# Chet Chadbourne

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{{short description|American baseball player (1884–1943)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name       = Chet Chadbourne 
| image      = Chet Chadbourne.jpg
| alt        =
| caption    = Chadbourne's 1911 Obak baseball card
| team       =
| number     =
| position   = [Outfielder](/source/Outfielder)
| positionplain = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1884|10|28}}
| birth_place= [Parkman, Maine](/source/Parkman%2C_Maine), U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1943|06|21|1884|10|28}}
| death_place= [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles), California, U.S.
| bats       = Left
| throws     = Right
|debutleague = MLB
| debutdate  = September 17
| debutyear  = 1906
| debutteam  = Boston Americans
|finalleague = MLB
| finaldate  = September 2
| finalyear  = 1918
| finalteam  = Boston Braves
| statyear   = 
|statleague = MLB
| stat1label = [Assists](/source/Assist_(baseball))
| stat1value = 109
| stat2label = [Fielding percentage](/source/Fielding_percentage)
| stat2value = .964
| stat3label = [Putout](/source/Putout)s
| stat3value = 645
| stat4label = 
| stat4value =
| stat5label = 
| stat5value =
| stat6label = 
| stat6value =
| awards     =
| teams      = 
* [Boston Americans](/source/Boston_Americans) ({{baseball year|1906}}–{{baseball year|1907}})
* [Kansas City Packers](/source/Kansas_City_Packers) ({{baseball year|1914}}–{{baseball year|1915}})
* [Boston Braves](/source/Boston_Braves_(baseball)) ({{baseball year|1918}})
}}
'''Chester James (Pop) Chadbourne''' (October 28, 1884 – June 21, 1943) was an American [outfielder](/source/outfielder) in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball), playing mainly as a [center fielder](/source/center_fielder) for three teams between {{Baseball year|1906}} and {{Baseball year|1918}}. Chadbourne spent portions of five seasons in the major leagues, but his only two complete major league seasons were with the [Kansas City Packers](/source/Kansas_City_Packers) of the [Federal League](/source/Federal_League). He had more success in the minor leagues, collecting more than 3000 hits over 20 years.

Listed at {{height|ft=5|in=9}}, {{convert|170|lb|abbr=on}}, Chadbourne batted left-handed and threw right-handed. After his playing career, Chadbourne managed and umpired in the minor leagues.

==Early life and career==
Chadbourne was born in [Parkman, Maine](/source/Parkman%2C_Maine). A fine defensive outfielder, he entered the major leagues in {{Baseball year|1906}} with the [Boston Red Sox](/source/Boston_Red_Sox), playing for them two years before being sold to the [Indianapolis Indians](/source/Indianapolis_Indians) of the [American Association](/source/American_Association_(20th_century)) in November 1908.

After five minor league seasons, he played from {{Baseball year|1914}} to {{Baseball year|1915}} for the [Kansas City Packers](/source/Kansas_City_Packers) of the [Federal League](/source/Federal_League), where he led the league's outfielders in [assists](/source/assist_(baseball)) (34) in {{Baseball year|1914}} and in [outs](/source/out_(baseball)) (475) and [fielding percentage](/source/fielding_percentage) (.979) in {{Baseball year|1915}}. In 1914, Chadbourne became the first major league player to bat at [Wrigley Field](/source/Wrigley_Field) (then called Weeghman Park), hitting leadoff for the Packers against the [Chicago Chi-Feds](/source/Chicago_Chi-Feds) on April 23.
     
Chadbourne returned to the minors for the 1916 and 1917 seasons, making his last major league appearance with the [Boston Braves](/source/Boston_Braves_(baseball)) in {{Baseball year|1918}}. In a five-season career, Chadbourne was a .255 hitter (345-for-1353) with two [home run](/source/home_run)s and 82 [RBI](/source/run_batted_in) in 347 games, including 183 [runs](/source/run_(baseball)), 41 [doubles](/source/double_(baseball)), 18 [triples](/source/triple_(baseball)), and 78 [stolen base](/source/stolen_base)s.

==Later life==
Following his major league career, Chadbourne returned to the minors to play in the [Pacific Coast League](/source/Pacific_Coast_League); he finished with 3,216 [hits](/source/hit_(baseball)) over 21 total minor league seasons. He also [managed](/source/manager_(baseball)) the [Salt Lake City Bees](/source/Salt_Lake_City_Bees) of the 1926 Utah–Idaho League. By January 1927, the press reported that Chadbourne was seeking an umpiring position.<ref name="Seeks">{{cite news |title=Seeks Chet Chadbourne |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/332394718/ |work=[Tampa Tribune](/source/Tampa_Tribune) |date=January 6, 1927 |language=en}}</ref> He was hired as a PCL umpire after the 1928 season.<ref name="Star">{{cite news |title=Chadbourne becomes umps |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/179047496/ |work=[Minneapolis Star](/source/Minneapolis_Star) |date=October 26, 1928}}</ref>

Chadbourne was umpiring in the PCL in 1930 when he had a confrontation with star outfielder [Buzz Arlett](/source/Buzz_Arlett) after a game and struck Arlett in the face with his umpire mask. Arlett required twelve stitches to his face and the injury may have cost him an opportunity to sign with the [Brooklyn Dodgers](/source/History_of_the_Brooklyn_Dodgers). After Commissioner [Kenesaw Mountain Landis](/source/Kenesaw_Mountain_Landis) investigated the incident, Chadbourne was fired.<ref name="Snelling">{{cite book |last1=Snelling |first1=Dennis |title=The Greatest Minor League: A History of the Pacific Coast League, 1903–1957 |date=2011 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786488032 |pages=134–135 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BWRNtf-_PEkC&pg=PA135 |language=en}}</ref>

He umpired in the [Western League](/source/Western_League_(1900%E2%80%931958)) in {{Baseball year|1932}}.

Chadbourne died in Los Angeles at age 58 by self-inflicted gunshot wound.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 24, 1943 |title=Old Time Ball Player Suicide |page=2 |work=Contra Costa Gazette |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108114512/contra-costa-gazette/ |access-date=August 22, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> He was survived by his wife, Gladys.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Baseballstats|br=c/chadbch01|fangraphs=1002110|brm=chadbo001che}}
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/Pchadc101.htm Retrosheet]
* {{Find a Grave}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chadbourne, Chet}}
Category:1884 births
Category:1943 suicides
Category:1943 deaths
Category:Baseball players from Maine
Category:Major League Baseball outfielders
Category:Boston Red Sox players
Category:Boston Braves players
Category:Minor league baseball managers
Category:Suicides by firearm in California
Category:People from Parkman, Maine
Category:Worcester Busters players
Category:Providence Grays (minor league) players
Category:Indianapolis Indians players
Category:Portland Beavers players
Category:Kansas City Packers players
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
Category:Memphis Chickasaws players
Category:Oakland Oaks (baseball) players
Category:Vernon Tigers players
Category:Wichita Izzies players
Category:Salt Lake City Bees players
Category:Oklahoma City Indians players
Category:Baseball coaches from Maine

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chet Chadbourne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Chadbourne) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Chadbourne?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.