Born September 2, 1850, in Byron, Illinois, was Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher, A. G. Spalding. This legend was also a manager and executive in the MLB as the President, co-owner Chicago White Stockings. From the mound he was the National League's wins leader 1871–76. You may recognize his name as he used his baseball knowledge as he innovated and standardized equipment used to become co-founder of Spalding sporting goods company.
Spalding along with William Hulbert played a major part in organizing the National League of Baseball. While playing for the White Sox. 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, 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, and Boston. Each signed the league's constitution, and the National League was officially born. Author Raymons Starr says: "Spalding was thus involved in the transformation of baseball from a game of gentlemen athletes into a business and a professional sport."