Baseball Film to 1920 - Rob Edelman

"... Every motion picture is a time capsule, a moment in the life of a culture. But unless it is two minutes or ten hours long and non-narrative—in other words, decidedly non-commercial—a film is usually produced for one purpose: to make money. In this regard, a motion picture is no different from an automobile, a roll of bathroom tissue, or a can of beer. This profit motive also explains why, in the parlance of the business, individual films are referred to as 'product.' Motion pictures that feature baseball-related settings have been produced since the late 1890s and early 1900s, when movie-going was as novel as watching television was in 1950 or renting movies on videotape was in 1985. From the very beginning, baseball was depicted in motion pictures primarily because of the burgeoning popularity of the sport. It made sense to filmmakers that fans of the game would fork over their hard-earned nickels to gaze at comedies or dramas depicting speedballing hurlers, ninth-inning heroics, and likable underdogs triumphing against the odds."
Our Game - John Thorn

Baseball Film to 1920, Part 2
"... In the first motion pictures, the leading actors were not identified. However, audiences soon began demanding information about these performers—starting with their names. The studios initially refused to publicize them for fear that they would demand higher wages, but relented upon realizing their commercial potential. And so the star system was born. In 1910, Florence Lawrence, formerly known as the 'Biograph Girl,' became the first American screen luminary to be known by name. But before there were screenland celebrities, there were star major leaguers. Early on, motion-picture production companies figured they could attract audiences by filming real ballplayers in action."
Our Game - John Thorn

prima donna

"1. n. A temperamental player, one who thinks well of himself. 2. v. To assume adulation and  privileged treatment as a right. 'Ty Cobb is making more trouble for the powers that be by prima donning through Georgia with a barnstorm nine playing any team that will meet his aggregation. ... Why should Cobb be the pampered pet?' (San Francisco Bulletin, March 18, 1913; Gerald L. Cohen)."
Paul Dickson, The Dickson Baseball Dictionary

The Mystery of Billy Owen

"Who is Billy Owen? It's a mystery that dates back at least one hundred years. Journey back with us now through the mists of time as we seek the long-lost answer. The question as to the true identity of one 'Billy Owen' arose almost by accident, as part of research done to establish the answer to another question, that of the actual date of manufacture of the Fan Craze card game. Much in demand now among collectors of antique tabletop baseball games, several different editions of Fan Craze were produced by The Fan Craze Co. of Cincinnati sometime between 1904 and 1906. 'Generic' editions of the game, packaged variously in boxes measuring six by four inches and six inches square, handsomely printed, and including a wooden playing board, were popular and successful in their day, and are attractive to modern collectors -- the price for an example in decent condition averages over $400., ranging from under $100. to a record $2,300."
Baseball Games

1906 Fan Craze
"How important is this 'card' release? Pretty darn important! This is one of the few card releases around the dawn of the twentieth century. This was produced between 1904 and 1906. Although most indications point to early 1906. This release, which was part of a game, is one of the few between the late nineteenth century tobacco cards and the ever popular T206 tobacco set. It features players from the beginning of the American League that either wouldn't be around for the T206 cards or would be on different clubs by then. This is a cornerstone set from a time that rarely produces cards or even images of some players."
White Sox Cards


1904 Fan Craze American League Baseball Card Checklist
Baseball Almanac

Coogan's Bluff

Coogan’s Bluff - 1908 game between the Cubs and the Giants

"The name of the 115-foot-high craggy ridge or cliff behind the Polo Grounds in New York City , under which the backstop and seats behind home plate were situated. It was located on the fringe of Manhattan Island, bordering on the Harlem River at 157th Street and Eighth Avenue, where goats formerly grazed. Once synonymous with the name of the ballpark, it was sometimes also known 'Coogan's Hollow.' ETYMOLOGY. Named for James Coogan, a prominent merchant and Manhattan's first borough president in 1899."
Paul Dickson, The Dickson Baseball Dictionary

