Chick Lathers

Lathers was born in Dearborn, Michigan. At age 16, Lathers played for the 1905 Cass club baseball team that won the city championship of Detroit, Michigan. The 1905 Cass club team also included two other future professional players -- Bert Lerchen, who played for the Boston Red Sox, and Harvey Bussey, who played eight seasons in the minor leagues.\n', '

After graduating from high school, Lathers enrolled at the University of Michigan where he played as a third baseman for the Michigan Wolverines baseball team. He was enrolled at Michigan in the engineering program from 1907 to 1910 and was described as "a major contributor" to the success of the 1909 Wolverines baseball team. The 1909 team finished with a record of 18–3–1 and outscored its opponents 140–59. Lathers was the leading hitter on the 1909 team with a batting average of .383. He was described by The Washington Post as the…