EARLY LEAGUES AND TEAMS
William Hulbert
founder of the National League
The Six Major Leagues That Have Existed From 1875 to Present Day
National League 1876 - Present
The National League was founded by Chicago club owner William Hulbert in 1876 to clean up the game of baseball and replace the National Association with a well run, honest league. A.G. Mills served as the N.L.'s first president until he was replaced by Hulbert after the first season. After a number of franchise turnovers in the early years the league became stable and profitable in 1880's and has remained in business for well over a hundred years.
American Association - 1882 - 1891
The American Association became a major league in 1882 and spent the next ten years in competition with the National League. To attract fans the A.A. undercut the N.L.'s 50 cent ticket price by only charging 25 cents. The new league also scheduled games on Sundays and allowed beer to be sold in the stands, something that the N.L. didn't do.
The 1882 Cincinnati American Association Championship Team
The A.A. 's first president was Denny McKnight who also owned the Pittsburgh franchise. After an initial skirmish, the two leagues eventually managed to co-exist and even engaged in a series of post-season contests from 1884 to 1890. The A.A. was absorbed by the N.L. after the 1891 season.
Union Association - 1884
The Union Association was founded in 1884 by Henry V. Lucas in order to capitalize on player dissatisfaction with the reserve rule that prevailed in the two established leagues. But the U.A. attracted few top players and was not able to build up much of a fan base. The Union Association proved to be a financial disaster and it folded after one season.
1890 Boston Reds of the Players League
Players League - 1890
When baseball's first labor organization, the National Brotherhood of Baseball Players, engaged in open revolution against the two major leagues it led to the formation of the Players League in 1890. The players were fed up with limited salaries, unjust fines and the reserve clause (which virtually bound a player to the same team for life) Many of the top players in the N.L. and A.A. jumped to the new league. A lack of administrative leadership and heavy gate competition brought about this league's demise after a year.
Ban Johnson
American League - 1901 - Present
In 1900, Ban Johnson, president of the minor Western League, changed the name of his circuit to the American League. He then placed clubs in several eastern cities and raided the National League for enough talent to give the A.L. major league status when the 1901 season began. A war ensued between the American League and the N.L. for the 1901 and 1902 seasons with many of the senior circuit's top stars jumping to the A.L..
In 1903 the two leagues made peace with each other and the first modern-day World Series was held that October. With the exception of an unsuccessful challenge by the upstart Federal League in 1914 and 1915, the two leagues have enjoyed a monopoly on major league baseball ever since.
1915 Newark Peppers of the Federal League
Federal League - 1914 - 1915
The Federal League was founded by John T. Powers in 1913 as a six team minor league. But in 1914 the F.L. expanded to eight clubs raided the A.L. and N.L. for players and declared itself to be a major league. Despite two close pennant races, (the 1915 race in which Chicago beat out St. Louis by less than one percentage point was the closest in major league history!) the F.L. folded at the end of the 1915 season due to lack of patronage.
National Association of Baseball Players
Note: The National Association of Base Ball Players which existed from 1871 to 1875 has never been officially recognized as a major league.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CLUBS
1876 - 1919
ALPHABETICAL LISTING
(Underlined team names link to team bio and photo in teams file.)
