Editing Cap Anson (section)

===National Association===
Anson played on a number of competitive baseball clubs in his youth and began to play professionally in the [[National Association of Professional Base Ball Players|National Association]] (NA) at the age of 19, primarily third base for the [[Rockford Forest Citys]], one of the original teams of the Association.<ref name="Total Sports"/><ref name=BBRef>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/ansonca01.shtml|title=Baseball-Reference.com: Cap Anson}}</ref> He was a large and powerful man, standing {{height|ft=6|in=2}} tall and weighing about {{convert|220|lb|kg}}.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7153200/cap_anson_chicago_white_stockings/ "Capt. Anson"], ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch,'' May 5, 1886, p. 5.</ref>

After being traded to [[Philadelphia Athletics (1860–76)|Philadelphia Athletics]], in 1872 and 1873, Anson finished in the NA's top five in [[batting average (baseball)|batting]], [[on-base percentage]] (OBP), and [[on-base plus slugging]] (OPS). He led the National Association in OBP in 1872. His numbers declined slightly in 1874 and 1875, but he was still good enough that [[Chicago White Stockings (1870–89)|Chicago White Stockings]] secretary-turned-president [[William Hulbert]] sought him to improve his club for the 1876 season. Hulbert broke league rules by negotiating with Anson and several other stars while the 1875 season was still in progress and ultimately founded the new [[National League (baseball)|National League]] to forestall any disciplinary action.<ref name="Total Sports"/><ref name="hulbert">{{cite web|title=William Hulbert|url=https://baseballbiography.com/william-hulbert|work=baseballbiography.com|access-date=January 22, 2008}}</ref>

Anson, who had become engaged to a Philadelphia native in the meantime,<ref name="Fleitz">{{Cite book|first=David L.|last=Fleitz|title=Cap Anson: The Grand Old Man of Baseball|publisher=McFarland & Company|location=Jefferson, NC|year=2005|page=346|isbn=0-7864-2238-6}}</ref> had second thoughts about going west, but Hulbert held Anson to his contract and he eventually warmed to the Windy City.<ref name="capansoncomChapter2">{{cite web|title=Cap Chronicled&nbsp;— Chapter 2: A Ballplayer is Born|url=http://www.capanson.com/chapter2.html|access-date=January 22, 2008}}</ref>