The Meeting At Bingham House

The first regular meeting of the Union Base Ball Association was held at the Bingham House yesterday. Five clubs were represented at the opening of the convention, which included the cities of Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. Immediately after the organization the Cincinnati club was admitted to the association and the delegates took their seats. The report of the Committee on Constitution was received and adopted, with a few slight alterations. The principal features of the rules adopted were the abashment of the foul-bound rule, and the strict enforcement of the rule in reference to pitching, requiring the pitcher to keep his hand below the line of the shoulder. Each club will play sixteen games with each other, of which eight will be played on each of the home grounds. The graduated system of the division of the receipts was adopted, each home club supporting itself and giving each visiting club $75. A schedule committee was appointed, which will report at a meeting to held in Cincinnati on the 20th of March. H.B. Lucas, of [Philadelphia,] was elected president and Warren White secretary.

-The North American, December 19, 1883

The North American had a few of the facts wrong. Lucas, of St. Louis, was elected president and Thomas Pratt, of Philadelphia, was elected vice-president. Regardless, the Bingham House meeting marks the official birth of the Union Association. I'll have more on the meeting over the next few days.