Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-20
BIG LEAGUE BASE BALL NAP
It's Expansion and Contraction in
Thirty Years.
GEOGRAPHY OF NATIONAL GAME
MIN Of Eleven cities Of old National
Associations OF EARLY
Are stin I'm Major Or
G~antKntions.

Association of EARLY
Are stin I'm Major Or
Ga%niSntions.
The geographical scope Of big league
base ball has undergone as many changes
as the playing rules. Circuits have ex-
banded and contracted and otherwise been
gerrymandered greatly since the first days
of organized base ball. Railroad jumps
the convenience Of a oity's location-as well
as population, nave to be considered in
making up a circuit. They are the two
most important factors in the makeup of
the present big league circuits, circuits
which are compac and take in practically
all Of the desirable cities within reach.
Five Of the cities-New York. Boston. Phil
adelphis. Chicago and St. Louis-are 30 de-
sirable tina they are In both Of the leagues.
At least three other cities-Cincinnati,
Cleveland and Pittsburg-probably could
support two clubs and would have them
were it not for the structures Of the peace
compact.
The five cities Of the first class. as they
might be called, had a combined population
of 1866, sO4, according to the official census
Of 1900. Little wonder that they figure in
both leagues. st. Louis was the smallest
Of the lot with SIS, 900, not much bigger
than Baltimore with it's 50S.0OO; yet st.
Louis is a first-class ball town with two
big league teams, while Baltimore has
only one team, and that in a minor league.
That is one Of the odd things about the
geographical phase OF the national game.
Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland and Wash
ington all have smaller populations than
Baltimore.
Interest in Games History.
The history OF professional base ball
in America, the history OF the most scien-
tific and most entertaining game to be
found anywhere in the world, bristles with
interest, and some day an adequate his
tory may be compiled. What history we
have now is but f~ragmentary. In what
there is this geographical feature has been
but little touched upon.
However, the survival OF the fittest In
big league members finds only eleven OF
over thirty cities which at various times
nave been in the major leagues. Tit
eleven present major league members are
Boston, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia,
Washington, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Cincin-
natl, Detroit, Chicago and st. Louis. What
changes there were before the final sitting
was made which narrowed the circuit down
to these elevenl What reaching out and
drawing backl What experimenting!
The first big league was the old National
association, which flourished from 1871 to
1876 inclusive and gave way to the National
league in 1876. Other big leagues have been
or are the American association, the Amer
lean league and the short-llved Players
league and Union association. Cities In
them have been Boston, New York, Brook
Ign, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Cincinnati,
Chicago, Cleveland. ST. Louis, Detroit, Bal
timore, Providence. Worcester, Hartford,
Milwaukee, Buffalo, Columbus, Troy,
Washington. Toledo. Richmond, Louisville,
Fort Wayne, Rockford, Mansfield, New
Haven, Syracuse. Kansas City. Indian
apoIis, Minneapolis, Altoona and may be
one or two others. In the golden days
there were the Haymakers of Troy, Eek
fords of Williamsburg. Mutuals of New
York and others similarly named whose
headquarters are not given in the
guides.
Kansas City FartheAt West.
Big league geography is pounded on the
NC0N Wy ~ AhoN ANEAn @AA8 ON1 WE
furthest west in the ramifications. Kan
sas City, like Milwaukee and Minneapolis,
was in the American league in 100. but
was dropped by that organization in
order that It might expand and make its
circuit a more ambitious one. In the
present American association all three
have found a more natural level. Troy,
with it's little rs, OOO-19OO figures-was once
. III. ,ou,a rgfr hat hou lnn1 ofnra haan
defunct as a major league town. Wor-
cester, Hartford. Providence. Buffalo,
Louisville, indianapolis and numerous
others nave through the spread of the
game and readjustment OF its circuits
passed through varying experiences and
fetched up In other than major leagues.
The Individual members OF the big lea
CUES are self-identifying nowadays, but
il wasn't always so. The National ASSOC
citation of 1S71 took in these clubs; Athletics
(Phiisdelphia), a name which has endured
right through to the present; Boston. Chi
oago, Mutuals CNew York;, OlympIcs
Washington, Haymakers Crroy), Cleve-
land. Kekigonas (Fort wayne) and Rock
ford. In 1879 the circuit consisted of Bos-
ton, Baltimore. Mutuals, Athletics. Troy,
Atlantics (Brooklyn). Cleveland, Mans
Ilelus ECkiOTuS NWlilalnSDurBD, ana Olynl-
pics and Nationals. both Of Washington.
There were two clubs in one town even in
those days.
The Resolutes from Jersey and Mary
lands were in the national association cir
cult in 1873, the Hartfords in 1874. while in
20 the circuit Included New Haven, the
Red Stockings OF Cincinnati, the Centen-
malls and the Westerns. in addition to the
other cities,
Birth of the National.
The National league sprang into exist
ance In 1915 with the Chicagos. Hartfords,
st. Louis. Bostons, Louisvilles, Mutuals,
Athletics and Cincinnatis as members, and
before the eombine sion that now comprises
the old league was finally hit upon many
were the changes.
There was a five-club circuit in 1876
Boston, Louisville. Hartford. ST. Louis and
Chicago. New York and Philadelphia
where were they7 1t was Boston. Gin
%oinnati. Providence, Chicago and Indian
apolis and Milwaukee in 1878 and Provi-
dence. Boston, Chicago, Buffalo, Cincin-
nati, Cleveland. Troy and Syracuse in
1873. AS a sample of the different COM
pany in which cities nave found them
selves Milwaukee has since been in the
Northwestern league. the Western league,
-