The Players' League formed, officially on December 16, 1889 as a response by The Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players to the National League. The National League had instituted a system of reserving players' contracts, which meant that the player's current team could reserve his contract at any time. This practice was once considered a form of flattery, but the league then made it a rule that applied to all of its players. Even more infuriating to the players, the team could reserve a player at a smaller salary, and he would not have the chance to entertain other offers.
The National League officially refused to accept the petition by the Brotherhood to end the reserve clause, during A.G. Spalding's and John Montgomery's world base ball tour. The players on the tour were all professionals in the National League or American Association, and all were affected by the rule. Many wanted to leave the tour immediately, but Ward convinced them to stay, and wait to figure out a course of action.
Ward found backers, and founded a player-owned league of player-owned teams. The Players' league debuted in 1890 and most of its members were old American Association and Naitonal League stars that defected. The Players' league boasted profit sharing for its players, and no reserve clause. The Players' League provided tough market competition for the National League and the American Association. The Players' Leage had eight teams, and sevon of those teams were in National League cities. Most their games occured on the same day, with the PL outdrawing the NL.
One problem for the PL occured when Cap Anson, a star hurler for the Chicago White Stockings, refused to join the Players' League. Anson's stardom and reputation remained enmeshed with the National League, and it still gave the League credibility.
Nevertheless, the Players' League ran into financial problems as a result of the market fragmentation. The final straw occured when A.G. Spalding formed a war committee to push the backers of the Players' League to withdraw support. Spalding won the battle. The League played only one season. The PL players were allowed to rejoin their former clubs with impunity. In 1891, many of the players went back to the National League or the American Association. The players who refused to back to those leagues played in Ban Johnson's Western League. By 1896 most of the old PL players were no longer in the major leagues.