This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 7/8/2004.
The third major baseball league (after the A.L. and N.L), the Federal League (nine teams) lasted only two seasons, 1914 and 1915. The Buffalo, New York team was known as the Buffalo Buffeds in 1914 and the Buffalo Blues in 1915. They sold shares of stock to the public through newspaper advertisements, with preferred shares priced at $10.00 each. The Blues were the first club in history to use what is now considered a standard and classic style of team logo on their uniforms -- a city or team name in script lettering, angled across the shirt front. The Blues' star player was the infamous Hal Chase, who had jumped to the Federal League from the White Sox in one of the earliest labor disputes in baseball history; at that time, there was a ten day clause that allowed a team to release a player from his contract with 10 days notice. Chase gave the White Sox a ten day notice instead and bolted to Buffalo. This is a huge wooden travel ("steamship" type) trunk, measuring 44" long x 26" wide x 30" tall, with iron trim, hinges and buckles, most likely used to transport baseball equipment as the team played from city to city. The iron does show some rust. The leather side straps are intact. On the top is a plaque which reads, "Herkert & Meisel Trunk Co., Makers, Saint Louis, MO." The interior is varnished and stated as such on an inside sticker. Missing the original lock plate, this trunk is still fully functional with working hinges and a newer metal lock plate installed (missing strike plate), and is otherwise all-original. On each side is stenciled, "Buffalo Federals B.B. Club." "Federals" is in a different font, signifying that "Federals" was the league and "Buffalo" was the home city of the "B.B. Club."