caused by the death of Mr.
Hulbert.

The League Circuit in 1883 again consisted of eight cities, while the
number of games necessary to constitute a series had been increased from
twelve to fourteen. The only change in the personnel of the Chicagos was
the substitution of Fred Pfeffer for Joe Quest at second base. The fight
between Chicago and Boston, Providence and Cleveland was veritably a
battle of the giants, and as a result excitement throughout the country
ran high and big crowds everywhere were the rule.

The Boston team, with M. Hines and Hackett as catchers, Buffington and
Whitney, pitchers; Morrill, first base; Burdock, second base; Sutton,
third base; Wise, shortstop; Horning, left field; Smith, center field;
Radford, right field; and Brown, substitute, proved to be a trifle the
strongest, they carrying off the pennant with a total of 63 games won
and 35 lost, while Chicago came next on the list with 59 games won and
39 lost. Providence, which stood third, won 58 games and lost 40, while
Cleveland, which came fourth, had 55 games won and 42 games lost to its
credit.

Buffalo, New York, Detroit and Philadelphia followed in the order named.

Brouthers of the Buffalo team again stood first on the list of batsmen
with a percentage of .371, while your humble servant had fallen down to
the twelfth place on the list, my percentage being .307.

The event of the season, or of the year perhaps, I should say, was the
adoption of a document then known as the tripartite agreement, now known
as the National Agreement, which was formulated by A. G. Mills, John B.
Day and A. H. Soden, representing the League; O. P. Caylor, William
Barnier and Lewis Simmons, representing the American Association, and
Elias Mather of the Grand Rapids, Michigan, Club, acting for the
Northwestern League.

This document, among other things, provided that no contract should be
made for the services of any player for a longer period than seven
months, beginning April 1st and terminating October 31st, and that no
contract for their services should be made prior to October 20th of the
year on which such services terminated.

It also provided that on the 10th day of October of each year the
Secretary of each Association should transmit to the Secretary of each
other Association a reserve list of players, not exceeding fourteen in
number, then under contract with each of its several club members, and
of such players reserved on any prior annual