November 30, 1896: a chilly night at the Shrine of the Eternals in Hoboken, New Jersey, suddenly became red-hot as Commissioner Jim Creighton stepped to the lectern.
"First of all, let me congratulate the Shrine's newest members: George Bunting and Hugh Campbell!"
"As you all know, attendance has dropped throughout Major League Baseball, thanks partially to the Panic of 1896, and partly because many of our clubs are just not where they should be. There are small towns in the National Association who are unable to draw crowds simply because their facilities are inadequate. And many large cities have teams in the lower divisions, but fans won't come to see lower-level ball." There were rumblings in the crowd, but they were quickly shushed -- the King of Baseball was talking! "So, now, the leaders of baseball, and myself, have created Project 1900 -- a new plan for baseball in the 20th Century!"
A curtain was pulled, and a huge blackboard was revealed, with the nuts and bolts of what sportswriters called
THE BIG FIX:
"The size of league cities will be expressed as a percentage of the nation's largest city, currently New York City:
Class A cities have at least 50% of population of New York: Chicago, Brooklyn, New York itself and Brooklyn. The two most successful clubs in each city will be guaranteed a spot in the National Association. (There are currently 8 clubs in this category.)
Class A-1: The third teams in Class A cities (New York and Philadelphia) can drop to the American Association, but no lower. (There are currently 2 clubs in this category.)
Class B cities have between 10-50% the population of New York. Like A-1 cities, they can play only in the NA or the AA. (There are currently 17 clubs in this category.)
Class C cities have between 5-10% the population of New York. Class C cities can play in the NA, but only one in any given season. They can also play in either the AA or the Union Association. (There are currently 16 clubs in this category.)
And Class D cities have less than 5% the population of New York. Class D cities cannot play in the NA, but they can play in the AA, but only one in any given season. All other Class D cities are only eligible to play in the Union Association. (There are currently 17 clubs in this category.)"
Now, the level of noise in the Shrine raised precipitously, but Creighton simply talked louder. "This isn't happening immediately," he assured the crowd, "but gradually, with full implementation coming in 1900. And now, let me give you a preview of Major League Baseball in 1897!"
Another curtain dropped, and the lineup of the three pro baseball leagues were revealed:
Rochester, Grand Rapids, Montreal, Elizabeth and
Fort Wayne, all of whom had losing records in 1896, were sent to the American -- and were replaced with the
Chicago Colts, Boston Tri-Mountains, Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets -- and the legendary clubs that had fallen on hard times,
Cleveland and
Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, the American clubs in
Richmond, Rockford and
Middletown were sent to the Union, and replaced by the
Philadelphia Centennials, Baltimore Marylands and
Milwaukee.
But the biggest bombshell was yet to come: there would be no more American Cup or Union Cup -- but, clubs in the lower leagues would still have a chance to win baseball's ultimate prize, thanks to an expanded Centennial Cup tournament that would contain 13 clubs: 10 from the National, two from the AA and the UA regular-season champ.
By this point, it was impossible for Creighton to continue, as the shouting had become too loud. "Traitor!" screamed one crank. "Say it ain't so, Jim!" cried another. When a few enthusiasts attempted the reach the stage, police stepped in, creating a riot similar to the one in Toronto, only with less mud being tossed about.
Creighton left the Shrine and was taken to a hotel, where the other barons of baseball were waiting. "You did what you had to do, Jim," one of them said. "With this plan, the financial success of the game is assured." Creighton just nodded, but thought,
"What have I done...?"