Chicago Bears History: From the Decatur Staleys to the Monsters of the Midway Few franchises in professional sports have a history as deep as the Chicago Bears. The Bears are one of the two remaining charter members of the NFL, tracing their roots to 1920. Before they became the Chicago Bears, they were the Decatur Staleys, an industrial football team sponsored by the A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company. The franchise moved to Chicago in 1921, changed its name to the Bears in 1922 and has been one of professional football’s most important organizations ever since. The Bears have won nine NFL championships, including the 1985 Super Bowl, and their history includes George Halas, Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Sid Luckman, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus, Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Brian Urlacher, Devin Hester and many other Hall of Fame players. The franchise has also produced some of the most famous defenses in football history. The Birth of the Bears In 1920, the A.E. Staley Company of Decatur, Illinois, sponsored a football team. George Halas, who had experience as both a player and coach, became the team’s representative at the September 17, 1920 meeting in Canton, Ohio, where representatives of 11 other clubs helped form the American Professional Football Association, which became the National Football League in 1922. The franchise fee was only $100. The original team was the Decatur Staleys. In 1921, A.E. Staley gave Halas the team, $5,000 and permission to move the club to Chicago as long as it retained the Staleys name for one season. The move worked. The Chicago Staleys won the 1921 APFA championship. In January 1922, the franchise officially became the Chicago Bears. The Bears were born. George Halas: The Man Who Was the Bears It is almost impossible to tell the story of the Bears without telling the story of George “Papa Bear” Halas. Halas was: Player, Coach, Owner, General manager, Founder, Innovator, and NFL pioneer. He coached the Bears for 40 seasons, divided into four separate 10-year periods. His coaching record was an extraordinary 324-151-31, including playoffs. He led Chicago to six NFL championships as coach: 1921, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1946 and 1963. Halas retired from coaching after the 1967 season. He remained the guiding force of the organization until his death in 1983. Few people in NFL history have had a greater influence on a franchise. Bears Ownership History One of the unusual things about the Chicago Bears is that the franchise has remained in the same family since its earliest days. A.E. Staley Company — 1920 The original Decatur Staleys were owned by the A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company. The company sponsored the team and employed many of its players. The Staleys’ financial problems helped lead to the decision to give George Halas control of the franchise and allow him to move it to Chicago. George Halas — 1920-1983 George Halas became the dominant owner and leader of the franchise. For more than six decades, the Bears were essentially his football kingdom. He was involved in virtually every aspect of the organization. The Pro Football Hall of Fame notes that almost all of the Bears’ successes from their beginning through 1983 can be attributed to Halas. Virginia Halas McCaskey — 1983-2025 After George Halas died in 1983, ownership passed to his daughter, Virginia Halas McCaskey. She became one of the most important women in NFL history. McCaskey was born in 1923 and had literally grown up around the Bears. She had watched the franchise from the earliest days of professional football and eventually became its principal owner. She was the owner when the Bears won Super Bowl XX following the 1985 season. McCaskey remained the team’s principal owner until her death on February 6, 2025, at age 102. She had been the longest-tenured owner in the NFL. The McCaskey Family — 2025-present After Virginia McCaskey’s death, the Bears remained a McCaskey family-owned franchise. Her grandson, George H. McCaskey, serves as Bears chairman and is the current principal owner/representative of the family’s ownership. The important point is that the Bears have never been sold to an outside ownership group in their modern history. The same family that began with George Halas continues to control the franchise more than a century later. Every Major Bears Home Stadium The Bears have played their home games in several locations during their long history. Staley Field — Decatur, Illinois 1920 This was the original home of the Decatur Staleys. It was a small facility with a capacity of approximately 1,500. The limitations of playing in Decatur were one reason Halas moved the team to Chicago. Cubs Park — Chicago 1921-1925 After moving to Chicago, the Staleys played at Cubs Park. The ballpark was later renamed Wrigley Field. Wrigley Field 1926-1970 Wrigley Field became the Bears’ home for half a century. The Bears played their final game there on December 13, 1970, defeating the Green Bay Packers 35-17. Wrigley was home to some of the greatest players in early Bears history including: Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Sid Luckman, George McAfee, Bulldog Turner, Dick Butkus, and Gale Sayers. Soldier Field 1971-2001 The Bears moved to Soldier Field in 1971. The stadium became the permanent symbol of Bears football. It was the home of Walter Payton, the 1985 championship team and the legendary Bears defenses. Memorial Stadium — Champaign, Illinois 2002 … Continue reading Chicago Bears History: From the Decatur Staleys
