The Players League existed for just one season, in 1890, but was developed in times like these.
Actually, in one aspect, baseball in the late 19th Century was healthier for fans — the antitrust exemption MLB now enjoys did not exist. The Players League was launched to compete with the National League and, to a lesser extent, the American Association (AA), then a major league.
Battles between players and management had existed formally at least back to 1879, when the National League owners silently adopted the Reserve Clause, which evolved quickly into a way for teams to claim ownership of a player for the life of his career.