Full Description
It was a novel experiment as baseball's leading men formed the National Association, bringing order to the hodgepodge of professional and amateur clubs that made up the sport from the end of the Civil War through 1870. It was an imperfect beginning to organized professional sports in America--the league was plagued by gambling, contract jumping and rumors of dishonest play--but it laid the groundwork for the multi-billion-dollar enterprises of the 21st century. Like most sporting endeavors, it was entertaining, with the best players in the world displaying their talents throughout the northeastern and mid-western United States and, in 1874, during a ground-breaking journey to England. The present volume covers all the action--both on and off the field--of the NA's five years, providing the definitive history of the first professional sports league in the U.S.
Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Opening Day
2. Elysian Fields to Fort Wayne
3. Collier's Rooms
4. The Game
5. The Players
6. Play Ball
7. The First Pennant Race
8. The Pernicious Practice
9. A Two-Tiered League
10. The Tournament
11. Financial Troubles
12. The Umpire
13. A New Powerhouse
14. The Mutuals
15. Boston Makes a Run
16. The Return of the White Stockings
17. A Trip to Europe
18. Going for Three
19. Not Cricket
20. The Mutuals Repulsed
21. Going West
22. The Force Case
23. Going Broke
24. An Early Challenge
25. A Little Chin Music, Maestro
26. A Stunning Succession
27. Grand Central Hotel
Appendix—Selected Statistics: Statistical Leaders of the National Association, 1871-75
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
