presented themselves. And so distrust and general demoralization were present everywhere.
But the League management never faltered in its purpose. It kept its price of admission at fifty cents, though gate receipts at the beginning fell off. Did a player deserve discipline, he received it, though next day he joined a rival team. Was a club lax in its payment of fines or dues, it was promptly dropped from membership in the League. The liquor law was strictly enforced upon League grounds, and Sunday games were not permitted upon them.
The American Base Ball Association was organized with clubs in the following cities: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Louisville, Philadelphia, Pittsburg and St. Louis. Cincinnati won the championship.
The American Alliance, organized about the same time as a minor association of the American, had clubs at Brooklyn, Camden, Cincinnati, Harrisburg, Reading, Wilmington, Pottsville and Covington.
One year after the formation of the American Association, more trouble developed for the League in the organization of the Union Association, whose avowed mission it was to fight the reserve rule. This Association was born in 1883, at Pittsburg. Its first President was H. B. Bennett, of Washington. But at the following annual election Henry V. Lucas was elected to succeed Mr. Bennett. Mr. Lucas embarked in this enterprise on the declaration that the reserve rule was "an outrageous and unjustifiable chain on the freedom of players."
The cities embraced in the Union Association circuit
