William "Chief" Chouneau (September 2, 1888 – September 17, 1946), born William Cadreau, was a Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in one game for the Chicago White Sox in 1910, and later played for the Negro league Chicago Union Giants. He was a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in northeastern Minnesota.[1]

Chief Chouneau
Pitcher
Born: (1889-09-02)September 2, 1889
Cloquet, Minnesota
Died: September 17, 1946(1946-09-17) (aged 57)
Cloquet, Minnesota
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
October 9, 1910, for the Chicago White Sox
Last MLB appearance
October 9, 1910, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Win–loss record0–1
Strikeouts1
Earned run average3.38
Teams

A native of Cloquet, Minnesota, the 22-year-old right-hander Chouneau was the starting pitcher on the last day of the 1910 season for a Chicago White Sox club that featured Baseball Hall of Fame hurler Ed Walsh and was led by Hall of Fame manager Hugh Duffy. The opponent was a strong Detroit Tigers team that finished the year in third place. The White Sox were ahead 1–0 after five innings, but Chouneau gave up two runs in the top of the sixth and was removed from the game with one out. Pitcher Wild Bill Donovan and the Tigers won the game, 2–1. Chouneau gave up seven hits and no walks in his 5.1 innings pitched. He had one strikeout, an 0–1 record, and his ERA was 3.38. At the plate he was 0-for-1 with a walk and a hit by pitch, giving him an on-base percentage of .667.

In 1917, Chouneau pitched for the Negro league Chicago Union Giants. In his one recorded appearance, Chouneau tossed a complete game win, allowing three earned runs.[2]

He died on the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation in 1946 at age 58.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Thornley, Stew (2006). Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-87351-551-1. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "Bill Cadreau". seamheads.com. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Korby, Steve (November 22, 2019). "Band member had a shot in Major League Baseball ... in 1910". Pine Knot News. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
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