Clipping:The formation of the Players League
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| Date | Wednesday, January 22, 1890 |
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| Text | [from an interview of Ward] It has been frequently claimed that the idea of a Players' League originated and was fomulated on our trip around the world. As a matter of fact the idea never occurred to us there. What originally set the ball rolling that was was the attempt of the magnates to classify the players. This classification list provided for five classes of salaries. Class A to receive $2500, class B $2250, class C $2000, class D $1750 and class E $1500. The first intimation was from some American newspapers we received at Cairo, Egypt. Even then we did not thoroughly understand the scope of the proposed classification until we reached Naples, where letters and additional papers explained the scheme more fully. Of course, we talked over what action had best to taken. The trouble culminated last June, when we asked the League to meet us and discuss an obnoxious rule. Their reply was that it was not of sufficient importance to engage the attention of the League in mid-summer, although they had classified our men and reduced salaries. We knew if the hearing was postponed until the fall it would go over until the winter, when they would practically has us at their mercy, and we would not have time to organize in time for the season. We determined to act at one. As a matter of fact, he wad all we could do to prevent a general strike of the players and a meeting was actually held on July 2 and a ballot taken whether the season should be played out or not. It required all the persuasion which the more conservative element could bring to bear to prevent a large body of the men from refusing to play the season out. Such a course would have been fatal, as it would have alienated the public sympathy. We, therefore, played the season out, but lost no time in perfecting the plans for our new organization. Committees were appointed to secure capital in the different cities. Pfeffer had charge of this branch in Chicago, Sanders in Philadelphia and myself in New York. We have been successful beyond our most sanguine expectations. We organized with one hundred and twenty-five players. Of this number about twenty-five deserted us. |
| Source | Sporting Life |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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