1888 – The Tourists, the world-traveling team of major leaguers put together by Al Spalding, play their first game in Australia, drawing a crowd of 5,500 in Sydney.

1887 – The Texas League is organized at a meeting in Austin, thanks largely to the efforts of John J. McCloskey.

1886 – The American Association meets and ratifies the new rules. It also approves the new clause that allows a club to reserve a player for as long as it wants, not just for next year’s contract.

1883 – In Louisville a “first-class colored team” is formed. The team, later known as the Falls Cities, becomes one of the nation’s best black teams. It will join the National Colored Base Ball League (NCBBL) in 1887, but will apparently disband shortly after the collapse of the NCBBL in the first week of its season.