Bush league or Busch league or either?

Factual Questions
1

I recently come upon an argument ongoing on another message board. One of the poster’s referred to some amateurish behavior as “bush league”. Another poster, who was defending the behavior, also decided to chide the original poster for not knowing the correct term and told him it was “Busch league”, not “bush league”.

The debate further ensued, but after being rebuked by many other posters that the term “bush league” had been around for nearly a century, referring to minor baseball teams that played in small towns (out in the bushes), the 2nd poster continued to defend his use of “Busch league” as proper as it referred to the 2nd tier series of NASCAR racing, or used to until NASCAR changed its sponsor.

So which is it? Bush, Busch, or either?

2

I always saw it written as bush league. Never thought it was anything else.

3

It’s bush league, with the origin you gave. The OED traces it origins back to 1906 (baseball use) and 1914 (non-baseball use). Busch beer was introduced as a brand in 1955.

4

Well I suppose if he were specifically referring to second-tier Nascar racing, then he would be correct. But in general usage he is wrong.

5

Since bush league is the older term, Busch league is what those in the professional wordifying establishment call a “pun.”

6

I’m finding it funny that someone would believe “bush league” post-dated the Busch Series of Nascar.

7

Born and raised St Louisian here. We call beer league teams Busch League as, obviously, Anheuser-Busch is “down the road” and the Busch family used to sponsor many recreational sport clubs (and it’s punny.) Bush league is for amateur players, Busch league is for drunk dads who are reliving their high school glory days.

So I guess, strictly in St Louis, you could argue that Busch and bush are interchangeable in this context.