July 1913, the year after his death

"... Millions of fans used the John T. Brush Stairway from 1913 until the Mets, who played their first two seasons at the Polo Grounds, left Manhattan for Queens following the 1963 season. Few people have more vivid memories of the steps than Lucas, or a greater appreciation for their place in New York baseball history. For the past half-century, he's gained the admiration and respect of countless ballplayers as a blind sports journalist. The steps were named for the late Giants owner, who presided over the team from 1890 until his death in 1912. In fact, the third and final version of the Polo Grounds was called Brush Stadium from 1911, when it was reconstructed following a fire, until 1919. It was a name that never stuck. The concrete-and-steel ballpark replaced the earlier wooden version. Home plate was near the base of Coogan's Bluff, with the diamond facing east toward The Bronx, on the opposite side of the Harlem River. The outfield was a massive expanse, 483 feet from home plate to the clubhouse steps in dead center field."
MLB - Stairway to heaven: Polo Grounds steps coming back

New York map from 1897

"... Polo Grounds III was gradually modified to enclose the park entirely with bleachers; in its early days one could simply drive a carriage out to center field and watch the game from behind a rope since there was no fence. The park survived until April of 1911, when the park burned to the ground while the Giants were on the road. John McGraw and company briefly played in Hilltop Park—I’ll cover that in another column someday—while the Giants organization, headed by President John T. Brush (whom we’ll hear more about later), rebuilt the park. The newly rebuilt Polo Grounds (a small bit of the previous park survived the fire) opened in June of 1911, although the seating area continued to be built throughout the season. For a brief period the team attempted to name the park Brush Stadium in honor of the team president, but the name never took and was abandoned when Brush died in 1912."
The Hardball Times

Polo Ground, 1909

"At the southernmost end of Highbridge Park is a part of Washington Heights that has been neglected and disused because of the lack of pride that was once a part of baseball history. Coogan's Bluff played an important role in bringing the residents of Washington Heights and Harlem out on a warm afternoon to watch a baseball game without having to pay for it. The bluffs original boundaries extended from 155th Street to 160th Street and from Edgecombe Avenue to the Harlem River. There is also a deep escarpment that descends 175 feet from Edgecombe Avenue down to the Harlem River which creates a grassy knoll called Coogan's Hollow. Today the section of parkland known as Coogan's Bluff is only .08 acres. Coogan's Bluff was named in honor of James J. Coogan (1845-1915) who was the Manhattan Borough President from 1899 to 1901. Coogan was also an unsuccessful two-time candidate for the New York City mayoral race. Coogan, a real estate merchant, owned much of the property in the area that included the site of the Polo Grounds ballfield."
Coogans Bluff and the Polo Grounds

"Coogan's Bluff is the name of a promontory rising abruptly from the Harlem River in upper Manhattan in New York City. Starting at 155th Street, it is regarded as the boundary between the neighborhoods of Harlem and Washington Heights. The rise is named for James J. Coogan (1845-1915), a real estate owner and one-term Manhattan Borough President. Known as 'Coogan's Bluff" as early as 1893, the property passed on to his wife upon his passing."
Wikipedia

Baltimore Terrapins

Terrapin Park,  East 29th Street and Greenmount Avenue

"The Baltimore Terrapins were one of the most successful teams in the short-lived Federal League of professional baseball from 1914 to 1915, but their brief existence led to litigation that led to an important legal precedent in baseball. The team played its home games at Terrapin Park. Most of the professional baseball teams in Baltimore have been called the Orioles, in reference to the Baltimore Oriole bird. There was already a minor league Baltimore Orioles, and the new Federal League club built their ballpark directly across the street from the Orioles park. The new club chose to call itself the Baltimore Terrapins, after the diamondback terrapin, the state reptile of Maryland. That nickname would later become primarily associated with the University of Maryland, College Park sports teams called the Maryland Terrapins. While the 1914 team posted a respectable 84–70 record and finished only 4½ games out of first place under player-manager Otto Knabe, the team was less than successful at the box office, even though four of the eight teams in the league (Chicago, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis) were competing with one and even two (Chicago and St. Louis) other major league teams in the same cities."
Wikipedia

Baltimore Terrapins, 1914

The Battle for Baltimore, 1914: The Federal League Moves In (Part 1)
"In August 1913, the independent Federal League (regarded as a low minor league, perhaps Class-D) made headlines after declaring its intention to seek major league status in 1914. The Federal League survived in 1913 in contrast to two other leagues – the United States League and the Columbian League – which had tried in 1912 to operate outside Organized Baseball, the formal structure linking the traditional major and minor leagues. The United States League of 1912 included Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, New York, Pittsburgh, Reading, Richmond and Washington, D.C. It survived only a month. The Colombian League never hosted a contest. (A separate United States League was formed in 1913 – optimistically including Baltimore, Brooklyn, Lynchburg, Newark, Philadelphia and D.C. – but it failed within its first week of operation.) ..."
Baseball History Blog - Part 1, Part 2

