American Association (19th century)
Encyclopedia
The American Association (AA) was a Major League Baseball
league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League
(NL) for dominance of professional baseball. Together with the NL, the AA participated in an early version of the World Series
seven times.
Living "down" to those expectations, the AA offered cheaper ticket prices and more liberal libations to its patrons. On November 8, 1881, at the Gibson House
in Cincinnati, it was decided that individual teams in the newly formed league would operate its own affairs and setting its own admission prices, under an agreement called the guarantee system. The NL at that time prohibited the sale of alcohol on its grounds, while the AA had no such restrictions, especially as several of its teams were backed by breweries and distilleries. The AA became known as "The Beer and Whiskey League", another pejorative term applied by NL supporters, and which did not seem to bother the fans of the Association's clubs.
Beginning in 1884 and continuing through 1890, the champion of the AA met the champion of the National League in an early version of the World Series
. These early Series were less organized than the modern version, with as few as three games played and as many as fifteen, and the contests of 1885 and 1890 ending in disputed ties. The NL won four of these Series, while the AA won only one, in when the St. Louis Browns
(now Cardinals) defeated the Chicago White Stockings
(now Cubs).
Over its lifetime, the AA was weakened by several factors. One was the tendency of some of its teams to jump to the NL. The consistently stronger NL was in better position to survive adverse conditions. The most significant blow to the AA was dealt by the Players' League
, a third major league formed in , which siphoned off talent and gate receipts. In a rare historical oddity, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms
(now the Los Angeles Dodgers) won the league's championship and represented the AA in the World's Series, switched to the NL during the off-season, and then repeated the same feat.
The living legacy of the old Association is the group of teams that came over to the National League to stay. The Pirates moved to the NL after the 1886 season, the Bridegrooms/Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds
after the 1889 season, and the Browns/Cardinals after the American Association folded following the 1891 season. Following the reorganization and contraction of the NL from 12 teams down to 8 in 1900, half of the eight surviving teams were former members of the AA. Several of the AA's home-field venues survived into the 1960s: The ballpark used by the 1891 Washington club evolved into Griffith Stadium
; the home of the St. Louis Browns, Sportsman's Park
; and the city block occupied by the Reds, which evolved into Crosley Field
. Crosley was the last physical remnant of the AA to go, other than the clubs themselves, when it was replaced by Riverfront Stadium in mid-1970.
Two of the teams that switched over from the American Association to the National League after the AA folded following the 1891 Season, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals, have posted more than 10,000 lifetime major league victories. However, in August 2009, the Cardinals' organization stated that 700+ victories posted by the Cardinals while they were members of the AA would be stricken from their records because they felt that only victories accumulated after the team joined the National League should count. There is, however, a movement afoot to have the team reconsider that position.
, the Washington Senators, and the Louisville Colonels
, as well as the NL's Cleveland Spiders
, were dropped by the National League. That effort was ended with the emergence of the American League
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(NL) for dominance of professional baseball. Together with the NL, the AA participated in an early version of the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
seven times.
History
The American Association distinguished itself in several ways from what it considered to be the puritanical National League. The new league established teams in what the NL leaders pejoratively called "river cities", including Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville and St. Louis, with the inherent implication of lower morality or social standards in those cities.Living "down" to those expectations, the AA offered cheaper ticket prices and more liberal libations to its patrons. On November 8, 1881, at the Gibson House
Gibson House (Cincinnati)
The Gibson House was a well-known and well-regarded hotel, the precursor of the Hotel Gibson. The Gibson House was located on Main St. between 4th & 5th until the 1970s....
in Cincinnati, it was decided that individual teams in the newly formed league would operate its own affairs and setting its own admission prices, under an agreement called the guarantee system. The NL at that time prohibited the sale of alcohol on its grounds, while the AA had no such restrictions, especially as several of its teams were backed by breweries and distilleries. The AA became known as "The Beer and Whiskey League", another pejorative term applied by NL supporters, and which did not seem to bother the fans of the Association's clubs.
