The motives of Mr. Brush were thoroughly misconstrued by some, and, if
grasped by others, they were disregarded, because they conflicted with
their immediate temporary prosperity.
The dead Base Ball organizer had looked further ahead than his time. His
plan was born under the best of intentions, but it unfortunately
devolved upon the theory that players would be willing to share alike
for their common good. Later in life, through another and unquestionably
even better method, he succeeded in bringing forth a plan which attained
the very end for which he sought in the '80s, but in the second resort,
by a far more efficacious method.
The Brotherhood League came into existence and rivaled the National
League. The players of the National League and the American Association
deserted to join the Brotherhood League, upon a platform that promised
Utopia in Base Ball. Unquestionably it was the idea of the general
Brotherhood organization that the National League would abandon the
fight and succumb, but the National League owners were built of sterner
stuff.
They fought back resolutely and hard and while for a time they were
combated by a fickle opinion, based upon sentiment, it developed within
two months that the public had learned thoroughly the reasons for the
organization of the new league and declined to lend it that support
which had been predicted and expected.
Meanwhile, Base Ball had received a setback greater than any which had
befallen the sport in an organized sense from a professional standpoint.
The Brotherhood League was a pronounced and emphatic failure. This is
not the verdict of personal opinion, but a record which is indelibly
impressed upon Base Ball history.
It was the theory of the Brotherhood League that it, in part, should be
governed by representative players, but the players would not be
governed by players. Discipline relaxed, teams did pretty much as they
pleased, and the public remained away from the games. It may be added
with truth that the National League games were not much better
patronized, but that was due to the prevalent apathy in Base Ball
affairs throughout the United States.
When the Brotherhood League was formed and withdrew so many players from
the National League the latter organization undertook to strengthen
itself where it could and when Brooklyn and Cincinnati applied for
membership in the circuit both were admitted.
The New York National League club had lost many of its players and, upon
the substitution of Cincinnati for Indianapolis in the National League
circuit, procured from Mr. Brush many players of note, among them Rusie,
Glasscock, Buckley, Bassett and Denny.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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