The facts leading to my personal introduction to the system are as follows: The White Stockings were repeating in Chicago the history of Boston's first professional club. The players were so capable that they were expected to win every game. It did seem almost impossible for them to lose. Twice in succession they had captured the championship pennant; the prowess of the team was known throughout the land, and praises of the individual performances of Anson, Kelly, Flint, Williamson, Dalrymple, Gore, Clarkson, Pfeffer, McCormick and Sunday were on everybody's lips.
Now, experience had shown that the keeping of the same players together for too long a time is prejudicial to the interests of the game. I had learned that lesson in my notice of the effect of the four years of successive championship victories gained by the Boston team, and felt that the time had come for a change in the personnel of the Chicago nine. I was well aware that patrons, while appreciating good players, do tire of seeing the same faces year after year, and do enjoy the introduction of new blood into the team. And so I decided to let some players go. But what ones? That was a question not easy to decide.
I deliberated upon the matter for some days, and finally persuaded myself that King Kelly was the man to sell. In arriving at this conclusion, I was not led to the determination entirely by the certainty that Kelly would bring the most money. I knew, of course, that he was as popular abroad as he was at home, and would sell for a lot of cash. I also was aware that there would
