The bottom four finishers in the 1892 season were the four clubs brought over from the Association - Louisville, Washington, St. Louis and Baltimore. The basement would be a familiar place for these clubs, as only Baltimore enjoyed any success in the 1890's before the league cut down to eight teams, and only once in that period (1899) did a club outside of that group finish in 11th or 12th place.
The first season in the NL was a harbinger of things to come for the Browns in the 1890s. Their cumulative record from 1892-1898 was 316-640, an awful .331 winning percentage. That seven year period included two 100+ loss seasons (1897 and 1898), two last place finishes and three 11th place finishes, and 18 managers, including Von der Ahe himself on several occassions when he was unable to find another player to take the job.
There were few highlights on the field during this period. Ted Breitenstein was the leader of the pitching staff from 1892 to 1896. With better support, he may have fared better than a 96-121 record. He was sold to Cincinnati after the 1896 season, and posted a 66-45 mark for the Reds over the next four years before an 0-3 season in St. Louis to finish his career in 1901. Perry Werden set a club record with 33 triples in 1893, and Roger Connor hit the 122nd home run of his career in 1895 to become the career home-run leader. Connor joined the club in mid-season 1895 from the New York club and played two full seasons (1895 and 1896) in St. Louis. In 1895, he hit .326 with 29 doubles, 8 home runs, and 77 RBIs to lead the Browns offense. He finished his career with 138 HR, tops until some guy named Ruth came along. He retired 24 games into the 1897 season, claiming he was being treated infairly by the Browns, and was selected for the Hall of Fame in 1976 by the Veterens Committee.
Von der Ahe tried a variety of methods to maintain fan support in St. Louis during the 1890s. In 1893, the Browns moved to a new park, also called Sportsman's Park, (refered to as New Sportsmans Park in some references) located at the corner of Vandeventer and Natural Bridge on the site where the Maroons played some games during their stint in the National League. The new park was supposed to rejuvenate the club, but it instead witnessed the worst period in St. Louis baseball. In 1896, Von der Ahe added an amusement park, with a "Shoot the Chutes" and race track behind the outfield fence. The rides were taken down before the start of the 1898 season. This season started with great promise, as Von der Ahe finally removed himself completely from the operations of the club and installed Stuart Muckenfuss, previously the club secretary, as club president. It was Von der Ahe's final season as the Browns owner.
On Opening Day 1898, the Browns hosted the Chicago Orphans and lost 2-1, but the crisp level of play gave the fans hope that the team was destined for better days. This could be considered the high point of the season. On the second day of the season a fire broke out in the stands during the game. Numerous fans were injured, and one fan was killed. The grandstand, bleachers, and offices burned down, and with them all of the trophies from the championship years of the 1880s. About that same time, Von der Ahe's past came back to haunt him. In 1891, he had arranged to have pitcher Mark Baldwin arrested for trying to bribe St. Louis players to jump to the National League. Baldwin, backed by the Pittsburgh club, responded by suing Von der Ahe for false arrest. The case dragged on, and ultimately Baldwin was awarded damages. However, in order to collect, Von der Ahe had to be brought to Pittsburgh. This was accomplished in 1898, not long after the fire at Sportsmans Park. Lawsuits were pilling up as a result of the fire, and Von der Ahe lacked the money to pay the bills.
Von der Ahe was lured to a hotel in St. Louis under the pretext of meeting with a wealthy businessman who was going to help Von der Ahe in his time of financial need. At the hotel, he was met by two gentlemen and ushered into a cab which was to take him to the meeting. Instead, he was driven to the train station and herded onto a train bound for Pittsburgh. There he was jailed for deliquency in payment. His stay was extended when he was unable to pay; every two months, Von der Ahe would be released, and then rejailed because he was still unable to raise the funds. This cycle dragged on in the courts during the summer of 1898 while the club was losing a team-record 111 games on the field.
Eventually, the National League bailed him out, but the team was forfieted in court to cover his debts. It was sold on the steps of the Courthouse in St. Louis to G. A. Gruner for $33,000. He immediately sold it to Edward Becker for $40,000, who promptly turned the club over to Frank and Stanley Robison, owners of the Cleveland club. Von der Ahe fought the sale in court, but lost. After almost twenty years, Chris Von der Ahe was out of baseball. He declared bankruptcy in 1908, and a benefit game was held for him between the Cardinals and the Browns. He died broke on June 5, 1913. Among those who attended his funneral were Charles Comiskey and Al Spink. He was burried in Bellefontaine Cemetery under a life-sized statue, all that was left from his days of fortune and fame as the toast of baseball in St. Louis.