brought about, though not without some opposition;
indeed, much opposition. It was conceded at that time that a twelve-club
league, which was the object sought, was cumbersome and unwieldy, but
there was no other plan of possible accomplishment which suggested
itself.

But the principal consideration and the result accomplished in this
consolidation of leagues was that all gate receipts should be divided,
share and share alike, so far as general admissions were concerned.

That was the greatest and most far-reaching achievement in the history
of Base Ball. Prior to that time the principle of a fixed guarantee for
each game played had given each home club a stupendous bulk of the sums
paid by the public toward the maintenance of the sport. The inevitable
outcome of such an arrangement was that the clubs in the larger cities
completely overshadowed the clubs in the smaller cities.

The teams in the cities of less population were expected to try to place
rival organizations on the field that would equal in playing strength
those of New York, Boston and Chicago, but they were unable to do so
unless their owners were willing to go on year after year with large
deficits staring them in the face.

When Mr. Brush and his associates succeeded in placing Base Ball upon a
plane of absolute fairness, so far as the proper distribution of the
returns of the sport could be made between clubs, Base Ball began to
prosper, and, for the first time in all its history, the owners of
so-called smaller clubs felt that they could go forward and try to rival
their bigger fellows with equally strong combinations.

More than that, and which to the ball player is most important of all,
it "jumped" the salaries of the players in the smaller clubs until they
were on equal terms with their fellow players in the larger clubs, so
that Mr. Brush helped to accomplish by this plan the very aim which he
had at heart when he proposed the classification plan--a just, impartial
and equal reimbursement to every player in the game, so far as the
finances of each club would permit--and without that bane to all
players, a salary limit.

Thus, while it is always probable that some players may receive more
than others, based upon their preponderance of skill, it is now a fact
that two-thirds of the major league ball players of the present day owe
their handsome salaries to the system which John T. Brush so earnestly
urged and for which he fought against odds