Chief Bender was a member of the Ojibwe tribe. He was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball during the 1900s and 1910s. Chief debuted in the major leagues in 1903. He is one of only a few pitchers in the 20th century to throw 200 or more innings at the age of 19. His walks per nine innings rate were 2.17; only a few pitchers since 1893 have had a rate below 2.2 at the age of 20 or younger. That year, he also won a game against Cy Young and met his future wife Marie. In 1911, Bender tied a record by pitching three complete games in a single World Series. He finished his career with a 212–127 win–loss record for a .625 winning percentage and a career 2.46 earned run average (ERA).
After his major league playing career, Bender's roles in baseball included major league coach, minor league manager and player-manager, college manager, and professional scout. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953.
Born Charles Albert Bender on May 5, 1884 in Crow Wing County, Minnesota and died on May 22, 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the age of 70.
