In late 1913 the newly formed Federal League declared itself a Major League in competition with the established National and American Leagues. Backed by some of America's wealthiest merchants and industrialists, the new organization posed a real challenge to baseball's prevailing structure, although it struggled for profits. The established leagues fought to stop the newcomers, and the players organized baseball's first real union. The consequences of this battle would shape the business of baseball and American professional sports in general for many years to come in what PublishersWeekly has called "a richly detailed account."