Beginning in 1884 and continuing through 1890, the champion of the AA met the champion of the National League in an early version of the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. These early Series were less organized than the modern version, with as few as three games played and as many as fifteen, and the contests of 1885 and 1890 ending in disputed ties. The NL won four of these Series, while the AA won only one, in when the St. Louis Browns
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(now Cardinals) defeated the Chicago White Stockings
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(now Cubs).
Over its lifetime, the AA was weakened by several factors. One was the tendency of some of its teams to jump to the NL. The consistently stronger NL was in better position to survive adverse conditions. The most significant blow to the AA was dealt by the Players' League
Players League
The Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, popularly known as the Players' League , was a short-lived but star-studded professional American baseball league of the 19th century...
, a third major league formed in , which siphoned off talent and gate receipts. In a rare historical oddity, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(now the Los Angeles Dodgers) won the league's championship and represented the AA in the World's Series, switched to the NL during the off-season, and then repeated the same feat.
The living legacy of the old Association is the group of teams that came over to the National League to stay. The Pirates moved to the NL after the 1886 season, the Bridegrooms/Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
after the 1889 season, and the Browns/Cardinals after the American Association folded following the 1891 season. Following the reorganization and contraction of the NL from 12 teams down to 8 in 1900, half of the eight surviving teams were former members of the AA. Several of the AA's home-field venues survived into the 1960s: The ballpark used by the 1891 Washington club evolved into Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had been built on the same site in 1891...
; the home of the St. Louis Browns, Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From...
; and the city block occupied by the Reds, which evolved into Crosley Field
Crosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
. Crosley was the last physical remnant of the AA to go, other than the clubs themselves, when it was replaced by Riverfront Stadium in mid-1970.
Two of the teams that switched over from the American Association to the National League after the AA folded following the 1891 Season, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals, have posted more than 10,000 lifetime major league victories. However, in August 2009, the Cardinals' organization stated that 700+ victories posted by the Cardinals while they were members of the AA would be stricken from their records because they felt that only victories accumulated after the team joined the National League should count. There is, however, a movement afoot to have the team reconsider that position.
Revival effort
During the offseason of 1900, there was an effort to revive the American Association after three of the four AA teams that had been taken in by the National League in 1892, the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
, the Washington Senators, and the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
, as well as the NL's Cleveland Spiders
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
, were dropped by the National League. That effort was ended with the emergence of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
.
Pennant winners of the AA
- 1882 Cincinnati Red StockingsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
- 1883 Philadelphia AthleticsPhiladelphia Athletics (American Association)The Philadelphia Athletics were a professional baseball team, one of six charter members of the American Association, a 19th-century major league, which began play in 1882 as a rival to the National League. The other teams were the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Eclipse of...
- 1884 New York MetropolitansNew York MetropolitansThe Metropolitan Club was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887...
