Baseball Writers Get in the Game
Baseball is the most written about and analyzed sport in history of America. The game lends itself to all kinds of statistics and record keeping. It is a true sportswriter’s dream. It didn’t take long for the early reporters to begin writing about baseball, even about games between members of the same club. Henry Chadwick, a New York journalist, became the first prominent baseball writer. Chadwick made the box score, the batting average and the ERA (earned run average) part of baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.
The First League
1858 was a big year for the young game of baseball. In that year the first organized league was formed. The National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) formed and agreed to play under the Knickerbocker Rules. That was also the year that another major factor entered the game– money. Enterprising baseball organizers set up a series of games between all-star players from Brooklyn and New York. More than 5,000 fans paid to watch the games. Now it was evident that baseball could be a moneymaking venture.
Though the NABBP prohibited players from receiving salaries, clubs found a way around these rules. The first official baseball salaries were paid in to players on the Rockford, Illinois, club in 1867. The Cincinnati Red Stockings (now the Red Sox) became the first semi-pro team when they hired “ringers” to help avenge a loss to the Washington Nationals. The Red Stockings went on a 57-game barnstorming tour. They won 56 of those games and tied one. The Red Stockings were also the first team to have a labor dispute. When players demanded higher salaries, club directors disbanded the team
Major League Baseball MVPs
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National League
Frankie Frisch, St. Louis
Chuck Klein, Philadelphia
Carl Hubbell, New York
Dizzy Dean, St. Louis
Gabby Hartnett, Chicago
Carl Hubbell, New York
Joe Medwick, St. Louis
Ernie Lombardi, Cincinnati
Bucky Walters Cincinnati
Frank McCormick, Cincinnati
Dolph Camilli, Brooklyn
Mort Cooper, St. Louis
Stan Musial, St. Louis
Marty Marion, St. Louis
Phil Cavarretta, Chicago
Stan Musial, St. Louis
Bob Elliot, Boston
Stan Musial, St. Louis
Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn
Jim Konstanty, Philadelphia
Roy Campanella Brooklyn
Hank Sauer, Chicago
Ray Campanella, Brooklyn
Willie Mays, New York
Roy Campanella, Brooklyn
Don Newcombe, Brooklyn
Hank Aaron, Milwaukee
Ernie Banks, Chicago
Ernie Banks, Chicago
Dick Groat, Pittsburgh
Frank Robinson, Cincinnati
Maury Wills, Los Angeles
Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles
Ken Boyer, St. Louis
Willie Mays, San Francisco
Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh
Orlando Cepeda, St. Louis
Bob Gibson, St. Louis
Willie McCovey, San Francisco
Johnny Bench, Cincinnati
Joe Torre, St. Louis
Johnny Bench, Cincinnati
Pete Rose, Cincinnati
Steve Garvey Los Angeles
Joe Morgan, Cincinnati
Joe Morgan, Cincinnati
George Foster, Cincinnati
Dave Parker, Pittsburgh
Keith Hernandez, St. Louis
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia
Dale Murphy, Atlanta
Dale Murphy, Atlanta
Ryne Sandberg, Chicago
Willie McGee, St. Louis
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia
Andre Dawson, Chicago
Kirk Gibson, Los Angeles
Kevin Mitchell, San Francisco
Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh
Terry Pendleton, Atlanta
Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh
Barry Bonds, San Francisco
Jeff Bagwell, Houston
Barry Larkin, Cincinnati
Ken Caminiti, San Diego
Larry Walker, Colorado
Sammy Sosa, Chicago
Chipper Jones, Atlanta
Jeff Kent, San Francisco
Barry Bonds, San Francisco
Barry Bonds, San Francisco
Barry Bonds, San Francisco
Barry Bonds, San Francisco
Albert Pujols, St Louis
Ryan Howard, Philidelphia
Jimmy Rollins, Philidelphia
Albert Pujols, St. Louis
American League
Lefty Grove, Philadelphia
Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia
Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia
Mickey Cochrane, Detroit
