The masthead on the front page of newspaper displayed the motto (shown in image at right): "Devoted to Base Ball, Trap Shooting and General Sports.

He hired correspondents to report from locales across the United States and continued to publish and edit the Sporting Life until 1917.

[6][7] Throughout most of its existence, it was in competition with The Sporting News, which was founded in 1886 and published by the Spink brothers in St. Louis.

[5][10][11] Henry Chadwick, sometimes called the "father of baseball", was a regular contributor to the Sporting Life.

[12] The Sporting Life also published several early series of baseball cards that were offered to subscribers.