Baseball History: News of Player’s League Leaked to Press
Baseball history was littered with attempts to create a rival major league throughout the 1800s. On this day in 1889, one of those attempts, the Player’s League, was leaked to the press.
During the 1800s, baseball players had few rights. They were bought and sold like cattle, given raises or pay cuts at the whims of ownership. The reserve clause tied players to teams indefinitely, making such concepts as free agency a pipe dream. However, there were attempts to combat this situation, as the first attempt to unionize in baseball history, the Brotherhood of Professional Baseball Players, was founded in 1885 and sought to improve conditions for its members.
Despite being led by John Montgomery Ward, who was a lawyer in addition to being a prominent player, the Brotherhood had few victories. The existing major leagues had all the power, and were free to set salary limits at their discretion. They simply did not have a reason to compromise. With that being the case, the Brotherhood hatched a plan to create a league of their own.
On this day in 1889, the details of the Player’s League were leaked to the press. It would be a league for the players by the players. Teams would be owned jointly by capitalists and the players themselves. There would be caps on profits, and aimed for parity between the franchises. Six of the eight franchises were placed in cities where National League or American Association teams already existed. Decisions were made by a senate comprised of two representatives from each team.
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Unfortunately, the league lasted only one season. While they had a better product and attracted the top talent in the game, they were at a financial disadvantage. Those investors became concerned when the profits were not as high as hoped, and the league folded after that one year.
However, the Player’s League still left a mark. It was the first league to use two umpires, an innovation that would extend to the other major leagues. The league also had one of the more advanced schedule templates of the time, but suffered poor attendance when the National League took advantage of that schedule to play home games at the same time.
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The Player’s League was one of the first attempts to give the players rights in baseball history. With more financial backing, the league may have worked out. Instead, it left its mark with several innovations that would extend to the other major leagues of the time.