# Bellingham Chinooks > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bellingham_Chinooks > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bellingham_Chinooks.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellingham_Chinooks > Source revision: 1328234455 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) The **Bellingham Chinooks** were a [minor league baseball](/source/Minor_league_baseball) team based in [Bellingham, Washington](/source/Bellingham,_Washington). In 1938 and 1939, the Chinooks played as members of the Class B level [Western International League](/source/Western_International_League), winning the 1938 league championship and hosting home games at Battersby Park. The Bellingham Chinooks were succeeded in Bellingham by the 1973 [Bellingham Dodgers](/source/Bellingham_Dodgers), who began play as members of the [Northwest League](/source/Northwest_League). ## History In 1905, the [Bellingham Gillnetters](/source/Bellingham_Gillnetters) were the first [minor league baseball](/source/Minor_league_baseball) team in Bellingham, Washington, playing the season as members of the four–team [Class B](/source/Class_B_(baseball)) level [Northwestern League](/source/Northwestern_League_(1905%E2%80%931917)) before folding.[1][2][3] Minor league baseball resumed in Bellingham in 1938 with a championship season.[4] The Bellingham Chinooks became members of the six–team [Class B](/source/Class_B_(baseball)) level [Western International League](/source/Western_International_League) and captured the league championship under manager [Ken Penner](/source/Ken_Penner). With a 68–65 regular season record, the Chinooks placed second in the regular season standings, finishing 9.5 games behind the first place [Yakima Pippins](/source/Yakima_Pippins). In the 1938 playoffs, the Bellingham Chinooks defeated the [Vancouver Maple Leafs](/source/Vancouver_Maple_Leafs) three games to one and advanced. In the Final, Bellingham defeated the Yakima Pippins four games to three to become league champions.[1][5][6][7][8][9] After winning the championship in 1938, the 1939 Bellingham Chinooks finished in last place in the Western International League standings. The franchise subsequently folded after the season.[10][11] With a 40–102 regular season record, the Chinooks placed sixth in the six-team standings, playing the season under managers Ken Penner, [Jimmie Reese](/source/Jimmie_Reese) and Al Lightner. Bellingham finished behind the Wenatchee Chiefs (86–57), Tacoma Tigers (78–63), Vancouver Capilanos (76–63), Spokane Indians (75–69) and Yakima Pippins (72–73) in the final standings.[1][12][13] After the 1938 season, the Bellingham franchise was replaced in 1940 Western League play by the [Salem Senators](/source/Salem_Senators).[14] Bellingham was without minor league baseball until 1973, when the [Bellingham Dodgers](/source/Bellingham_Dodgers) began play as members of the [Class A](/source/Class_A_(baseball)) level [Northwest League](/source/Northwest_League).[15] ## The ballpark The Bellingham Chinooks hosted home minor league games at **Battersby Park**. Battersby Park had a capacity of 3,000 and dimensions of (Left, Center, Right): 290–350–435. The ballpark was torn down in 1968.[16] Today, Battersby Park is still in use as a public Park.[17] ## Timeline Year(s) Yrs. Team Level League Ballpark 1938–1939 2 Bellingham Chinooks Class B Western International League Battersby Park ## Year–by–year records Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs/Notes 1938 68–65 2nd Ken Penner League Champions 1939 40–102 6th Ken Penner Jimmie Reese / Al Lightner Did not qualify ## Notable alumni - [Rugger Ardizoia](/source/Rugger_Ardizoia) (1938) - [Cliff Dapper](/source/Cliff_Dapper) (1938) - [Bill Fleming](/source/Bill_Fleming) (1938) - [Billy Kelsey](/source/Billy_Kelsey) (1905) - [Dave Odom](/source/Dave_Odom_(baseball)) (1938) - [Ken Penner](/source/Ken_Penner) (1938–1939, MGR) - [Jimmie Reese](/source/Jimmie_Reese) (1939, MGR) [Los Angeles Angels Hall of Fame](/source/Angels_Hall_of_Fame) - [Bill Rigney](/source/Bill_Rigney) (1939) MLB All-Star - [Wes Schulmerich](/source/Wes_Schulmerich) (1938) - [Bud Stewart](/source/Bud_Stewart) (1939) - [Jim Tyack](/source/Jim_Tyack) (1938) ### See also Bellingham Chinooks players ## References 1. Johnson, Lloyd & Wolff, Miles (eds.) (2007). *The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball*. Third ed. [Baseball America](/source/Baseball_America). ISBN 978-1932391176. 1. ["1905 Bellingham Gillnetters Statistics"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi). *Baseball-Reference.com* 1. ["1905 Northwestern League"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=6ecc0adb). *Baseball-Reference.com* 1. ["1938 Bellingham Chinooks Roster on StatsCrew.com"](https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-bc10404/y-1938). *www.statscrew.com* 1. ["1938 Western International League (WIL) on StatsCrew.com"](https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-NORW/y-1938). *www.statscrew.com* 1. ["1939 Bellingham Chinooks"](https://www.nwsabr.org/owa07/). *NWSABR*. February 8, 2016. 1. ["1938 Bellingham Chinooks Statistics"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi). *Baseball-Reference.com* 1. ["1938 Western International League"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=87f78285). *Baseball-Reference.com* 1. ["Exploring Baseball History of WCL North Cities"](https://westcoastleague.com/exploring-baseball-history-of-wcl-north-cities/). January 15, 2020. 1. ["1939 Bellingham Chinooks Roster on StatsCrew.com"](https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-bc10404/y-1939). *www.statscrew.com* 1. ["1939 Bellingham Chinooks Statistics"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi). *Baseball-Reference.com* 1. ["1939 Western International League (WIL) on StatsCrew.com"](https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-NORW/y-1939). *www.statscrew.com* 1. ["1939 Western International League"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=ba8f94d4). *Baseball-Reference.com* 1. ["1940 Western International League"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=ad4f2636). *Baseball-Reference.com* 1. ["Bellingham, Washington Encyclopedia"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi). *Baseball-Reference.com* 1. ["Battersby Park in Bellingham, WA history and teams on StatsCrew.com"](https://www.statscrew.com/venues/v-234). *www.statscrew.com* 1. Benoit, Matt (April 28, 2022). ["A Look Back at the 'Ghost Fields' of Bellingham Baseball"](https://www.whatcomtalk.com/2022/04/28/a-look-back-at-the-ghost-fields-of-bellingham-baseball/) ## External links - [Bellingham - Baseball Reference](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Bellingham&state=WA&country=US) - [1939 team photo](http://chapters.sabr.org/nwsabr/photos/4-washington/detail/87-1939-bellinghamchinooks?tmpl=component) - [Battersby Park photo](https://www.whatcomtalk.com/2022/04/28/a-look-back-at-the-ghost-fields-of-bellingham-baseball/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bellingham Chinooks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellingham_Chinooks) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellingham_Chinooks?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.