----------THE----------- ase esearc The Nineteenth Annual HIS IS THE 17TH time (in 19 issues) that Al Historical and Statistical Review Kermisch'sresearch notes have appeared in "BRJ." of the Society for American Baseball Research T No one can match his output, and it's doubtful anyone can equal his dogged research habits either. Five days a week Kermisch, a The Union Association of 1884: A Glorious Failure, 76--year--old resident ofArlington, Virginia, commutes to the Library Joshua B. Orenstein 3 ofCongress to dig for gems and correct the record books. "Dig, dig, dig," he says. "Read, read, read until you find a note that triggers Summer of '45: Reds v. Cubs, Mike Schacht 6 something. You not only have to read the boxes but the running The Radbourn and Sweeney Saga, Jack E. Harshman 7 accounts. Andithelps togo to papers incities where the eventactually Slim Sallee's .Extraordinary Year, occurred." A.D. SuehsdorfandRichard]. Thompson 10 The discovery that leads off this edition's notes-an ailment that "Wuz You Born in Poland?" The Grover Powell Story, nearly ended the career of a young Walter Johnson-was a classic Alan Schwarz 15 Kermisch find. "When I was the unofficial Senator historian in 1966-­ Peak Career Average, Clay Davenport 18 71, I researched every game they played," he says. "I eventually Single Season Wonders, Jamie Selko 19 discovered Johnson had been out a long time in 1908, and I stcllted TVlO Leftie~, Home Gnd .A.broad, Bill Deane 21 reading the CaliflJITda l'apl~L~ lu[inJ ()tJt what was \VIUllg with hIm." When Kermisch yvas 20 years old and apparently headed for a job The Origin::l] R::lltimore Byrd, John H. Hol1.vay 23 at a Bethlehem steel mill, an old coach of his named Teddy Cox First Hispanic Star? Dolf Luque, of Course, Peter C. Bjarkman 28 offered him a job with Baltimore's Daily Sports Bulletin. '''Keep the When Immortals Returned to the Minors, Lawrence S. Katz 33 box score at the Oriole games, and I'll write the story,' he told me. In John Tener's Brilliant Career, Robert C. Gallagher 36 time I learned to handle the job. I used to write Ernest Lanigan, the Stealing First and Fielding With Your Head, Pete Williams 39 information director ofthe International League, for information. He Four Teams Out: The NL Reduction of 1900, Bob Bailey 45 finally wrote, 'It wouldn't be bad for you to look up some things Good vs. Poor Starts and oftilne p18ying basketbal1.l wenL over there andbeganreading the old Score in 308 Consecutive Games, L. Robert Davids 57 newspapers. That began my love forbaseball history, and I impressed Lanigan so much with my findings that I became one ofhis proteges." George Hausmann Recalls, Gerald F. Vaughn 59 Kermisch began keeping voluminous notes. He worked on them Does the Career Year Exist?, Robert A. Murden 64 wherever he went in his 23 ...year Army C(lr~~r-Rn Ordinance officer, A.ll~Tirne i\ll"Star Tei1111S, Robert C. Bcrlu 67 he nlnd(~ lic,utcnHnt colonel 'W13J liUll: lour's in ~Lf1d An InLcrvicw with Glenn Wright, '~/dlte,. LanR:f'ord 71 Korea-and he's kept going in 27 years of retirement. Kermisch has Requiem for a Good Idea:. China Basin RIP 1989, made 39 trips to the Orioles' spring--training camps. He delighted Ethan Casey 77 Manager Frank Robinson by producing a photostat ofthe final game Casey Stengel and the 1948 Oakland Oaks, of the 1950 American Legion championship in which a 15--year-­ Richard E. Beverage 85 old Robbie appeared as a pinchhitter for the winning Oakland, Relative Performance Measurement, Ron Skrabacz 89 California team. Another time he astounded Earl Weaver with a photostat of a crewcut Weaver wore as a freshman manager in From a Researcher's Notebook, Al Kermisch 93 Knoxville, Tennessee. "I wish," Weaver muttered under his Editor - Jim Kaplan breath, "that crewcuts were back." We're certainly glad Kermisch is back. Associate Editors Len Levin, Elizabeth McGrail Editor's note: Witha newprinter (Coneco Laser Graphics) andour Fact--checking - Bill Felber first..ever fact--checker (Bill Felber), this is truly a watershed issue. Thanks to all hands involved, including Publications Committee The BaseballResearchlournal (ISSN0734,6891 , ISBNO;910137;43,9). Published by The Society for American Baseball Research, Inc., P.O. Box 93183, Cleveland, OH ~~ai~~n.~c~.~.~.~~~~,~~~?~~~~~~~~~?~~....~~.~ ...~~yi~~~~B~~ryM<:·9~~g, ~·~~-ana~especiallyoutgoIrig pUblications director Paul Adomites, as fine LJUJ\:.-UU~~ ~ \.~~JI..-U 1 1..-1 ~I Inc. All rights reserved. t(et'roductl~on 1m ulhoLle or part wlthol:-tt UIYltt(~n a professional as I've ever worked with. Jim Kaplan permission is prohibited. Typography by Associated Graphic Services, Printed by Coneco Laser Graphics, Glens Falls, NY. THE BASEBALL RESEARCH JOURNAL The Union Association of 1884: A Glorious Failure JOSHUA B. ORENSTEIN Despite its dedication to saving "enslaved players," the new league lasted only one season and lost money. At least history honors the first attack on the reserve clause. HE BATTLE FOR POWER between athlete and unanimous approval of the delegates: ..