Hank Greenberg, Detroit
Lou Gehrig, New York
Charlie Gehringer, Detroit
Jimmie Foxx, Boston
Joe DiMaggio, New York
Hank Greenberg, Detroit
Joe DiMaggio, New York
Joe Gordon, New York
Spud Chandler, New York
Hal Newhouser, Detroit
Hal Newhouser, Detroit
Ted Williams, Boston
Joe DiMaggio, New York
Lou Boudreau, Cleveland
Ted Williams, Boston
Phil Rizzuto, New York
Yogi Berra, New York
Bobby Shantz, Philadelphia
Al Rosen, Cleveland
Yogi Berra, New York
Yogi Berra, New York
Mickey Mantle, New York
Mickey Mantle, New York
Jackie Jensen, Boston
Nellie Fox, Chicago
Roger Maris, New York
Roger Maris, New York
Mickey Mantle, New York
Elston Howard, New York
Brooks Robinson, Baltimore
Zoilo Versalles, Minnesota
Frank Robinson, Baltimore
Carl Yastrzemski, Boston
Denny McLain, Detroit
Harmon Killebrew, Minnesota
Boog Powell, Baltimore
Vida Blue, Oakland
Richie Allen, Chicago
Reggie Jackson, Oakland
Jeff Burroughs, Texas
Fred Lynn, Boston
Thurman Munson, New York
Rod Carew, Minnesota
Jim Rice, Boston
Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh
Don Baylor, California
George Brett, Kansas City
Rollie Fingers, Milwaukee
Robin Yount, Milwaukee
Cal Ripken Jr., Baltimore
Willie Hernandez, Detroit
Don Mattingly, New York
Roger Clemens, Boston
George Bell, Toronto
Jose Canseco, Oakland
Robin Yount, Milwaukee
Rickey Henderson, Oakland
Cal Ripken Jr., Baltimore
Dennis Eckersley, Oakland
Frank Thomas, Chicago
Frank Thomas, Chicago
Mo Vaughn, Boston
Juan Gonzalez, Texas
Ken Griffey, Jr., Seattle
Juan Gonzalez, Texas
Ivan Rodriguez, Texas
Jason Giambi, Oakland
Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
Miguel Tejada, Oakland
Alex Rodriguez, Texas
Vladimir Guerrero, Anaheim
Alex Rodriguez, New York
Justin Morneau, innesota
Alex Rodriguez, New York
Dustin Pedroia, Boston
Professional Baseball Becomes Firmly Established
Numerous baseball leagues came and went for 13 years. In 1871, nine teams formed the National Association of Professional Baseball Players. The nine teams were from New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Rockford, Troy, New York and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Brooklyn joined the league in 1872. These teams paid just $10 to join the league. Problems including teams folding, domination by the Boston team, players moving between teams and even signing with more than one team, and gambling plagued the league and it folded after five seasons.
Out of the problematic NAPBP (Are you keeping all of these initials straight?), came the beginnings of the National League. William Hulbert talked to other financial backers about starting a professional league run by owners, not players. In early 1876, while the NAPBP was technically still in operation, Hulbert called a meeting with representatives from seven other teams. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs (no more initials, just the plain old National League) played its inaugural season in the summer of 1876.
The National League brought stability and respectability to baseball. Other rival leagues formed but only one would last—the Western League, which in 1901 became the American League.
The Rivalry Begins
When the Western League started it had teams in midwestern cities that had no National League clubs. In 1900, however, the new league started invading National League cities. Charles Comiskey moved his club from Minnesota to Chicago. Moves followed into Cleveland, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
Needless to say, there was no love lost between to the two leagues. In 1903, the leagues did sit down and create the concept of their respective champions meeting in the World Series. The Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League met the Boston Pilgrims of the American League in the first World Series. Boston won the eight-game series 5-3. The next year, the National League champion New York Giants refused to play Boston. Since 1905, the World Series has been played every year except 1994 when it was cancelled by a players’ strike.



