Dutch was born in St. Louis, and only lasted four big league seasons, but the centerfielder might have seen more historic Chicago baseball history than any other player.
His career started in 1910 with the Chicago White Sox. If that year doesn't instantly ring a bell, it should. It was the first season the White Sox played in their brand new Comiskey Park.
After that year he kicked around the minors for a few seasons, but reemerged in the newly formed Federal League in 1914. If that year doesn't sound familiar, it should. It was the opening season of the ballpark now known as Wrigley Field.
Dutch played both seasons for the Feds, and led the league in homers one season and RBI the next, so when his owner bought the Chicago Cubs the following year, he made sure that he brought his boy Dutch to play for the Cubs. That was 1916, the first season that the Cubs played in Wrigley Field.
Dutch Zwilling may be the last man listed in the Baseball Encyclopedia, but he saw things in his playing days that most of us would only dream of seeing. He and his buddy Rollie "Bunions" Zeider remain, and will always remain, the only two players to have played major league baseball for three different Chicago teams.
