Fort Wayne, Indiana, is home to several sports teams. These include the NBA's Fort Wayne Pistons (now in Detroit), the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and the Fort Wayne Kekiongas of the National Association of Professional Baseball
History
Fort Wayne has been home to a few sports firsts. On June 2, 1883, Fort Wayne hosted the Quincy Professionals for one of the first lighted baseball games ever recorded.(January 19, 2008). Fort Wayne Sports Moments . The News-Sentinel. Retrieved on June 11, 2009.Miklich, Eric, Night Baseball in the 19th century. Retrieved on May 16, 2008. Fort Wayne has been credited for being the birthplace of the NBA when Fort Wayne Pistons owner Fred Zollner brokered the merger of the BAA and the NBL in 1949 from his kitchen table.Rushin, Steve, (February 5, 2007). Storming The Fort (wayne). Sports Illustrated. Retrieved on May 16, 2008. The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, who later became the Detroit Pistons, were charter members of the National Basketball League (a forerunner to the NBA) and won back-to-back NBL championships in 1944 and 1945. Also, on March 10, 1961, Wilt Chamberlain became the first player in the NBA to reach 3,000 points in a single season while competing at Memorial Coliseum.
Fort Wayne hosted two NBA Finals Games in 1955 and 1956, as well as the third city to host the NBA All-Star Game in 1953. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was also venue to the 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Volleyball Championship matches, in addition to hosting the 2000, 2001, and 2002 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournaments. Fort Wayne also annually hosts the U.S.S.S.A. National and Boys State Championships, held at Spiece Fieldhouse.U.S.S.S.A. National Tournament . Retrieved on May 16, 2008.
On November 22, 1950, the Fort Wayne Pistons defeated the Minneapolis Lakers with a final score of 19 to 18 in the lowest scoring game in NBA history.NBA Dateline. Retrieved on February 2, 2008.
Fort Wayne hosted another major league team in a Big Four sport, the Fort Wayne Kekiongas of the National Association. The National Association was the first professional baseball league and the forerunner of the National League; it is sometimes considered to have been a major league, and sometimes not. The Kekiongas were a founding member of the national association (in 1871), and played and won the first National Association game, but disbanded partway through the 1871 season.
Wildcat Baseball League was a baseball league in Fort Wayne formed by Dale McMillen in April 1960 as an alternative to Little League Baseball.Lakeland Ledger article Fort Wayne was rated the "Best Place in the Country for Minor League Sports" in a 2007 issue of Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal.
Current sports teams
+ Professional Sports in Fort Wayne Team Sport Current league Established Venue Championships Fort Wayne Derby Girls Roller derby WFTDA 2005 Memorial Coliseum 0 Fort Wayne Komets Ice hockey ECHL 1952 Memorial Coliseum 10 Fort Wayne TinCaps Baseball Midwest League 1993 Parkview Field 1 Fort Wayne FC Soccer USL League One 2019 Ruoff Mortgage Stadium 0
+ College Sports in Fort Wayne Program Classification Current conference Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons NCAA Division I Horizon League Indiana Tech Warriors NAIA Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference Saint Francis Cougars NAIA Crossroads LeagueMid-States Football Association (football)
Former sports teams
+ Professional Sports in Fort Wayne Team Sport League Existence Venue Championships Fort Wayne Caseys Basketball American Basketball League 1925–1926 0 Fort Wayne Chiefs Baseball Central League 1917–1935 League Park 2 Fort Wayne Daisies Baseball All-American Girls Professional Baseball League 1943–1954 North Side High SchoolMemorial Park 0 Fort Wayne Fever Soccer Premier Development League 2003–2009 Hefner Stadium 0 Fort Wayne Fever Women's Soccer W-League 2004–2009 Hefner Stadium 0 Fort Wayne FireHawks Indoor football Continental Indoor Football League 2010 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 0 Fort Wayne Flames Soccer American Indoor Soccer Association 1986–1989 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 0 Fort Wayne Flash Women's Football Women's Football Alliance 2007–2011 Woodlan Junior / Senior High School 0 Fort Wayne Freedom Indoor football Continental Indoor Football League 2003–2006, 2008–2009 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 0 Fort Wayne Friars Football Independent 1909–1917, 1920–1921 League Park Fort Wayne Fury Basketball Continental Basketball Association 1991–2001 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 0 Fort Wayne Fusion Arena football af2 2007 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 0 Fort Wayne General Electrics Basketball National Basketball League 1937–1938 North Side High School Gym 0 Fort Wayne Hoosiers Basketball American Basketball League 1926–1931 0 Fort Wayne Indians Baseball Interstate League 1896–1900 League Park 1 Fort Wayne Kekiongas Baseball National Association of Professional Base Ball Players 1871 Kekionga Ball Grounds 0 Fort Wayne Mad Ants Basketball NBA G League 2007–2023 Memorial Coliseum 1 Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons Basketball National Basketball LeagueNational Basketball Association 1941–19481949–1957 North Side High School GymAllen County War Memorial Coliseum 2 (NBL)0 (NBA) Fort Wayne Railroaders Baseball Central League 1901–1914 League Park 4 Fort Wayne River City Rhinos Football Mid Continental Football League 1998–2001 Zollner Stadium 0 Fort Wayne Safari Football Indoor Professional Football League 2000–2002 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (never played) Fort Wayne Scouts Hockey Continental Hockey League 1978–1979 0 Indiana Kick Soccer American Indoor Soccer Association 1989–1990 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 0 Fort Wayne Warriors Football Continental Football League 1965 Zollner Stadium 0
Notable natives and former residents
