PL

The PL is the acronym for the Player’s or Player National League of Base Ball Clubs. It started in 1890 and existed for one season. 8 teams joined it due to the extreme dispute between the National League and the American League. They disagreed with the National League’s initiative to limit salary negotiations.

Background

The path to the Player’s League lasted for twenty years. The National Association of Baseball Players (NAPB) was the first step to this union. Its task is to protect players’ interests and guarantee the transformation of baseball from a hobby to a professional sport with corresponding salaries since 1871. The National League absorbed six teams in the first professional championship in 1876.

The NL initiated the reserve clause, which meant reserving players for one season. These players couldn’t sign out or negotiate with other teams. This regulation limited the performers’ salaries and club losses.

From 1879, the teams could reserve five players. Then, the league increased this number to 11 players. Besides, the 1885 reform launched a salary cap of $2,000 per player. The NL later cancelled it but remerged from these words. Even more, it tightened the control and discriminated some players under the classification from A to E categories. The A-class players got the highest salaries.

Such a state didn’t suit the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players. This organization was the alternative to the NAPB. At the moment of the decision to leave NL and launch the Player’s League, it had 107 members. Thus, the clubs from Boston, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Buffalo launched the Player’s League.

Season overview

8 teams completed the single season. Each of the teams played 125 games in average. Despite the even number of teams and the absence of zone or regional classification, clubs played different games. For example, the Chicago Pirates played 137 regular games, while Pittsburgh Burgers faced opponents 128 times, the lowest number of games.

The league didn’t suppose the postseason, so the team with the highest win-loss record became the champion. These were the Boston Reds, who won 81 games. They also gained the best home and away records – 48-21 and 33-27 respectively. Buffalo Bisons were the worst team, with a 36-96 record overall. Their home and away records were the worst – 23-42 and 13-54.

Further fate

The league folded the next season after franchises from Boston and Philadelphia joined the American Association. At the same time, the teams from Chicago, Brooklyn, New York and Pittsburgh merged with other National League franchises. The NL’s reserve clause was intact during next 85 years.

The folding of Player’s League strengthened the position of the American Association. The PL also caused confrontations between the existing major leagues when the Pittsburgh Alleghenys signed Lou Bierbauer from Philadelphia Athletics, although the team objected. However, the league positively impacted on the development of the baseball infrastructure in the cities. And this factor is the greatest positive.