Charles C. Alexander, Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus, Ohio University, has written 14 books, the last eight of which have dealt with American baseball history. He lives in Hamilton, Ohio.

“Charles Alexander has an uncanny knack of putting his subject into its historical context. He shines a bright and often amusing light on a cast of characters comprising some of baseball’s most colorful players and owners, including a hard-living, fun-loving group of players who literally attempted to hijack baseball and almost pulled it off over the course of one very ‘turbulent season.’”—Rick Huhn, author of Eddie Collins and The Sizzler: George Sisler, Baseball’s Forgotten Great

• Table of ContentsPreface ix1. 1889: The National Game 12. 1890: “Seven Stories with a Mansard Roof” 273. 1890: “Trying for Years to Get into a First-class League” 534. 1890: “Rotting as Fast as Nature Will Let Them” 775. 1890–91: “Lunkheads of the First Water” 1056. 1891: “Mad Clean Through” 1197. 1891: “I Should Expect to Be Hanged” 1538. 1891–92: “Men of Money Have About Come to Their Senses” 187Appendix: Some Lives Afterward 199Bibliography 211Index 217

Charles C. Alexander, Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus, Ohio University, has written 14 books, the last eight of which have dealt with American baseball history. He lives in Hamilton, Ohio.

“Charles Alexander has an uncanny knack of putting his subject into its historical context. He shines a bright and often amusing light on a cast of characters comprising some of baseball’s most colorful players and owners, including a hard-living, fun-loving group of players who literally attempted to hijack baseball and almost pulled it off over the course of one very ‘turbulent season.’”—Rick Huhn, author of Eddie Collins and The Sizzler: George Sisler, Baseball’s Forgotten Great

• Table of ContentsPreface ix1. 1889: The National Game 12. 1890: “Seven Stories with a Mansard Roof” 273. 1890: “Trying for Years to Get into a First-class League” 534. 1890: “Rotting as Fast as Nature Will Let Them” 775. 1890–91: “Lunkheads of the First Water” 1056. 1891: “Mad Clean Through” 1197. 1891: “I Should Expect to Be Hanged” 1538. 1891–92: “Men of Money Have About Come to Their Senses” 187Appendix: Some Lives Afterward 199Bibliography 211Index 217