The United States Baseball League was a short-lived prospective third major professional baseball league that was established in New York City in 1912 and lasted only one partial season.
History In March 1912, organizers of the proposed league – described by members of the sports establishment as an "outlaw league" – met in New York's Hotel Imperial. The U.S. Baseball League subsequently organized teams in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New York, Reading, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; and Washington, D.C. The league president was William Witmann.
Sports historian Rudolf K. Haerle observed that the U.S. Baseball League "stressed the inherent 'good' of baseball for all individuals and communities, and indicated that it wished to conduct its business in the accepted capitalist style–free competition in the marketplace". Despite these lofty ambitions, the league quickly incurred the scorn and hostility of the baseball establishment. Additionally burdened with weak leadership, limited financing, poor attendance, and a lack of skillful players, the U.S. Baseball League "folded after about one month of action".
Legacy Many sports historians view the U.S. Baseball League as "a major precursor to the Federal League of 1914–1915". The Federal League, which was the last independent major league, was financed by magnates including oil "baron" Harry F. Sinclair.Suehsdorf (1978), p. 54.
Teams
Chicago Green Sox Cincinnati Cams/Pippins Cleveland Forest City New York Knickerbockers Pittsburgh Filipinos Reading Richmond Rebels Washington Senators
Standings The league's regular season began May 1, 1912 and ended June 5. The Richmond Times Dispatch released the intended 126-game USL schedule, to have run from April 8 through September 22.
Team Win Loss Pct Pittsburgh Filipinos 19 7 .731 Richmond Rebels 15 11 .577 Reading (no name) 12 9 .571 Cincinnati Cams 12 10 .545 Washington Senators 6 7 .462 Chicago Green Sox 10 12 .455 Cleveland Forest City 8 13 .381 New York Knickerbockers 2 15 .118
Ballparks Bronx Oval – New York Exposition Park – Pittsburgh The Fairgrounds – Lynchburg Georgetown Park – Washington, D.C. Hippodrome Park – Cincinnati, Ohio (also referred to as United States Park) Gunther Park (Clark St and Leland Ave) – Chicago; now Chase Park Wrigley Field: the unauthorized biography By Stuart Shea, George Castle, p. 8–9 National Association Grounds – Cleveland Lee Park (Moore Street and North Boulevard) – Richmond; became Boulevard Field of the Richmond Climbers in 1917, and now The Diamond
Notes
References Suehsdorf, A. D. (1978). The Great American Baseball Scrapbook. New York: Random House.