The Spark that started a Baseball War

The first professional baseball league in the Pacific Northwest played its first season in 1890. Almost immediately talk began regarding the formation of one super league for the West Coast and a merger with the California League. By the end of the 1893 both leagues folded with any kind of a merger as the country was plunged deep into a recession, sound familiar? Although the two leagues came back to the playing field in 1898, the boys in the Northwest were not able to get back to firm footing until 1901.
   Rumors flourished thoughout the next two seasons that a merger was in the works. As the California League season ended in early December, the rumors intensified. On December 29, 1902 the California League announced thats four clubs had admitted teams from Seattle and Portland. They also had changed their name to the Pacific Coast League. What had happened was the Portland Club from the Pacific Northwest League had jumped as a whole to the new league. The Pacific Coast League had hijacked the Seattle ballpark by signing a lease of their own and installing a new owner. A war had begun.
    By the time the season opened the following spring, the Pacific Northwest League invaded San Francisco and Los Angeles. They too changed their name to the Pacific National League. In  mid August the PNL boys had to to cry uncle and admit the PCL boys were the better of the two leagues.
     The Pacific Coast League has played in every season since, almost reaching major league status. Its history has stretched from Indianapolis, Indiana to Honolulu, Hawaii. Today the league rans from the Coast into Tennessee. Today the Northwest League plays a 70 schedule from late June to Labor Day. Many NWL players go on to the play in the PCL as frequently the leagues in the Pacific Northwest were used as farm clubs for the PCL.
   Tomorrow we will stay on the West Coast with a look at the Forum in Inglewood, California.