"The Baltimore Terrapins were one of the least successful teams in the short-lived Federal League of professional baseball. It primarily owes its existance to Baltimore politician Carroll Wilson Rasin. They played two seasons from 1914 to 1915. While the team was inconsequential in terms of its record, it is remembered for certain unexpected consequences of its existance. When the Federal League started, the Terrapins severely cut into the minor league Baltimore Orioles' attendance, causing financial problems for the owner, Jack Dunn. As a result, several players, including the young left-handed pitcher Babe Ruth, were offered for sale to major league teams. Ruth's contract was purchased by the Boston Red Sox, after being turned down by Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics. In 1914, the Babe begin his career with the Red Sox of the rival American League. After the demise of the Federal League and the Terrapins, Baltimore would not see major league baseball again until 1954, when the former St. Louis Browns moved into town and became the current-day Baltimore Orioles."
Baltimore Terrapins

1914 Baltimore Terrapins Federal League Team Panorama
"This extremely rare display photograph captures twenty-five members of the 1914 Baltimore Terrapins of the Federal League in a classic team pose. The team is pictured in their home whites, featuring a large 'turtle' patch on the left breast, as they pose in front of the grandstand. The photographer's name and year, 'H. B. Leopold '14,' appears in the lower right corner. Included in the photo are the club's two twenty-game winners that season, Jack Quinn and George Suggs, as well as Hank Swacina, Bennie Meyer and Jimmy 'Runt' Walsh, the three top hitters on the team. Also pictured is the Philadelphia Phillies veteran double-play combo of the past sevens seasons, Otto Knabe and Mickey Doolan, who, like many other established Major League players, were lured to the new league by the promise of more money. Knabe pulled double duty that year, as he also managed the Terps."
Robert Edward

W - 1914 Baltimore Terrapins season

Columbia Park

1905 World Series game at Columbia Park.

"Columbia Park or Columbia Avenue Grounds was a baseball stadium that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the first home of the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team from the team's founding in 1901 until their move to Shibe Park in 1909. Columbia Park was on the block bordered by North 29th Street, Columbia Avenue (now Cecil B. Moore Avenue), North 30th Street, and Oxford Street in the Brewerytown section of Philadelphia (beer sales were prohibited in the park). The cost of construction was $35,000. The stadium was very small, and originally had a seating capacity of only 9,500. This was eventually increased to 13,600 by the addition of bleacher seating in the outfield. During some sold out games, unofficial additional seating could be found on top of the adjoining homes. There was only one dressing room, for the home team; visiting teams had to change at their hotels. The opening game in Columbia Park was held on April 26, 1901, after the first two games were rained out. The Athletics played the Washington Nationals (Senators) in front of an overflow crowd of 10,524, with some fans standing on the outfield walls and the roofs of nearby houses. The Athletics lost 5-1, despite three hits by second baseman Nap Lajoie."
Wikipedia

Columbia Park in 1907.

"Columbia Park was located in the Brewerytown area of Philadelphia, PA and was three miles northwest of Independence Hall. The park was built of wood and had a single-decked, covered grandstand that formed a semicircle from first base to third base. Bleachers stretched along the foul lines, and a press box sat atop the grandstand roof. The park did not have dugouts, so players sat on benches on the sides of the field. In 1902, the Athletics won the American League pennant and drew large crowds to Columbia Park. The following year, the Philadelphia Phillies finished their season here after some stands in their stadium, Baker Bowl, collapsed. On October 9, 1905, almost 18,000 fans showed up here for a World Series game, but the Athletics lost the series in five games. After the 1908 season, the Athletics left Columbia Park for new Shibe Park, and the park's sod was transplanted to the team's new home."
Baseball Reference

The Major League Pennant Races of 1916

"Baseball at its best is a combination of chess match and gladiatorial combat, waged over a long season but turning on split-second decisions and physical instincts. The 1916 season encompassed the drama that made the sport the national pastime: tight pennant races, multiple contenders, record-breaking performances, and controversy, both on and off the field. Ten of the 16 teams battled for first place, four pitchers started and won both games of a doubleheader, Babe Ruth pitched on Opening Day, and players from the Federal League became the sport's first free agents. Features full rosters, player biographies, statistics, photographs and an appendix of the sportswriters who chronicled the season."
amazon

