wn, Conn., the last mentioned, however, disbanding before the
close of the championship season. The Forest Citys of Rockford did not
enter the arena that year, but I was "still in the ring," having
transferred my services to the Athletics of Philadelphia, where I
remained until the formation of the National League in 1876.

In 1875 the Athletics had a rival in the new Philadelphia club; the
Maryland of Baltimore and the Resolute of Elizabeth, N. J., also
entering the championship arena. The Forest City of Cleveland and the
Eckford of Brooklyn dropped out after 1872, and the two Washington clubs
were consolidated. The Chicago club, which had been broken up by the
great fire of 1871 and had been out of existence in 1872 and 1873, again
entered the Association in 1874, when Hartford was for the first time
represented by a professional club. The Washington, Resolute and the
Maryland Clubs were not members of the Association in that year.

Thirteen professional clubs competed for the championship in 1875, the
St. Louis team being the only one of the new entries that did not
disband before the season closed. This was the last season of the
Professional Association, it being superseded by the National League, an
organization which still exists, though it lacks the brains and power
that carried it on to success in, its earlier days, this being notably
the case in Chicago and New York, where the clubs representing these
cities have gone down the toboggan slide with lightning-like rapidity.

In this connection the names of the teams winning the Professional
Association championships, together with the players composing them are
given:

1871. Athletic, McBride, pitcher; Malone, catcher; Fisler, Reach and
Meyerle on the bases; Radcliffe, shortstop; Cuthbert, Senserderfer and
Heubel in the outfield, and Bechtel and Pratt, substitutes.

1872, Boston, Spalding, pitcher; McVey, catcher; Gould, Barnes and
Schafer on the bases; George Wright, shortstop; Leonard, Harry Wright
and Rogers, in the outfield; and Birdsall and Ryan, substitutes.

1873. Boston, Spalding, pitcher; Jas. White, catcher; Jas. O'Rourke,
Barnes and Schafer on the bases; George Wright, shortstop; Leonard,
Harry Wright and Manning in the outfield; and Birdsall and Sweasey,
substitutes. Addy took Manning's place in the latter part of the season.

1874. Boston, Spalding, pitcher; McVey, catcher; White, Barnes and
Schafer on the bases; George Wright, shortstop; Leona