Players League
Encyclopedia
The Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, popularly known as the Players' League (sometimes rendered as Players League), was a short-lived but star-studded professional American baseball
league of the 19th century. It emerged from the Brotherhood of Professional Base-Ball Players, the sport's first players' union
.
The Brotherhood included most of the best players of the National League
. Brotherhood members, led by John Montgomery Ward
, left the National League and formed the Players' League after failing to change the lopsided player-management relationship of the National League.
The PL lasted just the one season of 1890
, and the Boston franchise won the championship. Although known to historians as the Players' League, newspapers often reported the standings with the shorthand titles of "League", "Association" and "Brotherhood". The PL was well-attended, at least in some cities, but was underfunded and its owners lacked the confidence to continue beyond the one season.
In 1968, a committee appointed by Major League Baseball
Commissioner
William Eckert
ruled that the Players' League was a major league
.
leaders were Hall-of-Famer Roger Connor
with 14 home runs, Pete Browning
with a .373 batting average, and Hardy Richardson
with 146 RBI. For pitchers, Mark Baldwin had 34 wins, Silver King had a 2.69 ERA, and Mark Baldwin struck out 211 batters.
On June 21 King threw an unofficial eight-inning no-hitter.
Oddly, in its one season of operation, the Players League saw seven triple play
s: the Giants on June 14, the Red Stockings on June 30, the Pirates on July 15, the Pirates again on July 30, the Burghers on August 15, Ward's Wonders on September 6, and the Bisons on September 29.
after the Players' League folded. The Brooklyn, New York, Chicago and Pittsburgh franchises each merged with their National League counterparts after the season.
Although the league was started by the players themselves, essentially as an elaborate job-action to improve their lot, the venture proved to be a setback for them in the longer term. The infamous reserve clause
remained intact, and would remain thus for the next 85 years or so. The already-shaky AA had been further weakened by the presence of the PL. The Lou Bierbauer
incident caused a schism between the NL and the AA, and the AA failed a year later, reducing the total number of major league teams (and players) significantly, giving the remaining owners much greater leverage against the players.
One benefit of the league, from the management standpoint, was the construction of new facilities, several of which were used for a while by the established major league clubs. The most prominent of these was a new Polo Grounds
, originally constructed for the New York Giants of the Players League, which served afterwards as the home of the National League's New York Giants
from 1891 to 1957 (it was rebuilt in steel and concrete in 1911) and of the New York Mets
in their first two seasons. It was also the site of many other famous sporting events through its 75 years of existence.
Chicago's still-standing Wrigley Field
has been called a "silent monument" to the Federal League
experiment of 1914-1915, and it was likewise with the Polo Grounds and the Players' League. Once the demolition of the Polo Grounds began in 1964, the game's historians realized that this was not only the end of an era in general, but also in a sense it was the final chapter of the Players' League.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
league of the 19th century. It emerged from the Brotherhood of Professional Base-Ball Players, the sport's first players' union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
.
The Brotherhood included most of the best players of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. Brotherhood members, led by John Montgomery Ward
John Montgomery Ward
John Montgomery Ward , known as Monte Ward, was an American Major League Baseball pitcher, shortstop and manager. Ward was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Renovo, Pennsylvania...
, left the National League and formed the Players' League after failing to change the lopsided player-management relationship of the National League.
The PL lasted just the one season of 1890
1890 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Brooklyn Bridegrooms 3, Louisville Colonels 3, 1 tie*National League: Brooklyn Bridegrooms*American Association: Louisville Colonels*Players' League: Boston RedsInter-league playoff: Brooklyn declined challenge by Boston...
, and the Boston franchise won the championship. Although known to historians as the Players' League, newspapers often reported the standings with the shorthand titles of "League", "Association" and "Brotherhood". The PL was well-attended, at least in some cities, but was underfunded and its owners lacked the confidence to continue beyond the one season.
In 1968, a committee appointed by Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Commissioner
Baseball Commissioner
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
William Eckert
William Eckert
William Dole "Spike" Eckert was a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force, and later the fourth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1968.-Before baseball:...
ruled that the Players' League was a major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Highlights
The Players League Triple CrownTriple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
leaders were Hall-of-Famer Roger Connor
Roger Connor
Roger Connor was a 19th century Major League Baseball player, born in Waterbury, Connecticut. Known for being the player whom Babe Ruth succeeded as the all-time home run champion, Connor hit 138 home runs during his 18-year career, and his career home run record stood for 23 years after his...
with 14 home runs, Pete Browning
Pete Browning
Louis Rogers "Pete" Browning was an American center and left fielder in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1894 who played primarily for the Louisville Eclipse/Colonels, becoming one of the sport's most accomplished batters of the 1880s...
with a .373 batting average, and Hardy Richardson
Hardy Richardson
Abram Harding "Hardy" Richardson was a second basemen and outfielder mostly, who played in the Major Leagues for a number of teams throughout the 19th century. Most of Richardson's career was with the Buffalo Bisons...
with 146 RBI. For pitchers, Mark Baldwin had 34 wins, Silver King had a 2.69 ERA, and Mark Baldwin struck out 211 batters.
On June 21 King threw an unofficial eight-inning no-hitter.
Oddly, in its one season of operation, the Players League saw seven triple play
Triple Play
A triple play is a baseball play in which three outs are made as a result of continuous action without any intervening errors between outs.Triple play may also refer to:...
s: the Giants on June 14, the Red Stockings on June 30, the Pirates on July 15, the Pirates again on July 30, the Burghers on August 15, Ward's Wonders on September 6, and the Bisons on September 29.
Legacy
The Boston and Philadelphia franchises joined the American AssociationAmerican Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
after the Players' League folded. The Brooklyn, New York, Chicago and Pittsburgh franchises each merged with their National League counterparts after the season.
Although the league was started by the players themselves, essentially as an elaborate job-action to improve their lot, the venture proved to be a setback for them in the longer term. The infamous reserve clause
Reserve clause
The reserve clause is a term formerly employed in North American professional sports contracts. The reserve clause, contained in all standard player contracts, stated that, upon the contract's expiration the rights to the player were to be retained by the team to which he had been signed...
remained intact, and would remain thus for the next 85 years or so. The already-shaky AA had been further weakened by the presence of the PL. The Lou Bierbauer
Lou Bierbauer
Louis W. Bierbauer was a German-American professional baseball player who was a second baseman in Major League Baseball during the late 1880s and 1890s...
incident caused a schism between the NL and the AA, and the AA failed a year later, reducing the total number of major league teams (and players) significantly, giving the remaining owners much greater leverage against the players.
One benefit of the league, from the management standpoint, was the construction of new facilities, several of which were used for a while by the established major league clubs. The most prominent of these was a new Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, originally constructed for the New York Giants of the Players League, which served afterwards as the home of the National League's New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
from 1891 to 1957 (it was rebuilt in steel and concrete in 1911) and of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in their first two seasons. It was also the site of many other famous sporting events through its 75 years of existence.
Chicago's still-standing Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
has been called a "silent monument" to the Federal League
Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...
experiment of 1914-1915, and it was likewise with the Polo Grounds and the Players' League. Once the demolition of the Polo Grounds began in 1964, the game's historians realized that this was not only the end of an era in general, but also in a sense it was the final chapter of the Players' League.