Blackguards and Red Stockings: A History of Baseball’s National Association, 1871-1875

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It was a novel experiment as baseball’s leading men formed the National Association, bringing order to the hodgepodge of professional and amateur clubs that made up the sport from the end of the Civil War through 1870. It was an imperfect beginning to organized professional sports in America-the league was plagued by gambling, contract jumping and rumors of dishonest play-but it laid groundwork for the multibillion dollar enterprises of the 21st century. Like most sporting endeavors, it was entertaining, with the best players in the world displaying their talents throughout the northeastern and mid-western United States and, in 1874, during a ground-breaking journey to England. In its second edition, this book covers all the action-both on and off the field-of the NA’s early years, providing the definitive history of the first professional sports league in the U.S.