Abstract

March, 1925, the Douglas (Arizona) City Team hired a new manager, Harold Homer (Prince Hal) Chase.  When Douglas hired Chase, the Copper League had little understanding of the coming controversy.  The season opened with four teams; El Paso (Texas), Juarez (Chihuahua, Mexico), Fort Bayard (New Mexico) and Douglas.  Mid-season two controversial outlaw players joined Douglas, Charles (Chick) Gandil and George (Buck) Weaver, members of the infamous 1919 Chicago Black Sox.
When the 1926 season opened everything looked promising for the league.  Two new teams, Bisbee (Arizona) and Chino (Hurley and Santa Rita, New Mexico), and new outlaw players, Claude (Lefty) Williams and James (Jimmie) O’Connell, joined.
Following the 1926-27 season Weaver and Gandil traveled to Chicago to testify before Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Commissioner of Baseball.  After these hearings, Landis traveled to El Paso.  He offered help securing Class D baseball for the league cities if they would stop using the outlaw players.  While his effort was futile, it demonstrated his intense feelings about these players.
The 1927 season opened without Douglas and Juarez.  Chase and Weaver had ceased to play.  After the 1927 season the Copper League faded into history, the small towns could not satisfy local expectations on limited budgets.