t cause of that struggle. A
majority of the players who had been reserved by the clubs of the National
League for the season of 1890 held meetings during the winter and with a
number of capitalists formed the Players' League, with clubs paralleling
the National circuit.

Then followed a bitter and relentless war, in which the National League
was not the only sufferer, but several American Association and minor
league clubs as well. The National, to strengthen itself, admitted
Brooklyn and Cincinnati to replace Washington and Indianapolis. The
majority of the latter team was transferred to New York, among them being
Amos Rusie, the wonderful pitcher.

The fight was carried on at a tremendous financial sacrifice, but that
winter the differences between the National and Players' Leagues was
satisfactorily adjusted by the consolidation of a number of clubs. In the
distribution of players, however, the claims of the American Association
were ignored and that organization continued the war another year,
invading the National League territory at Boston and Cincinnati. The
latter club disbanded in midseason, Milwaukee taking its place.

The differences were finally adjusted on December 17, when the Athletics,
Boston, Chicago, Columbus, and Milwaukee clubs resigned from the American
Association, and the four remaining teams were admitted to the National
League, which became a twelve-club body, with a circuit consisting of
Boston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh,
Washington, Chicago, St. Louis, New York, Louisville, and Baltimore. This
arrangement continued in effect until 1899, when Baltimore, Cleveland,
Washington, and Louisville were dropped. Baltimore was consolidated with
Brooklyn, while Cleveland was transferred to St. Louis.

The players of the other clubs were either released or distributed
throughout the circuit. The Western League, under the able management of
Ban Johnson, at a meeting held in Chicago in 1899, changed its name to the
American League. It entered Chicago that spring with a team under the
management of Charles Comiskey, thus inserting the wedge that enabled it
to become a major league in the fullest sense of the term.

The American League's circuit in 1900 was Chicago, Milwaukee,
Indianapolis, Detroit, Kansas City, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Minneapolis,
the teams finishing in that order.

The Two Leagues of To-day.

At the end of the season of 1900 the American League annou