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The History of the San Francisco Giants
[custom_countdown width=”100px”] The History of the San Francisco Giants: From New York to the Bay Area The San Francisco Giants are one of the oldest and most successful franchises in Major League Baseball. Their history begins in 1883, when John B. Day and Jim Mutrie organized a National League club originally known as the New York Gothams. The club adopted the nickname Giants during the 1885 season. The franchise has played in two great baseball cities, New York and San Francisco, and has been home to some of the greatest players in baseball history. The Giants have won 23 National League pennants and eight World Series championships, five championships in New York and three since moving to San Francisco. The Beginning: The New York Gothams The Giants entered the National League in 1883. John B. Day and Jim Mutrie had already operated the New York Metropolitans, and they helped establish the new National League club. The Gothams quickly became a powerhouse. By 1885, the team was being called the Giants, and the roster included future Hall of Famers such as Roger Connor, Buck Ewing, Tim Keefe and Mickey Welch. That 1885 club won 85 of 112 games, producing the highest winning percentage in franchise history. The Giants won their first National League pennants in 1888 and 1889 and also won the early championship series against the American Association champion. The franchise survived numerous ownership changes, ballpark moves and league challenges before establishing itself as one of baseball’s permanent institutions. Every Home Ballpark in Giants History Few franchises have had a more interesting ballpark history. The Giants have played in several different parks in New York and two temporary and permanent homes in San Francisco.Jersey City, New Jersey Ballpark Years Used Location Polo Grounds I 1883-1888 110th St. & Sixth Ave., Manhattan Oakdale Park 1889 Jersey City, New Jersey St. George Grounds 1889 Staten Island, New York Polo Grounds II 1889-1890 155th St. & Eighth Ave., Manhattan Polo Grounds III 1891-1911 Coogan’s Hollow, Manhattan Hilltop Park 1911 165th St. & Fort Washington Ave. Polo Grounds V 1911-1957 155th/157th St. & Eighth Ave., Manhattan Seals Stadium 1958-1959 16th & Bryant Streets, San Francisco Candlestick Park 1960-1999 Candlestick Point, San Francisco Oracle Park 2000-present Third & King Streets, San Francisco The Giants opened their 1889 season at Oakdale Park in Jersey City because they had been evicted from the original Polo Grounds. They played two games there before moving to the St. George Grounds on Staten Island. Later that year they moved back to Manhattan to a new Polo Grounds. The 1911 season produced another unusual chapter. The Polo Grounds burned, forcing the Giants to temporarily use Hilltop Park, the home of the American League New York Highlanders. The rebuilt Polo Grounds opened in June 1911 and became the Giants’ home through the 1957 season. Seals Stadium After moving west in 1958, the Giants played their first two seasons in San Francisco at Seals Stadium. On April 15, 1958, the Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-0 in their first Major League game in San Francisco. Orlando Cepeda hit a home run in the historic season and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Candlestick Park The Giants moved to Candlestick Park in 1960. The stadium was initially considered a modern improvement over Seals Stadium, but its cold temperatures and notorious winds eventually made it one of the most distinctive—and sometimes hated—ballparks in baseball. Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Barry Bonds and many other Giants stars played at Candlestick. Oracle Park The Giants opened their new downtown San Francisco ballpark in 2000. Originally named Pacific Bell Park, it later became SBC Park, AT&T Park, and finally Oracle Park. The privately financed stadium helped secure the franchise’s long-term future in San Francisco. It also became famous for McCovey Cove, where home runs hit by left-handed Giants hitters can splash into the water. Giants Ownership Through the Years The ownership history of the Giants is almost as complicated as the franchise’s ballpark history. The following list identifies the principal owner or controlling ownership figure for each major period. During the modern era, ownership became an investment partnership rather than a single-person operation. Years Principal/Controlling Owner 1883-1893 John B. Day 1893-1895 C.C. Van Cott 1895-1902 Andrew Freedman 1902-1912 John T. Brush 1912-1919 Harry N. Hempstead 1919-1936 Charles A. Stoneham 1936-1976 Horace C. Stoneham 1976-1993 Bob Lurie 1993-2008 Peter Magowan-led ownership group 2008-2011 William H. Neukom-led ownership group 2012-2019 Larry Baer as managing/control executive 2019-present Greg Johnson as chairman and designated control person The Giants’ early ownership chronology is documented in the club’s historical media guides. Horace Stoneham and the Move West Horace Stoneham inherited the Giants from his father, Charles, in 1936. He eventually became the man responsible for one of the biggest decisions in franchise history. In 1957, Stoneham announced that the Giants would leave New York for San Francisco. The move occurred at the same time the Brooklyn Dodgers were moving to Los Angeles. The two moves permanently changed the geographic map of Major League