Poaching Outside the Reserve List

[Brian McKenna]

The reserve clause was first approved on September 29, 1879. Initially, each team was permitted to reserve five men for 1880. These players were off limits to any bidder.

Eventually, the allotted # of reserves was increased:

1880 - 5 players
1883 - 11 players
1885 - 12 players
1887 - 14 players
1892 - 15 players
1893 - 14 players
1899 - 18 players

Remember that this is not the era of 25-man rosters.

My question are:
-How often to opposing clubs go after another team's nonreserved players?
-Was it common or did National League clubs respect one another's right to all their players during the 1880s?
-How many really good players did the typical club own (after 1882) outside of the 11 they were entitled to reserve?

For amusement, here is the list of the game's first reserved players for 1880.

Boston Red Caps
Tommy Bond
Jack Burdock
John O'Rourke
Pop Snyder
Ezra Sutton

Buffalo Bisons
John Clapp
Bill Crowley
Pud Galvin
Hardy Richardson
Oscar Walker

Chicago White Stockings
Cap Anson
Silver Flint
Frank Hankinson
Joe Quest
Ned Williamson

Cleveland Blues
Jack Glasscock
Doc Kennedy
Jim McCormick
Lee Richmond
Orator Shaffer

Providence Grays
Paul Hines
Mike McGeary
Joe Start
John Ward
George Wright

Troy Trojans
Ed Caskin
John Cassidy
Jake Evans
Bob Ferguson
Fred Goldsmith

[TonyK]

This makes an excellent research project for someone to track down the comings and goings of players NOT reserved for the following season. Did they stay or move on? And were those 30 players reserved for the 1880 season the so-called All Stars of the NL in 1880? Four of them were catchers I see - Clapp, Snyder, Flint and Kennedy.

My hunch is the NL increased the number of reserved players per team from only 5 to 11 because players had too much freedom, they could jump to the AA, and they were being paid too much. This trend led to the Brotherhood union and later the Players League.

I may be wrong but I think NL teams in the 1880's could not afford to own any good players who were not reserved until the preseason began. I'm guessing four or five players vied for the final two roster spots and the losers were released. The winners earned monthly salaries and less than the reserved players.

At the end of the season players might play harder in order to win a reserved spot on the roster for the next season. Two best friends could be competing for that 15th spot.