Athletes
Professional baseball
Rob Bowen, MLB (2003–2008)Baseball-Reference.com – Major League Baseball Statistics and History Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics Dottie Collins, AAGPBL (1944–1950)All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Minneapolis Millerettes, Fort Wayne Daisies David Doster, MLB (1996, 1999) Philadelphia Phillies Bill Everitt, MLB (1895–1901) Chicago Colts/Orphans, Washington Senators Louie Heilbroner, manager, MLB (1900) St. Louis Cardinals Butch Henline, MLB (1921–1931) New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Brooklyn Robins, Chicago White Sox Ralph Miller, MLB (1920–1924) Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Senators Eric Wedge, player, MLB (1991–1994) Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies; manager, MLB (2003–2009) Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners Kevin Kiermaier, MLB (2013–2024) Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers Jarrod Parker, MLB (2011–2013) Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics
Professional basketball Paul "Curly" Armstrong, NBA (1948/49-1950/51)NBA.com: Historical Player Search Fort Wayne Pistons Dan Godfread, NBA (1990/91-1991/92) Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets Ralph Albert "Ham" Hamilton, NBA (1948/49) Fort Wayne Pistons Henry James, NBA (1990/91-1997/98) Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks Bobby Milton, player and manager of Harlem Globetrotters Brad Miller, NBA (1998/99-2011/12) Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves Bill Roberts, NBA (1948/49-1949/50) Chicago Stags, Boston Celtics, St. Louis Bombers George Yardley, NBA (1953/54-1959/60) Fort Wayne Pistons/Detroit Pistons Tiffany Gooden, ABL (1998), Colorado Xplosion Deshaun Thomas, EuroLeague (2013–present) Panathinaikos B.C. Caleb Swanigan, NBA (2017/18-2019/20) Portland Trail Blazers
Professional BMX Barry McManus, BMX racer in 1980-'90s Scott Yoquelet, BMX racer in 1990–2000s Joey Marks, BMX dirt freestyle 1998–2010 Brian Doty, BMX racer 1980-'90s
Professional football
Mike Augustyniak, NFL (1981–1983) New York Jets Jason Baker, NFL (2001–2012) San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers Roosevelt Barnes, NFL (1982–1985)Football Encyclopedia of Players – Pro-Football-Reference.com Detroit Lions Bill Boedeker, NFL (1946–1950) Chicago Rockets, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers Johnny Bright, CFL (1952–1964)Canadian Football Hall of Fame – Johnny Bright Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, subject of the "Johnny Bright Incident" Bob Cowan, NFL (1947–1949) Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts John Diettrich, NFL (1987)Houston Oilers Vaughn Dunbar, NFL (1992–1995) New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars Tyler Eifert, NFL (2013–2020) Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars Eric England, NFL (1994–1996) Arizona Cardinals Trai Essex, NFL (2005–2012) Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XL champion, Indianapolis Colts Jason Fabini, NFL (1998–2008) New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins James Hardy, NFL (2008–2011) Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens Selwyn Lymon, NFL (no professional games played) Miami Dolphins Le'Ron McClain, NFL (2007–2013) Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers Bernard Pollard, NFL (2006–2014) Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans Emil Sitko, NFL (1950–1952) San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Cardinals Lamar Smith, NFL (1994–2003) Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers Anthony Spencer, NFL (2007–2015) Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints Rod Woodson, NFL (1987–2003) Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders, Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Smith, NFL (2015–present) Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders Jaylon Smith, NFL (2016–present) Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders Drue Tranquill, NFL (2019–present) Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs
Professional golf Amanda BlumenherstSebring, Blake, (June 6, 2009). Duke star, Fort Wayne native ready for Red Coat. "The News-Sentinel". Retrieved on June 10, 2009. Billy Kratzert, golfer and sportscaster Cathy Kratzert Gerring
Professional hockey Drake Batherson, NHL (2018-present) Ottawa Senators Fred Knipscheer NHL (1993/94-1995/1996) Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues Dale Purinton, NHL (1999/2000–2003/04)Dale Purinton hockey statistics & profile at hockeydb.com New York Rangers
Martial arts Adam Bobay, UFC Jon Fitch, UFC Dave Herman, MMA fighter with EliteXC (Elite Xtreme Combat)
Professional soccer DaMarcus Beasley, Rangers F.C. of the Scottish Premier League, U.S. national team, MLS Chicago Fire Jamar Beasley, MLS New England Revolution, Chicago Fire Bronn Pfeiffer, Fort Wayne Flames, Indiana Kicks, Chicago Power, and Detroit Rockers in the National Professional Soccer League. Mike Harper, Baton Rouge Bombers of the Eastern Indoor Soccer League.
Olympic swimming and diving Steve Bigelow, swimmer, 1988 Summer Olympics Mark Virts, diver, participated in boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics led by President Jimmy Carter Matt Vogel, swimmer, two-time Olympic gold medalist, 1976 Summer Olympics Sharon Wichman, swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, 1968 Summer Olympics Dan Zehr, swimmer, 1932 Summer Olympics
Olympic track and field LeShundra "DeDee" Nathan, 2000 Summer Olympics
Professional volleyball Angie Akers, professional beach volleyball player Lloy Ball, Olympic gold medalist, 2008 Summer Olympics
Other notable individuals Eugene E. Parker, sports agent, 45th in "Sports Illustrated"'s 101 most influential minorities in sports(February 27, 2007). More than Just a Game . Big Ten Basketball. Retrieved on June 11, 2009. Art Smith, aviator, invented "loop the loop" Jessie Lopez, US National Rugby Union Team, 1978
Northeast Indiana's Top 50 Athletes