Already a respected member of the Connecticut business community, Morgan Bulkeley became involved in baseball as an executive with the National Association Hartford Dark Blues in 1874. With the creation of the National League in 1876, Bulkeley agreed to serve as its first president, where he helped to enhance the image of the game by targeting illegal gambling, drinking and fan rowdiness. He would later serve as mayor of Hartford, governor of Connecticut, and then as a United States Senator.