The 1877 International Association

As the 1876 season wound down, St. Louis Reds club Secretary L. C. Waite sent out a letter to independent professional clubs proposing the formation of an Association to protect their interests from "the League, the few clubs composing which seem to be so anxious to have a monopoly of the business, and to dictate terms to the hundreds of good clubs outside its code of laws."(1) Included in the initial letter was the suggestion that "under no circumstances whatever should we play league clubs." Waite appeared to walk that back in a letter in the New York Hearld dated November 27, 1876. "In the circular several suggestions were made to expedite matters. They were merely suggestions to form a groundwork on which to operate when the Convention meets at Pittsburgh or wherever it is thought suitable it should."(2) One of the key concerns for the independent clubs was the practice of "revolving," which was players jumping contracts with one club to take a higher-paid position elsewhere. While illegal among the League clubs, players often jumped from "lesser clubs" to the League, as Collins did during the 1876 season. While some affiliated with the League expressed a willingness to work with the incipient organization, including Charles Fowle of the St. Louis Brown Stockings, the unofficial response from the League came from the Chicago club, which drew up a proposal of its own for a "League Alliance" in January 1877.(3) The League promised to respect contracts with Alliance teams, but required Alliance teams to submit to League rules and governance of all disputes. The International Association, as proposed by Waite, objected to this second clause, as they felt they should be allowed to settle their own disputes.

During the off-season, the feud between the League and the incipient Association continued in the papers, with Al Spalding and Waite exchanging a series of letters in the Globe-Democrat. The baseball world was split, with some publications supporting the League and its proposal, while others backed the incipient International Association.

Representatives for 18 clubs met in February, 1877, to establish an organization that would challenge the supremacy of the National League over all of professional baseball. L.C. Waite and Thomas McNeary represented the Reds. The final agreement adopted by the International Association at the meeting was very similar to that governing the League Alliance, organized by the National League as a direct challenge to the Association. The aims of the Association, as published in the New York Clipper, were:

First. To encourage, foster and elevate the game of baseball, to enact and enforce proper rules for the exhibition and conduct of the game, and to make baseball playing respectable and honorable.
Second. To protect and promote the mutual interests of baseball clubs and players, both professional and amateur.
In order to carry out these objects, we have adopted the most stringent rules for the punishment of revolving and other pernicious practices, and bind ourselves to stand by them.
(New York Clipper, March 10, 1877, pg. 2.)

The major difference between the two organizations was that the teams of the International Association refused to argree to allow its disputes to be settled by the National League. Otherwise, the rules it adopted almost entirely mirrored those of the National League and the League Alliance.

The International Association set up two tiers of membership. Basic membership cost $10, while an additional $10 was required to enter into the Cahmpionship series. By the end of April, seven teams had signed on for the Championship series, and many others had signed on to be a party to the organization.

Players for the 1877 International Association
All games for clubs in the 1877 International Association

References

(1) "What the Semi-Professional Clubs Intend Doing Next Season," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 20, 1876, pg. 3. The Democrat printed Waite's letter, dated September 23, 1876.

(2) "The National Game," New York Daily Herald, November 30, 1876, pg. 13. The International Assoiation formally met for the first time in Pittsburgh in mid-February, the convention mentioned in the letter.

(3) "An Interesting Interview in Relation to Base Ball," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 28, 1876, pg. 3. Fowle expressed a willingness to push League clubs to pledge to not interfere players under contract with clubs in the proposed Association and wanted the relationship between the League and the new organization to be friendly and cooperative.