Barbary Baseball

In the 1920s baseball fans flocked to minor league ballparks, making stars of players who would never wear a major league uniform. This was particularly true on the West Coast, where fans embraced the colorful Pacific Coast league as a third major league.

Owners' meetings were rambunctious affairs where issues were sometimes settled with fists. In the stands, drinking and gambling went unchecked. On the field, players and umpires were as likely to trade punches as insults. But its rowdy style did not detract from the quality of the league. Talented players used the 200 game schedule and cozy, bandbox ballparks to produce unparalleled offensive fireworks. The rich history includes the first-ever listing of all players in the PCL during the 1920s.