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Bender, Charles Albert (1884–1954)

Bender, Charles Albert (1884–1954)

Creator:
Contributor: Minnesota Historical Society Press
Source: Minnesota 150 (F606 .R63 2007)
Black and white photograph of Charles Bender, 1911.
Charles Bender during the prime of his baseball career, 1911. Photograph by Paul Thompson. Bender, who is credited with inventing the slider (a type of breaking-ball pitch), was born on the White Earth Reservation of Ojibwe. He pitched in and won six World Series games—a first in the sport.

The slider: it's one of the most effective tools in a pitcher's arsenal. A curveball with extra speed, it can throw off a batter's timing. Because it requires some nuanced wrist action, though, a slider can cause real wear and tear on a pitcher's forearm. Use it judiciously, and you can save a game. Use it too often, and you'd better grab an extra ice pack.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame credits Charles Albert Bender with inventing the slider. Like his patented pitch, Bender's life course was a circuitous one. He was born on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota, one of at least eleven children in his family. At age seven, he left home to attend boarding school in Pennsylvania. At thirteen, he enrolled in Carlisle Indian School, where he was a member of his school's track, basketball, football, and baseball teams.

After graduating from Carlisle in 1902, Bender began pitching for the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, semiprofessional team. Later that year, the legendary Connie Mack, who was then leading the Philadelphia Athletics, signed Bender to a $1,800 contract, and by the end of his rookie year, he had won seventeen games. Throughout his major league career, which included 212 wins, his greatest strength was his consistent performance, especially under pressure. "If I had all the men I've ever handled and they were in their prime and there was one game I wanted to win above all others," Connie Mack once said, "Albert would be my man."

Bender's grace under pressure extended beyond his steady performance on the pitching mound. Though proud of his Ojibwe heritage, he was never fond of his nickname, "Chief," and endured hackneyed war cries from fans as he took the mound during games. After his shutout in the 1905 World Series brought him to national attention, he quietly stated his case to the press: "I do not want my name presented to the public as an Indian," he said, "but as a pitcher."

In 1953, Bender became the first Minnesotan elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He died the next year.
Cite
Roberts, Kate. "Bender, Charles Albert (1884–1954)." MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. https://www3.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/person/bender-charles-albert-1884-1954
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First Published: July 21, 2011
Last Modified: April 09, 2025

Bibliography

Swift, Tom. Chief Bender's Burden: The Silent Struggle of a Baseball Star. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2010.

Thornley, Stew. Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2006.

Related Resources

Secondary

Clendennen, G.W. "Minnesota's Greatest Baseball Player." Minnesota Monthly 17, no. 8 (August 1983): 15–18, 25.

Johnson, Sarah. "Charles Albert Bender." Minnesota History 60, no. 3 (Fall 2006): 128.

Kashatus, William C. Money Pitcher: Chief Bender and the Tragedy of Indian Assimilation. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006.

King, C. Richard. Native Americans in Sports. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, 2004.

Laliberte, David J. "Indian Summers: Baseball at Native American Boarding Schools in Minnesota." Master's thesis, St. Cloud State University, 2008.

Loew, Patty. "Tinker to Evers to Chief: Baseball from Indian Country." Wisconsin Magazine of History 87, no. 3 (Spring 2004): 2–13.

Meany, Tom. Baseball's Greatest Pitchers. New York: A.S. Barnes, [1951].

Powers-Beck, Jeffrey. The American Indian Integration of Baseball. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2004

Pratt, Richard Henry. Battlefield and Classroom: Four Decades with the American Indian, 1867–1904. Edited by Robert M. Utley. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1964.

Ritter, Lawrence S. The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It. New York: Macmillan, [1966].

Roberts, Kate. Minnesota 150: The People, Places, and Things that Shape Our State. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2007.