Google: The Major League Pennant Races of 1916

Hauls of Shame

"Peter J. Nash joined the Society of American Baseball Research at the age of 12 as an avid baseball fan and card collector. His early research intensified his interest in the pioneers of the game like Harry Wright, Albert Spalding and Henry Chadwick, and he moved from collecting bubble gum cards to rare and unusual baseball artifacts of the 19th century. ... But from 1989 to 1995 Nash experienced the dark side of the baseball collectibles field as he discovered, with the help of his friend and world renowned handwriting expert Charles Hamilton, that close to a quarter million dollars worth of materials he’d purchased were either bogus or stolen goods. Some of the stolen items were believed to originate from the collections of the New York Public Library and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Over the past fifteen years, Nash has conducted his own personal investigation into the hobby, which now constitutes the backdrop for his compelling exposé on the fraud-ridden industry. In particular, Nash has succeeded in unraveling some of the hobby’s greatest mysteries involving massive thefts from the historical baseball collections housed at the New York Public Library, Boston Public Library and National Baseball Hall of Fame."
Hauls of Shame: The Author

Expert: Rare Babe Ruth Pin Discovered and Sold By Rob Lifson To The Dreier Collection May Be A Fake?
"When it was announced that a discovery of a PM-1 pin of Babe Ruth was made in 2005 by auctioneer and pin expert Rob Lifson of Robert Edward Auctions, it represented one of the most remarkable finds in recent times. It was billed as being quite possibly the earliest issue representing Ruth in a Major League uniform and as part of a 1915 commercial issue that is now recognized in the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards. The pins were first documented in the late Burt Sugar’s The Sports Collectors Bible, which listed nine different players depicted on pins that were designated as 'PM1’s.' At the time of the astounding find a press release stated, 'Uncovering buried treasure is something most can only dream of, but Robert Edward Auctions has done it with this discovery of the 1915 PM1 Ruth Pin!'"
Hauls of Shame - Expert: Rare Babe Ruth Pin Discovered ...?

1904 World Series

John McGraw-Manager

"In 1904, there was no World Series between the champions of the two Major League Baseball leagues, the American League and the National League. These two champions were the Boston Americans (now Boston Red Sox), who had repeated their 1903 American League championship, and the National League's New York Giants (now San Francisco Giants). Owing to business rivalry between the two leagues, especially in New York, and to personal animosity between Giants' manager John McGraw and American League President Ban Johnson, the Giants declined to meet the champions of the 'junior' or 'minor' league. McGraw even said his Giants were already the world champions since they were the champions of the 'only real major league.'"
Wikipedia

"The 1904 World Series was a championship that didn't happen. But even though there was no champion crowned, 1904 was the key year in bringing about the annual Fall Classic. After the pennant winners of the American and National leagues had arranged to play in 1903 in a post-season championship, it seemed the two leagues had finally moved beyond the bitter rivalry that had defined baseball since the American League formed in 1901. But New York Giants owner John T. Brush announced during the 1904 season that if his team won the National League pennant, they would not play the American League champ. His manager, John McGraw, made it clear he thought the National League was the only major league. The New York Giants did end the season as the National League champions, winning 106 games and finishing 13 games ahead of the second place Chicago Cubs. Meanwhile, the defending world champ Boston Americans (later the Boston Red Sox) won their second consecutive American League pennant, fighting off the New York Highlanders (later the New York Yankees) by a game and a half. A series made in heaven."
Baseball Vault

1904 New York Giants

"The 1904 NY Giants won their 1st of 8 NL pennants under Manager John McGraw. They won a then NL record 106 games. They lead the league with a .262 average, 31 home runs, 744 runs scored and for good measure they stole a league leading 283 bases. They lead the league with a 2.17 team ERA, 21 shutouts and 707 strikeouts. And then they went home. Giants owner John Brush and manager John McGraw put their egos together and decided that the World Series would not take place. McGraw later claimed that this was all Brush’s doings, but McGraw was not a big fan of AL President Ban Johnson, and he was very vocal in his opinion that the AL was still a minor league organization. When the Giants had a double digit lead over the Cubs in late July, the crosstown rival NY Highlanders were also in 1st place in the AL. Neither Brush nor McGraw wanted to share the glory with another NY team, and also didn’t want to take any chance in losing to that team, so they announced that they would not be participating in any post season play. When the Americans edged out the Highlanders on the last weekend of the season, I would imagine that both Brush and McGraw regretted blowing off what could have been a pretty nice payday."
Baseball Revisited

