Bombers
George Yardley , NBA (1953/54-1959/60)
[13]
Fort Wayne Pistons /
Detroit Pistons
Tiffany Gooden , ABL (1998),
Colorado Xplosion
Deshaun Thomas ,
EuroLeague (2013–present)
[13]
Panathinaikos B.C.
Caleb Swanigan , NBA (2017/18-2019/20)
[13]
Portland Trail Blazers
Professional BMX
Barry McManus,
BMX racer in 1980-'90s
Scott Yoquelet,
BMX racer in 1990–2000s
Joey Marks,
BMX dirt freestyle 1998–2010
Brian Doty,
BMX racer 1980-'90s
Pro Football Hall of Famer , native
Rod Woodson .
Mike Augustyniak ,
NFL (1981–1983)
[14]
New York Jets
Jason Baker ,
NFL (2001–2012)
[14]
San Francisco 49ers ,
Philadelphia Eagles ,
Kansas City Chiefs ,
Indianapolis Colts ,
Denver Broncos ,
Carolina Panthers
Roosevelt Barnes , NFL (1982–1985)
[14]
Detroit Lions
Bill Boedeker , NFL (1946–1950)
[14]
Chicago Rockets ,
Cleveland Browns ,
Philadelphia Eagles ,
Green Bay Packers
Johnny Bright ,
CFL (1952–1964)
[15]
Calgary Stampeders ,
Edmonton Eskimos , subject of the "
Johnny Bright Incident "
Bob Cowan , NFL (1947–1949)
[14]
Cleveland Browns ,
Baltimore Colts
John Diettrich , NFL (1987)
[14]
Houston Oilers
Vaughn Dunbar , NFL (1992–1995)
[14]
New Orleans Saints ,
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tyler Eifert , NFL (2013–2020)
[14]
Cincinnati Bengals ,
Jacksonville Jaguars
Eric England , NFL (1994–1996)
[14]
Arizona Cardinals
Trai Essex , NFL (2005–2012)
[14]
Pittsburgh Steelers ,
Super Bowl XL champion,
Indianapolis Colts
Jason Fabini , NFL (1998–2008)
[14]
New York Jets ,
Dallas Cowboys ,
Washington Redskins
James Hardy , NFL (2008–2011)
[14]
Buffalo Bills ,
Baltimore Ravens
Selwyn Lymon , NFL (no professional games played)
Miami Dolphins
Le'Ron McClain , NFL (2007–2013)
[14]
Baltimore Ravens ,
Kansas City Chiefs ,
San Diego Chargers
Bernard Pollard , NFL (2006–2014)
[14]
Kansas City Chiefs ,
Houston Texans ,
Baltimore Ravens ,
Tennessee Titans
Emil Sitko , NFL (1950–1952)
[14]
San Francisco 49ers ,
Chicago Cardinals
Lamar Smith , NFL (1994–2003)
[14]
Seattle Seahawks ,
New Orleans Saints ,
Miami Dolphins ,
Carolina Panthers
Anthony Spencer , NFL (2007–2015)
[14]
Dallas Cowboys ,
New Orleans Saints
Rod Woodson , NFL (1987–2003)
[14]
Pittsburgh Steelers ,
San Francisco 49ers ,
Baltimore Ravens ,
Oakland Raiders ,
Pro Football Hall of Famer
Rod Smith , NFL (2015–present)
[14]
Seattle Seahawks ,
Dallas Cowboys ,
New York Giants ,
Tennessee Titans ,
Las Vegas Raiders
Jaylon Smith , NFL (2016–present)
[14]
Dallas Cowboys ,
Green Bay Packers ,
New York Giants ,
New Orleans Saints ,
Las Vegas Raiders
Drue Tranquill , NFL (2019–present)
[14]
Los Angeles Chargers ,
Kansas City Chiefs
Professional golf
Professional hockey
Martial arts
Professional soccer
DaMarcus Beasley ,
Rangers F.C. of the
Scottish Premier League ,
U.S. national team ,
MLS
Chicago Fire
Jamar Beasley , MLS
New England Revolution ,
Chicago Fire
Bronn Pfeiffer,
Fort Wayne Flames , Indiana Kicks,
Chicago Power , and
Detroit Rockers in the
National Professional Soccer League .
