Des Moines Boosters

The Des Moines Boosters were a Western League minor league baseball team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States that existed from 1908 to 1924. Des Moines fielded teams in the Western League from 1900-1937 and 1947–1958.

Hall of Famers George Davis and Red Faber played for the Des Moines Boosters.

The Des Moines Boosters won two Western League championships - their first in 1915 under manager Frank Isbell and their second in 1917 under Jack Coffey.^[1]

Des Moines had first fielded a Western League team in 1900, playing under several monikers before being called the "Boosters." At the time, the league was a Class A league, the highest level of minor league play. The teams that directly preceded the Des Moines Boosters in Western League play were the Des Moines Hawkeyes (1900–1901), Des Moines Midgets (1902), Des Moines Undertakers (1903), Des Moines Prohibitionists (1904), Des Moines Underwriters (1905), Des Moines Champions (1906) and Des Moines Champs (1907) before becoming the Des Moines Boosters (1908–1924). Des Moines won Western league Championships in 1905 and 1906, leading to the championship reference monikers.^[2][3]

The Des Moines Demons continued play the Western League, playing in the league from 1925–1937. The Western League did not play in 1938, but resumed in 1938 without a Des Moines franchise.^[2][4]

The Des Moines Bruins rejoined the Western League in 1947. The Des Moines Bruins remained in the Western League until it folded in 1958.^[5]

From 1912–1924 the Des Moines Boosters played home games at Western League Park, also known as Holcomb Avenue Park or just Holcomb Park. The ballpark had a maximum capacity of 12,000 (1930). It was on the northwest corner of Holcomb Avenue (south, home plate) and Seventh Street (east, right field), near the Des Moines River (west, left field).

The park opened on April 14, 1912, with the Boosters defeating Ottumwa 10-3.[Des Moines Register, April 15, 1912, p.6]

On May 2, 1930, Western League Park and the Des Moines Demons hosted the first night game played under permanent light standards. The ballgame was partially broadcast nationally on NBC.^[6]

Today, the site contains Des Moines North High School's Grubb Community Stadium.^[7][8][9] Seventh Street no longer cuts through the area. The high school stadium is on the northwest corner of Holcomb Avenue and Sixth Street.

Prior to Western League Park, the Des Moines clubs played at these locations, as listed in contemporary city directories:

• 1887–1897 Athletic Park, south of West Elm Street and west of South Seventh Street, also given as "foot of Seventh Street"
• 1900–1908 West of Fourth Street between Grand Avenue and Chestnut Street, west side of river
• 1909–1911 Northeast corner of East Walnut Street and 20th Street, east side of river

• Sanborn map showing Holcomb ballpark, 1951
• Sanborn map showing Des Moines ballpark, 1901