Description
Book Synopsis Hastily formed in 1883 as a rival, third major league, the Union Association upset the moguls of the baseball world and disrupted the status quo. Backed by Henry V. Lucas, an impetuous 26-year-old millionaire from St. Louis, the UA existed for one chaotic season in 1884. This first full-length history of the Union Association tells the captivating story of the league''s brief and enigmatic existence. Lucas recruited a wild mix of disgruntled stars, misfits, crooks, has-beens, drunks, and the occasional spectator--along with a future star or two. The result was a bizarre experiment that sowed both turmoil and hope before fading into oblivion.
Trade ReviewA remarkable compilation of research on the quirky, ill-fated league that is focused on contemporary primary sources to under-gird an analysis of how the Union Association formed, competed, and disbanded during its sole year of existence in 1884"—Charlie Bevis, author,
Tim Keefe: A Biography of the Hall of Fame Pitcher and Player-Rights Advocate>Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- 1. Al Pratt's Association
- 2. The Very Best of Ball Players
- 3. Enter Henry V. Lucas
- 4. The War Begins
- 5. The Union Association Takes the Stage
- 6. "The Finest! The Nearest! The Prettiest!"
- 7. One Month in Altoona, Pennsylvania
- 8. Going to Kansas City
- 9. Independence Day in Washington
- 10. Baltimore's Battle
- 11. "Bollicky" Bill and the "Wizard"
- 12. The Hoss and the Playboy
- 13. The Bell Tolls for the Keystones
- 14. A Matter of Dollars and Cents
- 15. The Windy City Blows Out of Town
- 16. A Curse Falls Upon Delaware
- 17. The Union Goes North … Western
- 18. Cream City Chronicles
- 19. The Vagabonds from Minnesota
- 20. The Wild West and the Race for Third Place
- 21. The Associations Face Off
- 22. The Real Games Begin
- 23. Almost Equivalent to Actual Dishonesty
- 24. The Double Cross
- 25. What Killed the Union Association?
- 26. The Ghosts of the Union
- 27. Henry Lucas Opts Out
- Epilogue
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
