Although Spink is best known as the founder-editor of The Sporting News in 1886, his connection with baseball began much earlier. He had been sports editor of the Missouri Chronicle and St. Louis Chronicle and founder-editor of the St. Louis World, a sporting and theatrical newspaper. He helped create the American Association as a rival major league to the NL in 1882. He was one of the organizers of the St. Louis Browns and brought Chris von der Ahe in as owner. He also formed the Sportsman’s Park Club.
