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ALS signed “J. M. W. Neff,” one page, 8 x 10.5, Cincinnati Base Ball Association letterhead, October 23, 1879. Handwritten letter to "W. A. Hulbert, Pres't Nat. League Base Ball Clubs," a founder of the National League and president of the Chicago White Stockings franchise who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995. Neff writes, in full: "The resignation of our Association as a member of the League is hereby tendered. Please notify me of the acceptance of same at your earliest convenience." Below, Hulbert writes in pencil: "As Prs't I have accepted above Oct. 24, you had better notify the rest, Also notify everybody we release Frank Hankinson—one of our reserves, WAH." The reverse is docketed by pioneering baseball executive Nicholas Ephraim Young, "Resignation of the Cin. B.B. Ass'n, Rec'd Oct. 27, 1879." In fine condition, with light toning to the central horizontal fold. Accompanied by full letters of authenticity from PSA/DNA and Beckett Authentication Services.
A charter member of the National League in its inaugural 1876 season, the Cincinnati Reds were present at the creation of major league baseball, though they struggled competitively and never emerged as contenders during their four-year NL tenure. Far more consequential was the club’s role in a defining clash between league authority and local economics. National League president William A. Hulbert’s rigid enforcement of morality policies—most notably prohibitions on Sunday games and the sale of beer—proved untenable in Cincinnati, where both were essential to financial survival. The conflict reached its conclusion following the 1879 season with the formal resignation of the Cincinnati Base Ball Association, as documented in this letter. Annotated by Hulbert and docketed by league secretary Nicholas E. Young, the document is an exceptionally early survivor from the National League’s earliest years, capturing one of the first major breaks between league authority and a member club.