| Club Name | Association | Year |
| Altoona Mountain Citys | Union Association | 1884 |
| Baltimore Monumentals | Union Association | 1884 |
| Baltimore Orioles | American Association National League American League |
1882 - 1891 1892 - 1899 1901 - 1902 |
| Baltimore Terrapins | Federal League | 1914 - 1915 |
| Boston National League Franchise | Nicknamed: | |
|
Red Caps Beaneaters Doves Rustlers Braves |
(1876-1882) (1883-1906) (1907-1910) (1911) (1912-1952) |
| Boston Reds | Union Association Players League American Association |
1884 1890 1891 |
| Boston Red Sox | American League | 1901 - Present |
| Brooklyn Hartfords | National League | 1877 |
| Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers | American Association | 1884 - 1889 |
| Brooklyn Gladiators | American Association | 1890 |
| Brooklyn Wonders | Players League | 1890 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | National League | 1890 - 1957 |
| Brooklyn Tip-Tops | Federal League | 1914 - 1915 |
| Buffalo Bisons | National League Players League |
1879 - 1885 1890 |
| Buffalo Blues | Federal League | 1914 -1915 |
| Chicago White Stockings | Colts - Orphans - Cubs National League |
1876 - Present |
| Chicago Browns | Union Association | 1884 |
| Chicago Pirates | Players League | 1890 |
| Chicago White Sox | American League | 1901 - Present |
| Chicago Whales | Federal League | 1914 - 1915 |
| Cincinnati Reds | National League American Association National League |
1876 - 1880 1882 - 1889 1890 - Present |
| Cincinnati Outlaw Reds | Union Association | 1884 |
| Cincinnati Porkers | American Association | 1891 |
| Cleveland Blues | National League American Association |
1879 - 1884 1887 - 1888 |
| Cleveland Spiders | National League | 1889 - 1899 |
| Cleveland Infants | Players League | 1890 |
| Cleveland Indians | American League | 1901 - Present |
| Columbus Colts | American Association American Association |
1883 - 1884 1889 - 1891 |
| Detroit Wolverines | National League | 1881 - 1888 |
| Detroit Tigers | American League | 1901- Present |
| Hartford Dark Blues | National League | 1876 |
| Indianapolis Blues | National League American Association |
1878 1884 |
| Indianapolis Hoosiers | National League Federal League |
1887 - 1889 1914 |
| Kansas City Unions | Union Association | 1884 |
| Kansas City Cowboys | National League | 1886 |
| Kansas City Blues | American Association | 1888 - 1889 |
| Kansas City Packers | Federal League | 1914 - 1915 |
| Louisville Grays | National League | 1876 - 1877 |
| Louisville Colonels | American Association National League |
1882 - 1891 1892 - 1899 |
| Milwaukee Grays | National League Union Association |
1878 1884 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | American Association American League |
1891 1901 |
| Newark Peppers | Federal League | 1915 |
| New York Mutuals | National League | 1876 |
| New York Metropolitans | American Association | 1883 - 1887 |
| New York Giants | National League | 1883 - 1957 |
| New York Players League Giants | Players League | 1890 |
| New York Yankees | American League | 1903 - Present |
| Philadelphia Athletics | National League American Association American League |
1876 1882 - 1891 1901 - 1954 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | National League | 1883 - Present |
| Philadelphia Keystones | Union Association | 1884 |
| Philadelphia Quakers | Players League | 1890 |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys | American Association | 1882 - 1886 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | National League | 1887 - Present |
| Pittsburgh Stogies | Union Association | 1884 |
| Pittsburgh Burghers | Players League | 1890 |
| Pittsburgh Rebels | Federal League | 1914 - 1915 |
| Providence Grays | National League | 1878 - 1885 |
| Richmond Virginias | American Association | 1884 |
| Rochester Hop Bitters | American Association | 1890 |
| St. Louis Browns | National League American Association American League |
1876 - 1877 1882 - 1891 1902 - 1953 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | National League | 1892 - Present |
| St. Louis Maroons | Union Association National League |
1884 1885 - 1886 |
| St. Louis Terriers | Federal League | 1914 - 1915 |
| St. Paul Saints | Union Association | 1884 |
| Syracuse Stars | National League American Association |
1879 1890 |
| Toledo Blue Stockings | American Association | 1884 |
| Toledo Maumees | American Association | 1890 |
| Troy Trojans | National League | 1879 - 1882 |
| Washington Nationals | American Association | 1884 |
| Washington Nationals | Union Association | 1884 |
| Washington Senators | National League American Association National League American League |
1886 - 1889 1891 1892 - 1899 1901 - 1960 |
| Wilmington Quicksteps | Union Association | 1884 |
| Worcester Ruby Legs | National League | 1880 - 1882 |