ThePlayersLeague,formedin1890,wasashort-livedprofessionalbaseballleaguecontrolledandownedinpartbytheplayersthemselves,aresponsetotheNationalLeague’ssalarycapand“reserverule,“whichboundplayersforlifetooneparticularteam.LedbyJohnMontgomeryWard,thePlayersLeaguewasastar-studdedgroupthatincludedmostofthebestplayersoftheNationalLeague,whoboltednotonlytogaincontroloftheirwagesbutalsotoshareownershipoftheteams.Lastingonlyayear,theleagueimpactedboththeprofessionalsportsandthelaborpoliticsofathletesandnonathletesalike.TheGreatBaseballRevoltisahistoricoverviewoftheriseandfallofthePlayersLeague,whichfieldedteamsinBoston,Brooklyn,Buffalo,Chicago,Cleveland,NewYork,Philadelphia,andPittsburgh.Thoughitmarketeditselfasaworking-classleague,theplayerswereunderfundedandhadtoturntowealthycapitalistsformuchoftheirstartupcosts,includingthenewballparks.Itwasinthiscontextthattheleagueintersectedwiththeorganizedlabormovement,andinmanywayschallengedbyorganizedlabortobebyandforthepeople.Initsonlyseason,thePlayersLeagueoutdrewtheNationalLeagueinfanattendance.ButwhentheNationalLeagueoverinflateditsnumbersandprofits,thePlayersLeaguebackerspulledout.TheGreatBaseballRevoltbringstolifeacompellingcastofcharactersandamostlyforgottenbutimportanttimeinprofessionalsportswhenlaborpoliticsaffectedbothathletesandnonathletes.Purchasetheaudioedition.
