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Media History Monographs 4:2 (2000-2001) ISSN 1940-8862 Media History Monographs 4:2 (2000-2001) ISSN 1940-8862 Creating the National Pastime: The Antecedents of Major League Baseball Public Relations William Anderson Elon University One historian noted, "scholars should consider alternatives to public relations, rather than assuming that it had to emerge exactly as it did." Public relations as it exists today and as it evolved in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century was not predetermined. Delving deeper into the antecedents of public relations can help facilitate a better understanding of public relations and its relationship with business. This article analyzed how late nineteenth century Major League Baseball (MLB) leaders viewed publicity and the press. The MLB officials used a variety of techniques–such as bribing and threatening reporters and starting their own publications–besides hiring press agents to overcome press attacks during a management-labor battle in 1890. This study suggested that not all monopolies had to develop press offices to deal with unfavorable publicity. ©2001, William Anderson Media History Monographs 4:2 Anderson Creating the National Pastime: The Antecedents of Major League Baseball Public Relations INTRODUCTION to nineteenth century executives, can help During the initial days of the management- facilitate a better understanding of public rela- labor battle called the 1890 Brotherhood War, tions and its relationship with business. Major League Baseball (MLB) owners read the Current scholarship almost completely ig- players’ accusation that the magnates were mak- nores how pre-twentieth century management ing "money at the sacrifice of the dignity of the handled critical press coverage, limiting an un- game and at the expense of the players’ rights as derstanding of the development of corporate re- men" in the sporting press.1 In addition to being putation approaches.5 As one historian asserted, angry with the players, the owners "blamed the "Before the profession of public relations, there class of young base ball journalists, new to base was the practice." To understand that practice ball matters as they existed over a decade ago" and the vocation that followed, historians must for presenting the players’ side.2 From the own- "examine much earlier periods" and "look for a ers’ point of view the sports journalists should more inclusive cast of PR actors."6 As another have ignored the Brotherhood War, as it framed historian noted: "No one has examined organi- baseball not as a game but as a fight between la- zations that tried approaches other than PR."7 bor and capital. Yet, owners would learn over This article attempted to fill this gap with an the course of the 1890 season that not all in the analysis of how late nineteenth century Major sporting press heeded their demands anymore; League Baseball leaders viewed publicity and the competition had allowed journalists to choose press. The players’ union, called the Brother- sides, and some chose the players. The owners hood, started a new league, run and managed by responded, not by hiring press agents, but by the players, in 1890 to combat the encroach- taking the players to court, trying to bribe the ment of owner power over their professional players and the sportswriters, lying to the press, lives. The MLB owners used a variety of busi- and starting their own publications. ness tactics–such as shrewd negotiation and Many scholars note that during the Gilded revenue sharing–to defeat the upstart league. Age and Progressive era, when agitation over This win cemented the desired economic and the industrial trusts produced political and jour- organizational demarcation between manage- nalistic criticism of the free enterprise system, ment and labor. The MLB owners’ actions dem- American businesses used one of the forerun- onstrated that some business leaders before the ners of public relations–publicity–to help defend twentieth century chose other options besides their corporations.3 Although these scholars public relations-type activities to deal with un- presume that hiring press agents to deliver pub- favorable publicity.8 licity was the only, or at least the best, method The analysis of the 1890 Brotherhood War to deal with the negative press generated by suggested that public relations was not predes- muckrakers, one historian noted, "scholars tined to develop as a response to negative press should consider alternatives to public relations, coverage. Considering alternatives available to rather than assuming that it had to emerge MLB officials, as well as other nineteenth cen- exactly as it did."4 Public relations as it exists tury business executives, could shed light on today and as it evolved in the late nine- why some organizational leaders chose to use teenth/early twentieth century was not prede- the publicity function and why some did not. termined. Delving deeper into the antecedents According to one historian, "Starting with the of public relations, and the alternatives available assumption that [public relations] need not have 1 Media History Monographs 4:2 Anderson emerged as it did, makes explicit the thinking of 1890 Brotherhood War. Major dailies in cities its originators."9 with major league teams as well as the leading In the case of MLB during the late nine- sports weeklies of the era were included. The teenth century, the industry did not need to hire dailies included Boston Daily Globe, Brooklyn press agents because the owners received posi- Daily Eagle, Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, tive newspaper coverage without them. Only Chicago Herald, Chicago Tribune, Cleveland when competition for professional baseball play- Leader, Cleveland Plain Dealer, New York ers and fans, and for newspaper coverage, Clipper, New York Times, New York Tribune, occurred did positive newspaper coverage of and New York World. The weeklies included MLB experience interruptions. In these instan- Sporting Life and The Sporting News. Other ces, the industry’s leaders had a tremendous publications included Ball Players’ Chronicle, bearing on which business techniques were or Players’ National League Guide for 1890, and were not used to overcome negative press cov- Spalding’s Base Ball Guide & Official League erage. For example, Albert Spalding, owner of Book. The publications were selected due to the Chicago team and the unofficial leader of their availability at the National Baseball Hall of the owners during the Brotherhood War, fought Fame Library. to maintain control over the national pastime, Articles from these publications gave addi- including what messages the baseball-consuming tional elucidation into how Spalding and the public would receive from newspapers. This other owners perceived the players and their desire for control included maintaining authority new league and their plan of action in defeating for press relations rather than relegating this role the players. The articles provided a means to to hired press agents. study the messages the players and the owners presented. METHODOLOGY Fully understanding each side in the 1890 To understand Spalding’s motives for how management-labor crisis from the perspective of he handled press relations during the Brother- public relations history required a background hood War, the author examined primary docu- on public relations historiography, the standard ments available at the National Baseball Hall of view of public relations’ inception, Major Fame Library. Spalding wrote a book in 1911 League Baseball from the start of the National that detailed how he helped William Hulbert League in 1876 through the 1890 Brotherhood start the National League of Professional Base War, and how sports journalists interacted with Ball Clubs (NL) in 1876, and described his phi- MLB officials both before and during the labor losophy and actions during the 1890 Brother- battle. These sections comprise the remainder of hood War. Considering this work was developed this study. and published decades after these incidents, it should not be taken alone as a reliable source BACKGROUND for consultation. The haziness of memory and The Business History Frame. Studying the antece- the desire to be remembered in a positive light dents of MLB public relations is important be- may have skewed the recollection. Yet, the work cause, according to one historian, few studies on does provide some clarification of Spalding’s public relations in business history literature attitude toward business, labor and the media. exist, and the histories of many industries and The Spalding Papers at the Hall of Fame Library corporations are incomplete because their pro- contained personal and business correspond- grams to craft an image for their businesses have dence from the studied time frame. These not been explored or analyzed.10 "One of the papers provided further insight into how one most distressing aspects of the critique of public MLB official handled his fellow owners, the relations from outside the business community players, and the press. has been the paucity of serious analysis," argued Next, the author examined newspaper ac- another historian. "Questions concerning the counts of the NL’s creation in 1876 and the reasons for its growth and the nature of its im- 1 Media History Monographs 4:2 Anderson pact are surely worth more attention that they field lacks even a small fraction of this number have thus far received."11 A different historian of studies. As one historian noted, "a definitive agreed, "Public relations strategies and tactics history of corporate public
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