Baseball. Bob Lurie Saves the Giants Bob Lurie purchased the Giants in 1976 and spent years trying to obtain a new stadium. When those efforts failed, he agreed to sell the team to a group that intended to move it to the Tampa Bay area. That move nearly happened. In 1992, a Bay Area investment group led by Peter Magowan stepped forward and purchased the franchise, keeping the Giants in San Francisco. The Modern Ownership Group Peter Magowan’s group immediately changed the direction of the franchise. The group signed Barry Bonds and began the effort to build a new downtown stadium. Today, the Giants are owned by a consortium of investors. Greg Johnson is chairman and the club’s designated control person, while his father, Charles B. Johnson, has been the largest individual shareholder. The Johnson family has been part of the ownership group since the early 1990s. The Giants in… Continue reading The History of the San Francisco Giants
ATLANTA BRAVES ARE the OLDEST CONSTANTLY OPERATING PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL FRANCISE in NORTH AMERICA
The Braves history stretches back to 1871, before the National League itself was founded. The franchise has represented three cities—Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta—and is the only Major League Baseball team to win the World Series in all three of its home cities. Franchise timeline Years Team name Home city 1871–1882 Boston Red Stockings Boston, Massachusetts 1883–1906 Boston Beaneaters Boston 1907–1910 Boston Doves Boston 1911 Boston Rustlers Boston 1912–1935 Boston Braves Boston 1936–1940 Boston Bees Boston 1941–1952 Boston Braves Boston 1953–1965 Milwaukee Braves Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1966–Present Atlanta Braves Atlanta, Georgia Ballparks and home cities South End Grounds — Boston (1871–1914) Fenway Park — Boston (1914–1915, (temporary) Braves Field — Boston (1915–1952) Milwaukee County Stadium — Milwaukee (1953–1965) Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium — Atlanta (1966–1996) Turner Field — Atlanta (1997–2016) Truist Park — Atlanta (2017–present) Boston years (1871–1952) The club was founded in 1871 by brothers Harry Wright and George Wright. It won multiple league championships during the nineteenth century and became one of baseball’s first dynasties. The famous “Miracle Braves” of 1914 came from last place in July to win the National League pennant before sweeping the heavily favored Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series. The franchise struggled financially during the Great Depression. In 1935, aging superstar Babe Ruth finished his legendary career with Boston, although he played only a short time before retiring. The club temporarily changed its name to the Bees before returning to Braves in 1941. In 1948, pitchers Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain led Boston to another National League pennant. Milwaukee years (1953–1965) The Braves became the first modern MLB franchise to relocate when they moved to Milwaukee in 1953. The city immediately embraced baseball, drawing record attendance. Young stars developed into legends: Hank Aaron Eddie Mathews Warren Spahn The Braves won the 1957 World Series over the New York Yankees and returned to the World Series in 1958 before losing a rematch. Atlanta years (1966–Present) The Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, becoming the first Major League team in the Deep South. Early Atlanta stars included: Hank Aaron Phil Niekro Dale Murphy In 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s long-standing record. The Braves became baseball’s dominant franchise of the 1990s under manager Bobby Cox. Their Hall of Fame pitching rotation included: Greg Maddux Tom Glavine John Smoltz Atlanta won an unprecedented 14 consecutive division titles (1991–2005, excluding the 1994 strike season) and captured the 1995 World Series over the Cleveland Indians. After rebuilding, another championship core emerged featuring: Freddie Freeman Ronald Acuña Jr. Ozzie Albies Austin Riley Max Fried The Braves won the 2021 World Series against the Houston Astros. Greatest Braves players and birthplace Player Born Hank Aaron Mobile, Alabama Warren Spahn Buffalo, New York Eddie Mathews Texarkana, Texas Phil Niekro Blaine, Ohio Dale Murphy Portland, Oregon Greg Maddux San Angelo, Texas Tom Glavine Concord, Massachusetts John Smoltz Detroit, Michigan Chipper Jones DeLand, Florida Freddie Freeman Fountain Valley, California Future stars the Braves traded away Player Born Became star with Adam Wainwright Brunswick, Georgia St. Louis Cardinals Jason Schmidt Lewiston, Idaho San Francisco Giants Kevin Millwood Gastonia, North Carolina Cleveland Indians and others Adam Duvall Louisville, Kentucky Cincinnati Reds Elvis Andrus Maracay, Venezuela Texas Rangers Neftalí Feliz Azua, Dominican Republic Texas Rangers Alex Wood Charlotte, North Carolina Los Angeles Dodgers Andrelton Simmons Mundo Nobo, Curaçao Los Angeles Angels David Justice Cincinnati, Ohio Later traded before helping other clubs win championships William Contreras Puerto Cabello, Venezuela Milwaukee Brewers Braves World Series championships 1914 – Boston Braves 1957 – Milwaukee Braves 1995 – Atlanta Braves 2021 – Atlanta Braves The Braves remain one of baseball’s most historic organizations, having produced dozens of Hall of Famers and legends while spanning more than 155 years of professional baseball history. They are the only MLB franchise to win World Series championships representing three different cities. Artie Fischal Views: 1
