And An Honest Base-Ball Association Is Born

The most important measure ever adopted by the professional base ball clubs of this country has been considered and approved by a council of representatives of the eight principal clubs of the country, in a session at the Grand Central Hotel.

The new scheme, which is destined to elevate base ball to the rank of a legitimate amusement, is the formation of a new association of professional clubs on the debris of the old National Association, and the clubs which participate are the Bostons, of Boston; the Hartfords, of Hartford; the Mutuals, of New York; the Athletics, of Philadelphia; the White Stockings, of Chicago; the Cincinnatis, of Cincinnati; the Lousivilles, of Louisville; and the St. Louis, of St. Louis.

The last-named clubs were represented at this conference by W.A. Hulbert, President of the Chicagos, and Mr. Fowle, of the St. Louis Club. The Eastern clubs were all represented by delegates.

The conference met yesterday noon at the Grand Central Hotel, and organized by the election of Nick Young as Secretary, after which the Western delegates stated the proposition for a new association more fully than it had been given by letter, and proceeded to enumerate the advantages to be gained by the proposed union.

As nearly as I could get at the reasons, they were these:

1. The feeling that something must be done to get rid of the dishonest players who have brought disrepute on the game...

2. Is seemed clear to the members of the council that the distinction between professional and amateur clubs had grown somewhat lax, and that there were growing up all over the country a swarm of semi-professionals who sought to be classed with the real first-class organizations by the simple process of applying for the membership in the National Association...

3. The instinct of self-preservation impelled the members of the Council to band together to better their financial condition in any way possible...

A consideration of these facts, and an argument over them, decided the wavering opinion of a few doubters that the only way that the National game could be put on a sound financial and moral basis was to cut down the number of clubs in the ring and made the selection so as to leave out the weaker clubs, as well as those most doubtful in character of management and players, and those from the places so small as to render it difficult, if not impossible, to pay expenses while visiting them.

A constitution for the new Association, embodying the ideas here advanced and providing, generally, for an association of the eight clubs named, was adopted Tuesday without much difficulty...

The work to-day has been that of revising the playing rules and championship code...

That the new movement is one of great importance to the game no one here for a moment doubts, and, so far as I know, every honest player and manager will approve the steps taken...

-St. Louis Globe-Dispatch, February 5, 1876 (from the Chicago Tribune)

If you ever find yourself in a debate about team nicknames (as I know some for you have been involved in at other sites), just quote the above article and this odd designation of the Bostons of Boston or the St. Louis of St. Louis. While I know that the St. Louis of St. Louis were properly known as the St. Louis Club, they were obviously also called the Brown Stockings. I'll take a look about and see if I can find any pattern in name usage because I think that would make for an interesting post.