(lost World Series, 3-0 to Providence NL) - 1885 St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(tied World Series, 3-3-1 with Chicago NL) - 1886 St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(won World Series 4-2 over Chicago NL) - 1887 St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(lost World Series 10-5 to Detroit NL) - 1888 St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(lost World Series 6-2 to New York NL) - 1889 Brooklyn BridegroomsLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(lost World Series 6-3 to New York NL) - 1890 Louisville ColonelsLouisville ColonelsThe Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
(tied World Series 3-3-1 with Brooklyn NL) - 1891 Boston Reds
American Association franchises
| Franchise | Franchise name with all official nicknames |
| Years | Years that the franchise were active in the AA |
| Home-field | The home-field ballpark Baseball park A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating... (s) in which the franchise played |
| Titles | How many league titles the franchise won in the AA |
| † | Franchise later joined the National League National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional... |
| § | Franchise transferred in from the Players' League |
| Franchise | Years | Home-field | Titles | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles Baltimore Orioles (19th century) The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897... † |
1882–1891 | Newington Park Newington Park Newington Park was a baseball grounds in Baltimore, Maryland. It was home to the Lord Baltimore baseball club of the National Association from 1872 to 1874 and to the Baltimore Orioles of the American Association for the 1882 season. There are apparently no surviving photographs of the grounds... /Oriole Park I, II, III Oriole Park Oriole Park is the name of several former major league and minor league baseball parks in Baltimore, Maryland.It is also half the name of the current home of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League, its full name being Oriole Park at Camden Yards.... |
0 | ||
| Cincinnati Red Stockings Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890.... † |
1882–1889 | Bank Street Grounds Bank Street Grounds The Bank Street Grounds is a former baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The park was home to three major league baseball teams. The first National League Cincinnati Reds club in 1880, the current Cincinnati Reds franchise from 1882 to 1883 and the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds of the Union... /League Park I League Park (Cincinnati) League Park was a Major League baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1884 through 1901.... |
1 | This franchise currently exists as the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Louisville Colonels Louisville Colonels The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels... † |
1882–1899 | Eclipse Park I | 1 | ||
| Philadelphia Athletics Philadelphia Athletics (American Association) The Philadelphia Athletics were a professional baseball team, one of six charter members of the American Association, a 19th-century major league, which began play in 1882 as a rival to the National League. The other teams were the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Eclipse of... |
1882–1890 | Oakdale Park Oakdale Park Oakdale Park is a former baseball field located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The field was home to the Philadelphia Athletics in their first season of the American Association in 1882... /Jefferson Street Grounds Jefferson Street Grounds Jefferson Street Grounds was a baseball field located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was also known as Jefferson Park and Athletics Park. It was home to the Philadelphia Athletics from 1871 to 1876, five seasons in the... |
1 | ||
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys/Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions... † |
1882–1886 | Exposition Park I, II Exposition Park (Pittsburgh) Exposition Park was a baseball park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1890 to circa 1915. It was located on the north side of the Allegheny River across from Pittsburgh's downtown area. Prior to the construction of this version of Exposition Park, two previous ballparks of the same name were... /Recreation Park Recreation Park (Pittsburgh) Recreation Park, originally known as Union Park, was a stadium located in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, before its 1907 annexation into the city of Pittsburgh, in the latter 19th century to the early 20th century. It was the first official home to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League... |
0 | This franchise currently exists as the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| St. Louis Brown Stockings/Browns St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... † |
1882–1891 | Sportsman's Park I Sportsman's Park Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From... |
4 | This franchise currently exists as the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Columbus Buckeyes Columbus Buckeyes (AA) The Columbus Buckeyes were a baseball team in the American Association from 1883 to 1884. In two seasons they won 101 games and lost 104 for a winning percentage of .493. Their home games were played at Recreation Park in Columbus, Ohio.... |