New York Giants

1904 and the No-Series Giants postcard
"There was no 1904 World Series. Disputes on several levels led the National League champion New York Giants, pictured on this 1904 postcard, to decline to play the American League champion Boston Americans. The postcard shows (top row) Luther Taylor, Mike Donlin, Billy Gilbert, Bill Dahlen, Frank Bowerman (top row); (middle row) Hooks Wiltse, Jack Dunn, John McGraw, Dan McGann, Claude Elliot; (bottom row) Red Ames, George Browne, Roger Bresnahan, Joe McGinnity, Jack Warner, Sam Mertes. McGraw, Bresnahan, and McGinnity are in the Hall of Fame. Dunn was the first person to sign Babe Ruth to a professional contract in 1914 as skipper of the Baltimore Orioles."
A World Series Celebration

Christy Mathewson

"In the time when Giants walked the earth and roamed the Polo Grounds, none was more honored than Christy Mathewson. Delivering all four of his pitches, including his famous 'fadeaway' (now called a screwball), with impeccable control and an easy motion, the right-handed Mathewson was the greatest pitcher of the Deadball Era's first decade, compiling a 2.13 ERA over 17 seasons and setting modern National League records for wins in a season (37), wins in a career (373), and consecutive 20-win seasons (12). Aside from his pitching achievements, he was the greatest all-around hero of the Deadball Era, a handsome, college-educated man who lifted the rowdy world of baseball to gentlemanliness. Matty was the basis, many say, for the idealized athlete Frank Merriwell, an inspiration to many authors over the years, and the motivation for an Off-Broadway play based on his life and writings. 'He gripped the imagination of a country that held a hundred million people and held this grip with a firmer hold than any man of his day or time,' wrote sportswriter Grantland Rice. ..."
SABR

"Christopher 'Christy' Mathewson (August 12, 1880 – October 7, 1925), nicknamed 'Big Six', 'The Christian Gentleman', or 'Matty', was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was among the most dominant pitchers of his (or any) era and ranks in the all-time top-10 in major pitching categories such as wins, shutouts, and ERA. In 1936, Mathewson was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its 'first five' inaugural members. Mathewson grew up in Factoryville, Pennsylvania, and he began playing semi-professional baseball when he was 14 years old. He played in the minor leagues in 1899 with a pitching record of 20 wins and two losses. He then started an unsuccessful tenure with the New York Giants the next season but was sent back to the minors. Mathewson would eventually return to the Giants and go on to win 373 games in his career, which is a National League record. In the 1905 World Series, he pitched three shutouts, leading to a Giants victory. ..."
Wikipedia

WHY WE LOST THREE WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIPS By Christy Mathewson. From Everybody's Magazine, October 1914
"I HAVE faced American League teams in four World's Championships. Last fall for the third successive time my team, the New York Giants, was beaten; for the fourth time the National League pennant-winner was beaten. It is significant that New York's lone triumph over an American League pennant-winner was back in 1905. There has been much discussion in recent years, among players, fans, and National League managers, of this point - why all the World's Championships have been won by the American League. And all this has been caused by the annual failure of the Giants. When in 1910 the Chicago Cubs lost the world's title, it did not cause more than usual comment. The Cub machine had aged and fallen to pieces. Dismiss that series in a word - 'has-beens.' But when in 1911 and again in 1912 and 1913 a young and vigorous team like the Giants, a team that had driven roughshod over every club in the National League - when an aggressive combination like ours had seemed almost like a high-school nine beside the American League champions, questions began to be asked. What was the matter? Why did a team that had fought its way to three National League championships invariably blow up in the most important series of the year? ..."
Rain Delay

