Generally regarded as the first professional major league, the National Association was formed back in 1871 and lasted until the end of 1875 when it disbanded and under a new charter was called - the National League (1876).

Admission for teams to join the newly formed National Association was advance payment of a 'ten-dollar bill.' Certainly a sharp contrast to the mega-millions price tag in effect as we enter the year 2000.

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Active, young players drew crowds during early major league baseball history

Leading Players: National Association 1871-1875:

Levi Meyerle of the Athletics from Philadelphia won the batting title in 1871 with a torrid .492 average. The Athletics played 28 games and finished first in the league with a 21-7 season record. Meyerle also led the new league with a .500 on-base-percentage. He had 64 hits in 130 at-bats, scored 45 runs, lashed 9 doubles, 3 triples and 4 homers, which tied him with two others for the lead, and his 40 RBIs was third best in the National Association.

The league's second place team, the Boston Red Stockings, had three of it's player finished 2nd-thru-4th in batting average.

1871 Batting Average Leaders:

Levi Meyerle, Athletics (Philadelphia) .492... Cal McVey, Boston Red Stocking .431... Harry Wright, Boston Red Stockings .412... Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings .401... Steve King, Troy Haymakers .396

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Player Bio:

* Steve King, Troy Haymakers Outfielder - a native of Troy, New York... joined the new National Association as a 27-year old and played two seasons batting .396 in 1871 and .310 in '72... collected 10 doubles, 6 triples in 29 games for Troy in '71, including 57 hits in 144 at-bats. Retired from the league when Troy folded after the 1872 season... rated one of the top fielders, he played the 'dead ball era' with 'speed afoot' and as was the custom of the day, fielded without a glove.

A Trio of Stars - Cleveland Forest Citys 1871-1872 - the team of nine, which was assembled in 1866 as an amateur team, turned professional in order to join the NA. Despite the outstanding all-around play of catcher Deacon White, pitching stalwart Al Pratt, and star cross-handed hitting third baseman Ezra Sutton, the Forest Citys recorded a 10-19 record in 1871 and a 6-16 mark the next season before folding.

Records from archives of Baseball Historian as follows:

George Bradley received a salary of $1200 in 1875 for his pitching with the St Louis Brown Stockings of the American Association prior to joining the National League.

A native of Reading Pennsylvania, hard throwing George Bradley signed with the St Louis Brown Stockings in the inaugural season of National League in 1876. And… was the team’s only pitcher, receiving a salary around $1700 per/year.

With pressure rising amid competition from other professional baseball leagues, George Bradley in mid-season pitched the first no hitter of the National League – July 15 1876.

In the above season, 1876, the 24-year-old George Bradley fashioned a stunning record of 45 wins and just 19 loses with a miserly 1.23 earned run average. He completed all 63 of his starts while leading the Browns to a 2nd place finish with a 45-19 record. Note: the one game he did not start because of flu-like sickness, he came in relief and was credit with the win. In this season George Bradley pitched a still unbroken 16 shutouts and led the NL with his 1.23 ERA, allowed 470 hits, struck out 103, issued 38 walks in 573 innings.

Bradley’s no-hitter was pitched against pitcher Tommy Bond and his Hartford team. Bradley walked one, fanned 3, and his team commit 3 errors, however Bradley pitched a 2-0 shutout.

Bradley signed with the Chicago Cubs the next season And went 18-23 with a 3.31 ERA, then fell to 13-40 with a 2.85 ERA while pitching with Troy of the National League in 1880. While playing for Providence of the NL in 1880, Bradley played 38 games at third base… pitched in 28 games, And, also played 1st base, outfield and shortstop.

George Bradley went 25-16 with Cincinnati of the Union Association in 1884, his last season as a pitcher.

George Washington Bradley career record: 139-125, 2.50 ERA, 287 Games, 265 GS, 245 GC, 2469 hits in 204.1 innings. Batting stats: .228, 57 Ds, 35 Ts, 3 Hrs, in 507 games.