1883–1884 | Recreation Park I Recreation Park (Columbus) Recreation Park is a former baseball ground located in Columbus, Ohio, USA. The ground was home to the Columbus Buckeyes of the American Association for the 1883 and 1884 seasons as well as the Columbus Solons from 1889 to 1891.... |
0 | ||
| New York Metropolitans New York Metropolitans The Metropolitan Club was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887... |
1883–1887 | Polo Grounds I Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963... /Metropolitan Park/St. George Cricket Grounds St. George Cricket Grounds St. George Cricket Grounds or "St. George Grounds" is a former baseball ground located on Staten Island, New York, USA. St. George was the home park for the New York Metropolitans of the American Association for the 1886 and 1887 seasons... |
1 | ||
| Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays/Bridegrooms Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... † |
1884–1889 | Washington Park/Ridgewood Park II | 1 | This franchise currently exists as the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Indianapolis Hoosiers | 1884 | Seventh Street Park I/Bruce Grounds Bruce Grounds Bruce Grounds or Bruce Park is a former baseball ground located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The ground was home to the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the American Association in 1884. It was also used for Sunday games by the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the National League in 1887.The ballfield was located at... |
0 | ||
| Richmond Virginia(n)s Richmond Virginians (1884) The Richmond Virginians was a major league baseball team that played in the American Association in 1884. They had a record of 12 wins and 30 losses after replacing the Washington Statesmen, who had dropped out of the league. The Virginians were managed by Felix Moses and played their home games in... |
1884 | Allen Pasture Allen Pasture Allen Pasture is a former Baseball ground located in Richmond, Virginia, USA. The ground was home to the Richmond Virginians of the American Association in 1884.... |
0 | ||
| Toledo Blue Stockings Toledo Blue Stockings The Toledo Blue Stockings formed as a minor league baseball team in Toledo, Ohio in 1883. They won the Northwestern League championship in 1883. Their home ballpark was League Park.... |
1884 | League Park League Park (Toledo) League Park is a former baseball ground located in Toledo, Ohio, USA. The ground was home to the Toledo Blue Stockings baseball club of the then-major American Association from May 14, 1884 to September 23, 1884... |
0 | ||
| Washington Nationals Washington Nationals (AA) The Washington Nationals of 1884 were a short-lived baseball team in the American Association. They won 12 games and lost 51. Their home games were played at Athletic Park in Washington, D.C. They are also known as the Washington Statesmen.... |
1884 | Athletic Park Athletic Park (Washington) Athletic Park is a former baseball ground located in Washington, D.C. The ground was home to the Washington Nationals aka "Statesmen", of the American Association in 1884.... |
0 | ||
| Cleveland Spiders Cleveland Spiders The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :... † |
1887–1889 | Kennard Street Park | 0 | ||
| Kansas City Cowboys Kansas City Cowboys (American Association) The Kansas City Cowboys were a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri for two seasons from to in the American Association. They were the third, and last incarnation of this franchise name, following the Kansas City Cowboys of the Union Association in and the Kansas City... |
1888–1889 | Association Park Association Park Association Park is a former baseball ground located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. The ground was home to the Kansas City Cowboys of the National League for the 1886 season. It was located on Prospect Avenue between Olive Street and 18th Street. Blues Park is on the grounds now.-External links:*... /Exposition Park Exposition Park (Kansas City) Exposition Park is a former Baseball ground located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. The ground was home to the Kansas City Cowboys of the American Association for the 1888 and 1889 seasons.The stadium was also home to other Kansas City teams:... |
0 | ||
| Columbus Solons Columbus Solons The Columbus Solons were a baseball team in the American Association from 1889 to 1891. In three seasons, they won 200 games and lost 209 for a winning percentage of .489. Their home games were played at Recreation Park in Columbus, Ohio.... |
1889–1891 | Recreation Park II Recreation Park (Columbus) Recreation Park is a former baseball ground located in Columbus, Ohio, USA. The ground was home to the Columbus Buckeyes of the American Association for the 1883 and 1884 seasons as well as the Columbus Solons from 1889 to 1891.... |
0 | ||
| Brooklyn Gladiators Brooklyn Gladiators The Brooklyn Gladiators were a Major League Baseball team in the American Association during the 1890 season. They finished ninth and last in the league with a 26-73 record.... |