"Christy Mathewson made headlines in the summer of 1905 for his amazing pitching exploits for the New York Giants, but the 25 year old already had an exalted place in public opinion because of his classic handsomeness, his reputation as a college man, and his moral stance in refusing to pitch on Sundays. Mathewson benefited from a strict Baptist upbringing, natural intelligence, and superb athletic ability. He excelled in tense situations — 'pitching in a pinch' he called it — and won 373 games in 17 seasons, all but one of those victories for the Giants. After his playing career, he was a manager, army officer and baseball executive, played a role in the unraveling of the Black Sox, and fought a courageous battle against tuberculosis. He did not have a flawed personality like Ty Cobb, nor was he larger-than-life like Babe Ruth; rather, he was a man with a keen sense of honor and responsibility for both private and public obligations. This biography documents in great depth his life on and off the baseball field, and draws from sources, old and new, to let Mathewson’s life speak for itself. Not many sports figures can withstand such scrutiny."
amazon: Christy Mathewson by Michael Hartley

YouTube: Christy Mathewson pitching footage, John McGraw and Christy Mathewson

Ballparks of the Deadball Era: A Comprehensive Study of Their Dimensions, Configurations and Effects on Batting, 1901-1919

"While most serious fans know that the Deadball Era was characterized by low scoring, aggressive baserunning, and strong pitching, few understand the extent to which ballparks determined the style of play. As it turns out, the general absence of standardization and the ever-changing dimensions, configurations, and ground rules had a profound effect on the game, as offensive production would rise and fall, sometimes dramatically, from year to year. Especially in the early years of the American League, home teams enjoyed an unprecedented advantage over visiting clubs. The 1901 Orioles are a case in point, as the club batted an astounding .325 at Oriole Park IV--some 60 points above their road average and 54 points better than visitors to the park. Organized by major league city, this comprehensive study of Deadball parks and park effects provides fact-filled, data-heavy commentary on all 34 ballparks used by the American and National Leagues from 1901 through 1919. Illustrations and historical photos are included, along with a foreword by Philip J. Lowry and a final chapter that offers an assessment of the overall impact of parks on the era."
amazon

Google: Ballparks of the deadball era

throw away

"1. To lose a game because of poor pitching or poor throwing; e.g., 'Smith threw that game away by walking three batters' or 'Jones threw away a game by making that error.' 1ST USE. 1902 (The Sporting Life, July 12, p.3; Edward J. Nichols). 2. To make a wild throw; e.g., 'In his haste to retire the runner, Smith threw the ball away.'"
Paul Dickson, The Dickson Baseball Dictionary

19c Baseball

"Baseball History. Today a multi-billion dollar industry, Baseball has come a long way from its crude and humble beginnings in the fields of 19th century America. More than a game, Baseball remains an inseparable part of the American heritage and an intrinsic part of our national psyche. For many of us, notions of team, fair play, and athletic excellence first occurred on a red clay diamond cut from a grassy field. Referred to as 'America's Pastime' since 1856, Baseball today is played by men and women of all ages and skill levels all around the world. Despite its recurrent scandals and woes, Baseball remains synonymous with the best that America has to offer. 19th Century Baseball: The Beginning: Contrary to popular belief, Baseball was not invented by a single individual, but evolved from various European "bat and ball" games. Russia had a version of Baseball called Lapta, which dates back to the fourteenth century. It consisted of two teams (five to ten members) with a pitcher and batter. The ball would be thrown to the batter who would attempt to hit it with a short stick and then run to the opposite side and back before being hit by the ball. "
19c Baseball

Evolution of Baseball Equipment
"... A minimum of equipment was employed in 19th century baseball, and changes in its regulation were infrequent. No batter wore a helmet during the 19th century. 'Gloves' did not become common until the late 1880s and the baseball has retained the same dimensions, weight and leather pattern since 1872. Only one attempt to regulate uniforms was made by the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs in 1882. This was due to the emergence of the American Association of Base Ball Clubs, which began play in 1882 and attempted to differentiate themselves from the six-year old National League."
19c Baseball: Evolution of Baseball Equipment

Baseball Catches On
"A s baseball clubs became skilled at the game the competitiveness of the clubs resulted in many great base ball matches. These all-star matches drew many observers and as the sport increased in popularity so did the attendance. Once it was established that these matches were worthy of an admission fee, professionalism eventually took over the base ball community. One year after the demise of the first openly professional base ball club, the 1869–1870 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the National Association of Base Ball Players became the first professional base ball league in the United States. As poorly and unorganized as this league was, the opportunity for future investors as another avenue of income would lead to the formation of four more professional leagues in the next 15 years."
19c Baseball: Baseball Catches On