Warrington, Bob. "Charles Albert 'Chief' Bender: A Biographic Profile." http://philadelphiaathletics.org/charles-albert-chief-bender-a-biographic-profile/

Web

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Chief Bender.
http://baseballhall.org/hof/bender-chief

Related Audio

MN90: Inventing the Slider | Details

MN90: Inventing the Slider

MN90 producer Marisa Helms describes the life of Charles Albert Bender, born on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota and later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Includes an interview with Tom Swift, author of Chief Bender's Burden, published by the University of Nebraska Press, 2010.
© Minnesota Historical Society and Ampers    

All rights reserved

Holding Location

Ampers

More Information

Articles

Related Images

Black and white photograph of Charles Bender, 1911.
Charles Bender during the prime of his baseball career, 1911. Photograph by Paul Thompson. Bender, who is credited with inventing the slider (a type of breaking-ball pitch), was born on the White Earth Reservation of Ojibwe. He pitched in and won six World Series games—a first in the sport.
Black and white photograph of Charles Bender, 1903.
Charles Bender at he beginning of his career, 1903.
Black and white photograph of Charles Bender, c.1910.
Charles Bender wearing Philadelphia Athletics uniform, c.1910. Original press photograph from the George Grantham Bain Collection.
Color image of Charles Bender baseball card, 1911.
Charles Bender baseball card printed by the American Tobacco Company, 1911.
Black and white photograph of Charles Bender, 1911.

Charles Bender, Philadelphia Athletics pitcher

Charles Bender during the prime of his baseball career, 1911. Photograph by Paul Thompson. Bender, who is credited with inventing the slider (a type of breaking-ball pitch), was born on the White Earth Reservation of Ojibwe. He pitched in and won six World Series games—a first in the sport.

Public domain

Articles

More Information

Black and white photograph of Charles Bender, 1903.

Charles Bender, 1903

Charles Bender at he beginning of his career, 1903.

Public domain

Articles

More Information

Black and white photograph of Charles Bender, c.1910.

Charles Bender, c.1910

Charles Bender wearing Philadelphia Athletics uniform, c.1910. Original press photograph from the George Grantham Bain Collection.

Public domain

Articles

More Information

Color image of Charles Bender baseball card, 1911.

Charles Bender, 1911.

Charles Bender baseball card printed by the American Tobacco Company, 1911.

Public domain

Articles

More Information

Related Articles

Turning Point

In 1905, Charles Albert "Chief" Bender pitches a shutout in the World Series and gains national attention.

Chronology

1884
Charles Albert Bender is born on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota.
1902
Bender graduates from Carlisle Indian School and signs with the Philadelphia Athletics.
1905
He pitches a shutout in the World Series.
1953
He becomes the first Minnesotan elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
1954
Charles Albert Bender, long nicknamed "Chief," dies.

Bibliography

Swift, Tom. Chief Bender's Burden: The Silent Struggle of a Baseball Star. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2010.

Thornley, Stew. Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2006.

Related Resources

Secondary

Clendennen, G.W. "Minnesota's Greatest Baseball Player." Minnesota Monthly 17, no. 8 (August 1983): 15–18, 25.

Johnson, Sarah. "Charles Albert Bender." Minnesota History 60, no. 3 (Fall 2006): 128.

Kashatus, William C. Money Pitcher: Chief Bender and the Tragedy of Indian Assimilation. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006.

King, C. Richard. Native Americans in Sports. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, 2004.

Laliberte, David J. "Indian Summers: Baseball at Native American Boarding Schools in Minnesota." Master's thesis, St. Cloud State University, 2008.

Loew, Patty. "Tinker to Evers to Chief: Baseball from Indian Country." Wisconsin Magazine of History 87, no. 3 (Spring 2004): 2–13.

Meany, Tom. Baseball's Greatest Pitchers. New York: A.S. Barnes, [1951].

Powers-Beck, Jeffrey. The American Indian Integration of Baseball. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2004

Pratt, Richard Henry. Battlefield and Classroom: Four Decades with the American Indian, 1867–1904. Edited by Robert M. Utley. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1964.

Ritter, Lawrence S. The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It. New York: Macmillan, [1966].

Roberts, Kate. Minnesota 150: The People, Places, and Things that Shape Our State. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2007.

Warrington, Bob. "Charles Albert 'Chief' Bender: A Biographic Profile." http://philadelphiaathletics.org/charles-albert-chief-bender-a-biographic-profile/

Web

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Chief Bender.
http://baseballhall.org/hof/bender-chief