s baseball clubs became skilled at the game the competitiveness
of the clubs resulted in many great base ball matches. These
all-star matches drew many observers and as the sport increased
in popularity so did the attendance. Once it was established
that these matches were worthy of an admission fee,
professionalism eventually took over the base ball community.
One year after the demise of the first openly professional base
ball club, the 1869–1870 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the National
Association of Base Ball Players became the first professional
base ball league in the United States. As poorly and unorganized
as this league was, the opportunity for future investors as
another avenue of income would lead to the formation of four
more professional leagues in the next 15 years. The first base
ball convention was held in New York City on January 22, 1857
and was attended by 15 clubs, all from New York. Daniel "Doc"
Adams was elected convention president and also was elected to
head the Committee on Rules and R