1890 | Ridgewood Park II/Polo Grounds III Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963... |
0 | ||
| Rochester Broncos/Hop Bitters Rochester Broncos The Rochester Broncos were a short-lived baseball team in the American Association, playing only one season, 1890. They finished fifth in the league with a record of 63-63... |
1890 | Culver Field I Culver Field Culver Field is a former Baseball ground located in Rochester, New York. Located at the northwest corner of University and Culver, Culver Field was home of the Rochester Broncos from 1886 until it burned down in 1892. Re-built for the 1898 season, the new Culver Field played host to the newly named... /Polo Grounds III Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963... |
0 | ||
| Syracuse Stars | 1890 | Star Park II Star Park Star Park is a former baseball ground located in Syracuse, New York. The ground was home to the Syracuse Stars from 1885 to 1899 and from 1902 to 1904. It was also the home of the Syracuse Pros football team, who were possible members of the American Professional Football Association , in 1921.... |
0 | ||
| Toledo Maumees Toledo Maumees The Toledo Maumees were originally formed in 1888. The team was based in Toledo, Ohio and formed part of the Tri-State League for one season. Their home games were played at Speranza Park in Toledo.... |
1890 | Speranza Park Speranza Park Speranza Park is a former baseball ground located in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The ground was home to the Toledo Maumees of the American Association during the 1890 season.... |
0 | ||
| Boston Reds§ | 1891 | Congress Street Grounds Congress Street Grounds Congress Street Grounds is a former baseball ground located in Boston, Massachusetts. The ballpark, as the name implies, was along Congress Street, near the intersection of Thompson Place, and not far from the Fort Point Channel on South Boston Flats, a newly filled in piece of land on Boston Harbor... |
1 | Transferred from the Players' League after 1890 season | |
| Cincinnati Kelly's Killers | 1891 | East End Park East End Park (Cincinnati) East End Park is a former major league baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The ballpark, which is also known to baseball historians as Pendleton Park, was home to the Cincinnati Reds of the American Association during the 1891 baseball season... |
1 | Also referred to as the Reds and the Porkers | |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 1891 | Athletic Park Borchert Field Borchert Field was a baseball park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was the home field for several professional baseball clubs for most of the years from 1888 through 1952.... |
0 | ||
| Philadelphia Athletics Philadelphia Quakers/Athletics (PL/AA) The Philadelphia Athletics were a short-lived Major League Baseball franchise that existed for two seasons from to . Known alternatively as the Philadelphia Quakers, and sometimes informally as "Buffinton's Beauties", they played their first season in the newly created Players' League of ,... § |
1891 | Forepaugh Park Forepaugh Park Forepaugh Park was a baseball ground located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at Broad and Dauphin Streets in North Philadelphia. The ground was home to the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association, and the Philadelphia Quakers of the Players League in 1890.The location was named for Adam... |
0 | Transferred from the Players' League after 1890 season | |
| Washington Senators† | 1891 | Boundary Field Boundary Field Boundary Field is a former baseball ground located in Washington, D.C. located on a larger block bounded approximately by Georgia Avenue, 5th Street, W Street and Florida Avenue, NW... |
0 |
Timeline
- The 1884 Washington Statesmen were replaced during the season by the Richmond Virginians.
- For the 1891 season, the Philadelphia Athletics were replaced by the Philadelphia Quakers of the Player's League.
- The 1891 Cincinnati Kelly's Killers folded during the season and were replaced by the Milwaukee Brewers.
- 1882-AA forms with six teams
- 1883-AA expands to eight teams
- 1884-AA expands to twelve teams in response to Union AssociationUnion AssociationThe Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
threat - 1885-AA returns to eight teams
- 1887-Allegheny ("Pittsburgh Alleghenys") leave AA to join NL
- 1889-Cleveland Spiders leave AA to join NL
- 1890-Cincinnati Red Stockings and Brooklyn Bridegrooms leave AA to join NL
- 1892-Baltimore Orioles, Louisville Colonels, St.Louis Browns, and Washington Senators join National League after the folding of the AA
AA presidents
- H.D. McKnightDenny McKnightHarmar Denny McKnight was the founding owner of the Allegheny Baseball Club of Pittsburgh in anticipation of playing in the new American Association. He founded the club on October 15, . The club then became known as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys...
(1882-85) - Wheeler C. Wyckoff (1886-89)
- Zach Phelps (1890)
- Allan W. ThurmanAllan W. ThurmanAllan W. Thurman was President of the Ohio Board of Administration in 1912. He was president of the American Association in 1890 and 1891 where he was known as "The White Winged Angel of Peace"...
(1890-91) - Louis Kramer (1891)
- Ed Renau (1891)
- Zach Phelps (1891)