The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-10-02
LEAGUE MEN TO FIGHT.
THE STRIKE OF BASEBALL PLAYERS
WILL BE RESISTED.
League Managers VIII Hire New Men,
Retain Their Grounds, and Go Right oD
Giving Exhibitions of the National Game
"A. q. Spalding's Views.
New York special


New York speciall
The much-talked-of scheme OF the baseball
brotherhood % organize a combination OF clubs
in the prominent cities OF the country, Ia OPP
Jaws. is a most serious undertaking 10 those Of.
rectly concerned review OF n former attempt
20 break the present controlling powers Is OF in
terest at this time IN that IL has more or less in
common with the present baseball situation
In the early part of 1884 Henry " Lucas, q
wealthy citizen of st. Louis, conceived the idea
Of breaking up that bulwark OF profes sional
baseball, the reserve rule He considered the
rule merely means of robbing the players o.
their freedom 10 come and go rs they pleased
and notwithstanding the fact that IL hHd been
fairly demonstratedlthat thelplayers interests
were as fully protected by the rule as were the
clubs, Mr. Lucas made up his mind 70 XIII
IL. He enlisted the cooperation Of capitalists
in various cities Of the East and West ano
set about 20 organize the Union Association. Oh
prominent men who took up his standard were
Justus Thorner, OF Cincinnati; II. III. Hender-
son, OF Chicago and Tim humane, OF Boston.
These formed the nucleus Of the new Associ-
alton, and one by one other cities were repre-
sented by similar enthusiasts until eight were
In the field when the season opened They were
st. Louis, Chicago Cincinnati and Altoona in
the West, and Philadelphia Baltimore, Wash
fngton, and Boston in the East Mr.. Lucas was
fighting for principle, and, believing That he
was improving the status Of the player
thereby, expected 10 induce most of the prom
inent professionals 20 ignore the reserve rule
apd forsake the National League clubs, which
held them under bondage. When the trying
moment came, however, the players, as a rule.
declined 10 accept the offers Of the Union Asso-
citation, and preferred 10 remain under the bond
age where steady employment and good salaries
Were certatnties.
OF all the PLAYERS approached those who de-
serted the regular clubs can be counted on the
fingers OF ones two hands. The first one TO
break his allegiance TO the reserve rule was
Tony Mullane OF the st. Louis Association club.
He accepted the offer OF - 500 year from Mr..
Lucas and pocketed Il 600 advance money. He
weakened, however before the season opened,
and again jumped his contract, this time Joining
the Toledo Club, which member of the
American Association in that year. George
Washington Bradley and Orator" Shaffer were
the next 10 yield 10 the blandi shments of Lucas,
and one armed Hugh Daily followed suit.
Then Fred Dunlap Cleveland great cond
Daseman, seeded and signed contract with
the st. Louis Unions Crane, OF New York, WAS
the next 10 yield, he going 20 Cincinnati. Do
what they could the Union officials could get no
more players TO break faith with the League or
Association clubs, and they had 10 make up
their teams with the unengaged players then
on the market. And SO the season was started.
In July the st. Louis Unions tempered with
Pitcher Sweeney, OF the Providence
Club, and that player so deported himself In
consequence that he was backlisted Ee then
joined Lucas team. The last coup of the Union
people was made on Aug. 5. when they induced
Mccormick, Briody, and Glasscock, OF the sI-o-
cessful Cleveland team, TO desert TO Cincinnati.
SO much for the players: And now for the sue
of the clubs. Of the eight that began the
season in April only five lasted 10 the finish
After six weeks struggling the Altoona Club
gave up, and on May 81 Kansas City took its
place. The KeYstones, of Philadelphia, dis
banded early in August, and Wilmington
induced 70 desert the Eastern League and I'll
the vacancy. The Wilmingtons did not last
long, and they In turn gave way 10 the Milwau-
KEGS on Sept. -. The Chicago Club quit in
August and transferred its players 20 Pitts
burgh; but there, too no success was made
and they disbanded Sept. 10. st. Paul, the last
remnant of the defunct Northwestern League,
finished out the season in Pittsburgh place
Such is the eyentful record of the first and
only season of the Union Association. Every
CLUB lost money and the leader, Mr.. Lucas,
sank n small fortune. When the time for the
second annual meeting came around no Eastern
club was represented. An adjournment YVES
taken until Jan. II, 1885. On that day only two
clubs appeared, and they formally disbanded
the Union Association. 1he 81. Louis club was
subsequently admitted TO membership in the
National League and the other Western clubs
called meeting for forming new association
which proved TO be the Western League organ
lied under the national agreement. The last
chapter in the story was the qualified REIN
statement of the deserters Dunlap Glasscock,
Mccormick, and BriOdy by the Nation League.
strong opposition existed 10 IL, notably that
of President A. G.. Mills. When the men were
finally restored TO the ranks of the League, Mr..
Mills resigned the Presidency, and has not been
prominently connected with the national game
since,