The most serious player-owner dispute of the 19th century, the "Brotherhood War" of 1890, had its genesis in a salary classification plan ratified by owners two years earlier. This plan, which fixed pay according to a player's perceived "skill," infuriated John M. Ward, president of the Brotherhood, which since its formation in 1885 had lived in an uneasy peace with ownership. Through 1889 there was open talk of a strike. Ward quelled such talk; he was planning a larger revolt.
In November of 1890, about three dozen players met with Ward in New York and agreed to jump to his proposed new "Players League." An eight-team circuit was established, to be governed by a "senate" of 8 players -- one from each team -- and 8 franchise officials. Each game's receipts were to be shared evenly between the home and visiting clubs. Both the reserve and classification rules were discarded. Players were allowed to purchase stock in their clubs.
The Players League attracted most of the National League's players, including many "name" players. Among them were Pete Browning, Hugh Duffy, Roger Connor and Dan Brouthers. But the National League fought back, offering incentives to players who would "jump back."
In the end, the Players League War was a unviersal disaster for baseball. Players League teams lost $340,000. National League teams lost as much as a half million dollars each, and Association clubs, although "neutrals" in the war, suffered as well. One by one that fall, the fincncially struggling PlayersLeague franchises were sold to their National League counterparts. Within a few weeks, the insurgent league had disappeared. The Association, fatally drained in the three-way competition, would follow it to the graveyard within a season.
Harry Stovey, of the Boston club in the Players League, becomes the first player to hit 100 home runs in a career. Jack Stivetts of St. Louis striukes out 10 batters and hits two home runs.
IN THE WORLD
The last major battle between the U.S. Army and the Indian is fought Dec. 29 at Wounded Knee.