• management is central ~o the history ofprofessional Resolved, that while we recognize the validity ofall contracts T sports. From the adoptlon of the reserve clause in made by the [National] League and American Association, 1879 until the birth of free agency in 1975, professional we cannot recognize any agreementwhereby any number of baseball players were legally subject to the complete control baU--players may be reserved for any club for any time beyond of teanl owners. Prevented from leaving a team for another, the terms of their contract with such club. even after the expirntionofhis COlltract, abaseball player was In order to understand the significance ofthe new league's restricted to a team until tIle o\vner chose to trade, sell or stand, as \vell as the variety c)f rCHctions to its positiol1, one release·him. must understand the history ofthe reserve rule. On Septem... In 1884, one of the first major challenges to the reserve ber 30, 1879, in a secret meeting in Buffalo, New York, a clause appeared in the form ofa new professional league, the group of National League officials introduced the reserve Union Association. Dedicated to the destruction ofthe rule clause. Suggested by Arthur H. Soden, president of the the league presented itselfas the saviorof"enslaved players.,: Bostonclub, the clause bound a player to his teambeyond the The Union Association was unsuccessful in its battle to period specified in his contract and permitted his team the league, surviving only a single season. the league clause would 110t actually be included In written contracts played a significantrole as a forerunner ofthe struggle against between players and management, but would be an agree ... the reserve rule. ment among the teams. Each club would post a list of its reserves, and the other clubs would respect the list. Soden On September 12, 1883, in the midst of a very successful and the other delegates (jrglJ~d th::lt the ."'10 ....... ,"""".,... ,". interest and playcr& 'V~8 nCCC8~Hl1"Y it1 order to pClllliL Lite vruHtable profitG 1uuuiug high, a g1\~JUp uf uusinessIIlen led by H. B. Bennett, ThomasJ. PrattandWilliamW. White, announced eration of professional baseball by decreasing salaries. By the formation ofa new major league, "the UnionAssociation preventing a reserved player from auctioning his services to of Base Ball Clubs." The founders, meeting at the the highest bidder, the rule forced him to accept the salaryhis Monongahela House in Pittsburgh, presented the newleague team's owner offered him. Soden's chief motive, however, as a rival to the two existing major leagues, the National was to prevent player raiding, the practice ofwealthier teams League and the American Association, and declared, "The obtainingother teams' players who had notyet renewed their national game has attained such popularity with the masses contracts. A~~ncj81iuIl that we cal1 all survive, and under proper management there In 1883, the National League, the An1erican is no reason why the new association should not take a and the Northwestern League, a minor league, formed the leading position in the base ball world." National Agreement, or the "tripartite pact." The Agree... At the meeting, the new league's organizers clearly ex... ment required all three leagues to accept the National W. White proposed aresolution concerning the treatment of players from the other major leagues, which received the Joshua B. Orenstein is a 1990 graduate ofJohns Hopkins University. THE BASEBALL RESEARCH JOURNAL uncontracted players a team could reserve from five to 11. sympathy is not bread and butter, and no very large number Furthermore, the Agreement stated that a playerexpelled by ofplayers will be drawn from the ranks ofthe older organiza.. a teamcould not be hired by any team and that an arbitration tions until the Union Association has demonstrated its committee would be established tosettle any disputes among ability to pay its way. the leagues. In this prediction, Sporting Life proved prophetic, since the Under the National Agreement, as it had been since its financial instabilityofthe majorityofthe club's owners would inception, the reserve rule was abused by owners to blacklist contribute heavily to the failure ofthe Union Association to players. Citing drunkenness, absence or insubordination as survive as a professional baseball league. the reason, owners often suspended players for salary dis .. It would be invalid to present Lucas, White and the rest putes. By placing the suspended player on reserve, the owner of the Union Association organizers as simply a group of could prevent the player from being employed by another humanitarians driven to terminating the subjugation of team.