"Two-Bit Baseball": <i>Walla Walla and the Pacific Interstate League, 1891</i>

Abstract

Local fans (cranks contemporary idiom) established first professional team Walla Walla, Washington, April 1891. Three nearby Oregon towns-Pendleton, La Grande, and Baker City-then joined Walla Walla to form Pacific Interstate League, inaugural minor league interior Pacific Northwest. The new league established standard admission price of at time when two bits meant 25 cents rather than measure of computer memory. Although nascent league failed to survive its initial season, it nonetheless illustrated role of baseball promoting civic pride American towns and cities. The league's story also exemplifies financial difficulties inherent minor league baseball at end of 19th century.Other leagues which may arguably be termed minor emerged 1877 response to establishment of National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, selfproclaimed league, 1876. Minor leagues quickly moved professional baseball out of large cities of eastern seaboard and spread sport to smaller cities and towns of American hinterland as frontier moved farther and farther west. Even though American Association (1882-1891), Union Association (1884), and Players' League (1890) went on to join National League as major leagues century, Reach Base Ball Guide argued 1891 that the life of game continued to depend on minor leagues.1The Sporting News cited no less than 17 minor leagues preparing to play 1891 season. These leagues represented virtually every region from New England to Pacific Northwest. This geographical diversity provided convincing evidence, publication stated, that base ball is still national game.2In this period of expansion, however, teams and leagues rose and fell like pop flies. In fact, The Sporting News identified five leagues that had played 1890 season but had failed to survive into 1891.3 The primary cause for this problem was operating capital. Because wealthy owners rarely invested baseball outside of urban major leagues and no farm system yet existed, teams had to depend on community rather than indi- vidual ownership. For example, Seattle Base Ball Association sold $25,000 worth of stock to baseball cranks at $50 share to fund its entry Pacific Northwest League 1891.4 Such community investment did not always succeed, as intercity rivalry often superseded financial prudence. To compete with its competitors, team would occasionally spend itself into insolvency as it sought to outbid other teams for services of best players. Although teams would begin season with careful investments of capital, Reach Guide noted that they quickly violated self-imposed laws of economy and, in their mad desire to strengthen their teams, [spent] clear beyond their means. As spending outstripped revenues, teams and even entire leagues collapsed before scheduled end of their regular seasons.5Financial issues notwithstanding, baseball continued to expand, particularly into West and Northwest. For example, popularity of Pacific Northwest League (Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, and Portland), which played its inaugural season 1890, induced an editorialist for Spokane Review to note May 1891 that base ball fever seems to be catching [on in] all towns Northwest, and that locality is hardly worth name of city which does not possess one or more clubs.6 This confirmed comments by Reach Guide, which noted that a peculiarity about minor league organization is that they seem to be largely located West, while but few years ago East almost had monopoly on them.7The Bunch Grass LeagueSeeking to emulate recent success of Pacific Northwest League, smaller towns interior Northwest pursued their own league for 1891 season. Thus base ball enthusiasts four towns-Walla Walla, Pendleton, La Grande, and Baker City-made plans to form Bunch Grass League, provisionally named for ubiquitous local vegetation. …