, first base, and
York, center field; the Mutuals, with Charles Mills, catcher; E. Mills,
pitcher; Jack Nelson, third base; John Hatfield, short-stop; Eggler,
center field; Marylands, with Bobby Matthews, pitcher, and Carey,
short-stop; Nationals, with Hicks, catcher; Glenn, left field;
Hollingshead, second base; Olympics, with Davy Force, short-stop, and
Harry Berthrong, right field; Unions, with Birdsall, catcher; Pabor,
pitcher; Hingham, second base; Holdsworth, third base, and Gedney, left
field. The Athletics, Cincinnatis, Chicagos, Clevelands, Haymakers,
Mutuals, and Marylands were paid regular salaries; the others were
cooperative nines, who played for gate money.

Birth of the National Association.

On March 17, 1871, the first convention of delegates from representative
professional clubs was held in Collier's saloon, corner of Broadway and
Thirteenth Street, New York, when the National Association was formed. A
series of the best three out of five games was arranged. The contesting
nines were the Athletics, of Philadelphia; Chicago; Boston; Mutuals, of
New York; Olympics, of Washington; Haymakers, of Troy; Kekionigas, of Fort
Wayne, Ind.; Cleveland, and Rockford.

The championship was won by the Athletics, which won twenty-two games and
lost seven; Boston was second, with twenty-two victories and ten defeats.
Two victories of the Rockfords over the Athletics were adjudged forfeited
for the reason that a Rockford player was ineligible; yet a game won by
the Olympics from the Bostons was adjudged legal, though the same point
was raised.

In 1872 eleven clubs entered the lists. These were Boston, Baltimore,
Mutual, Athletics, Troy, Atlantic, Cleveland, Mansfield, Connecticut;
Eckfords, of Brooklyn; Olympic, and National, of Washington. The series
now consisted of five games. Boston had McVey, catcher; Spalding, pitcher;
Gould, Barnes, Shafer, basemen; George Wright, short-stop; Leonard H.
Wright, Rogers, fielders; Birdsall, substitute.

The Bostons, with thirty-nine victories and eight defeats, won easily in
this campaign, as indeed they did in every season up to the forming of the
National League in 1876.

In August, 1872, the Bostons took a Michigan and Canadian trip, defeating
the Ypsilantis, Empires, of Detroit; Athletics, of London; Maple Leafs, of
Guelph; Dauntless, of Toronto; Independents, of Dundas; Ottawas,
Montreals, and Pastimes at Ogdensburg, New York.

One of the most important amendments