Hastily formed in 1883 as a rival, third major league, the Union Association upset the moguls of the baseball world and disrupted the status quo. Backed by Henry V. Lucas, an impetuous 26-year-old millionaire from St. Louis, the UA existed for one chaotic season in 1884. This first full-length history of the Union Association tells the captivating story of the league's brief and enigmatic existence. Lucas recruited to the field a wild mix of disgruntled stars, misfits, crooks, has-beens, drunks, and the occasional spectator to take the field--along with a future star or two. The result was a bizarre experiment that sowed both turmoil and hope before fading into oblivion.