Editing Albert Spalding (section)

===Organizer and executive===
In the months after signing for Chicago, Hulbert and Spalding organized the National League by enlisting the two major teams in the East and the four other top teams in what was then considered to be the West, also known as the jungle. Joining Chicago initially were the leading teams from [[Cincinnati]], [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], and [[St. Louis]]. The owners of these western clubs accompanied Hulbert and Spalding to New York where they secretly met with owners from New York City, [[Philadelphia]], [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]], and [[Boston]]. Each signed the league's constitution, and the National League was officially born. "Spalding was thus involved in the transformation of baseball from a game of gentlemen athletes into a business and a professional sport."<ref name="Starr">{{cite journal|last=Starr|first=Raymond|date=Winter 1986|title=Book review: A. G. Spalding and the Rise of Baseball|journal=Journal of San Diego History|volume=32|issue=1|url=http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/86winter/spalding.htm}}</ref> Although the National Association held on for a few more seasons, it was no longer recognized as the premier organization for professional baseball. Gradually, it faded out of existence and was replaced by myriad minor leagues and associations around the country.

In 1886, with Spalding as president of the franchise, the Chicago White Stockings (today's [[Chicago Cubs]]), began holding [[spring training]] in [[Hot Springs, Arkansas]],<ref>{{cite web |title=arlington hotel, oaklawn, gangster museum, hot springs baseball trail, historical landmarks |url=http://www.hotsprings.org/pages/history-buffs/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216151214/http://www.hotsprings.org/pages/history-buffs/ |archive-date=2018-02-16 |access-date= |website=Hot Springs, Arkansas}}</ref><ref name="encyclopediaofarkansas.net">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6221|title=Major League Spring Training in Hot Springs |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Arkansas}}</ref> which subsequently has been called the "birthplace" of spring training baseball. The location and the training concept was the brainchild of Spalding and his player/manager [[Cap Anson]], who saw that the city and the natural springs created positives for their players. They first played in an area called the '''Hot Springs Baseball Grounds'''. Many other teams followed the concept and began training in Hot Springs and other locations.<ref name="encyclopediaofarkansas.net" />

In 1905, after [[Henry Chadwick (writer)|Henry Chadwick]] wrote an article saying that baseball grew from the British sports of [[cricket]] and [[rounders]], Spalding called for a [[Abraham G. Mills#The Mills Commission|commission]] to find out the real source of baseball. The commission called for citizens who knew anything about the founding of baseball to send in letters. After three years of searching, on December 30, 1907, Spalding received a letter that (erroneously) declared baseball to be the invention of [[Abner Doubleday]]. The commission was biased, as Spalding would not appoint anyone to the commission if they believed the sport was somewhat related to rounders or cricket. Just before the commission issued its findings, in a letter to sportswriter [[Tim Murnane]], Spalding noted, "Our good old American game of baseball must have an American Dad." The project, later called the Mills Commission, concluded that "Base Ball had its origins in the United States" and "the first scheme for playing baseball, according to the best evidence available to date, was devised by Abner Doubleday at [[Cooperstown, New York|Cooperstown, N.Y.]], in 1839."

Receiving the archives of Henry Chadwick in 1908, Spalding combined these records with his own memories (and biases) to write ''[[America's National Game]]'' (published 1911) which, despite its flaws, was probably the first scholarly account of the [[history of baseball]].<ref name="PBS" />

In 1912, Spalding wrote "Neither our wives, our sisters, our daughters, our sweethearts, may play Base Ball on the field... they may play Basket Ball, and achieve laurels; they may play Golf, and receive trophies, but Base Ball is too strenuous for womankind, except as she may take part in grandstands, with applause for the brilliant play, with waiving kerchief to the hero of the three-bagger."<ref name="auto">Playing America's Game, by Adrian Burgos Jr.</ref>