Mike Harper, Baton Rouge Bombers of the
Eastern Indoor Soccer League .
Olympic swimming and diving
Steve Bigelow , swimmer,
1988 Summer Olympics
Mark Virts, diver, participated in boycott of the
1980 Summer Olympics led by President
Jimmy Carter
Matt Vogel , swimmer, two-time Olympic gold medalist,
1976 Summer Olympics
Sharon Wichman , swimmer, Olympic gold medalist,
1968 Summer Olympics
Dan Zehr , swimmer,
1932 Summer Olympics
Olympic track and field
Professional volleyball
Other notable individuals
Northeast Indiana's Top 50 Athletes
The News-Sentinel's Northeast Indiana's Top 50 Athletes of the 20th century are:
[23]
Rod Woodson
Johnny Bright
George Yardley
Everett Scott
Len Thornson
Bobby McDermott
Don Lash
DeDee Nathan
Lloy Ball
Cathy Gerring
Bill Kratzert
Matt Vogel
Sharon (Wichman) Jones
Emil Sitko
Eugene "Bubbles" Hargrave
Dottie Wiltse Collins
Willie Long
Ivan Acosta
Eddie Long
Paul "Curly" Armstrong
Bill Wambsganss
MaChelle Joseph
Steve Hargan
Henry James
Gene Hartley
Bill West
Bernie Kampschmidt
Joanne Weaver
Herm Schaefer
Lionel Repka
Vaughn Dunbar
Walter Jordan
Bruce Miller
Lashanda Harper
Nel Fettig
Terry Pembroke
Steve Platt
Tom Beerman
Cathey Tyree
Jason Fabini
Tiffany Gooden
Lamar Smith
Leslie Johnson
Tom Bolyard
Roosevelt Barnes
Conan Myers
Lee Ann Reed
Tom Kelley
Mike Augustyniak
Colin Chin
See also
References
^
a
b
c (January 19, 2008).
Fort Wayne Sports Moments
Archived October 12, 2008, at the
Wayback Machine . The News-Sentinel . Retrieved on June 11, 2009.
^ Miklich, Eric,
Night Baseball in the 19th century . Retrieved on May 16, 2008.
^ Rushin, Steve, (February 5, 2007).
Storming The Fort (wayne) . Sports Illustrated . Retrieved on May 16, 2008.
^
NBA All-Star Games – Names and Numbers , Basketball Digest , March, 2002. Retrieved on May 16, 2008.
^
U.S.S.S.A. National Tournament
Archived May 17, 2008, at the
Wayback Machine . Retrieved on May 16, 2008.
^
NBA Dateline . Retrieved on February 2, 2008.
^
Lakeland Ledger article
^
"Home" .
^
"Sports Illustrated" .
^
"Fort Wayne's No. 1" . Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal . Retrieved May 16, 2008 .
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
Baseball-Reference.com – Major League Baseball Statistics and History
^
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Players
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
NBA.com: Historical Player Search
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
Football Encyclopedia of Players – Pro-Football-Reference.com
^
Canadian Football Hall of Fame – Johnny Bright
^ Sebring, Blake, (June 6, 2009).
Duke star, Fort Wayne native ready for Red Coat . "The News-Sentinel". Retrieved on June 10, 2009.
^
"Drake Batherson at eliteprospects.com" . www.eliteprospects.com . Retrieved January 29, 2024 .
^
"Fred Knipscheer at eliteprospects.com" . www.eliteprospects.com . Retrieved January 29, 2024 .
^
Dale Purinton hockey statistics & profile at hockeydb.com
^
"New World Order: After years of battling for fair opportunities, people of color are finally running the show (in some places) and driving the economics in sports" . Sports Illustrated . May 2, 2003. Retrieved June 11, 2009 .
^ (February 27, 2007).
More than Just a Game
Archived July 25, 2011, at the
Wayback Machine . Big Ten Basketball. Retrieved on June 11, 2009.
^
"Jessie G. Lopez" .
ESPNscrum .
^
News-Sentinel.com
Archived December 23, 2009, at the
Wayback Machine