<P> The National League organized for 1876 on a different basis, granting exclusive memberships to eight clubs that would continue from year to year--it was generally expected, if only because membership would be profitable . But the new league followed its predecessor in merely agreeing that each club would play a certain number of matches to a decision (excluding ties) by a certain date . Boston played 70 games with its quota of ten decisions against every rival . The others achieved 56 to 68 decisions, 64 to 66 for the four western teams as the teams from New York and Philadelphia (eastern) abandoned their schedule - concluding road trips . </P> <P> For all six early seasons, prior to the first league schedule in 1877, member clubs scheduled their own matches by mutual arrangement, including championship games necessarily with member clubs, other games with members, and games with non-member clubs . Some may have practically dictated their arrangements with some others, but there was no central control or coordination . </P> <P> This listing gives the greatest number of games played by any club for each season . Naturally, the leader by games played was always a strong club fielding one of the better gate attractions . </P> <Dl> <Dd> 1871: 33 games (Mutual, New York) </Dd> <Dd> 1872: 58 games (Lord Baltimore) </Dd> <Dd> 1873: 60 games (Boston) </Dd> <Dd> 1874: 71 games (Boston) </Dd> <Dd> 1875: 86 games (Hartford) </Dd> <Dd> 1876: 70 games (Boston)--the first National League season (see text) </Dd> </Dl>

How many games are left in major league baseball season