American Association (19th century)

Information about American Association (19th century)

''This article refers to the former major league that existed from 1882 to 1891. For the minor league, which existed from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997, see American Association (20th century). For the independent league, which started play in 2006, see American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

American Association (19th century)
SportBaseball
Founded1882
No. of teams25 (total)
12 (at peak)
Country(ies) United States
Ceased1891
Last champion(s)Boston Reds
The American Association (AA) was a baseball major league from 1882 to 1891. During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball. Together with the National League, the American Association participated in an early version of the World Series seven times during their ten-year coexistence. The National League won most of those encounters, while some ended in ties due to disputes or other issues. The only victory for the American Association came in 1886 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 also put it 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 1890, which siphoned off talent and gate receipts.

In a unique historical oddity, Brooklyn represented the AA in the 1889 World's Series, switched leagues in the off-season, and represented the NL in 1890. Brooklyn lost the 1889 Series, and the 1890 Series ended in a 3-3-1 draw, left unresolved due to growing animosity between the leagues.

The living legacy of the old Association is the teams that came over to the National League to stay, the teams now known as the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.

"Beer and Whiskey League"

The American Association offered cheaper ticket prices and more liberal libations to its patrons, and became known as "The Beer and Whiskey League", especially by supporters of the National League, in reference to the fact that many of its biggest backers were breweries and distilleries. The NL at that time prohibited the sale of alcohol on its grounds.

Coincidentally, and also ironically given the Association's derisive nickname, "AA" is now more widely known as the abbreviation for Alcoholics Anonymous.

Pennant winners of the AA

American Association franchises

Timeline

  • 1882-AA forms with six teams
  • 1883-AA expands to eight teams
  • 1884-AA expands to twelve teams in response to Union Association 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. McKnight 1882-1885
  • Wheeler C. Wyckoff 1886-1889
  • Zach Phelps 1890
  • Louis Kramer 1891
  • Ed Renau 1891
  • Zach Phelps 1891

References and external links

  • "American Association Remembered", MLB.com
  • Nemec, David (2004). The Beer and Whisky League : The Illustrated History of the American Association—Baseball's Renegade Major League. Guilford: The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-59228-188-5. 
  • Pietrusza, David (1991). The Formation, Sometimes Absorption and Mostly Inevitable Demise of 18 Professional Baseball Organizations, 1871 to Present. Jefferson (NC): McFarland & Company. ISBN 0-89950-590-2. 
Professional Baseball Leagues
American Association was a minor baseball league at the Class AAA (Triple-A) level of baseball in the United States from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997. Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the best team in minor league
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''This article refers to the modern American Association that started in 2006. For the major league, which existed from 1882 to 1891, see American Association (19th century).
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1882 1883 1884 1885

18th century · 19th century · 20th century
1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 
1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885


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Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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1891 1892 1893 1894

18th century · 19th century · 20th century
1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 
1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894


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Cincinnati Reds Established 1869

Team Logo Cap Insignia

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Philadelphia Athletics were 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.
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The Metropolitan Club (the New York Metropolitans or the Mets) was a 19th century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887. Metropolitan Baseball Club of New York
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St. Louis Cardinals Established 1882

Team Logo Cap Insignia
Major league affiliations
  • National League (1892–present)
  • Central Division (1994–present)

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Los Angeles Dodgers Established 1883 Based in Los Angeles since 1958

Team Logo Cap Insignia
Major league affiliations
  • National League (1890–present)

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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
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The Boston Reds were a 19th century baseball team located in Boston, Massachusetts that played in the Players League in 1890 and in the American Association in 1891. They played in the Congress Street Grounds in the 1890s.
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18th century - 19th century - 20th century
1850s  1860s  1870s  - 1880s -  1890s  1900s  1910s
1879 1880 1881 - 1882 - 1883 1884 1885

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Subjects:     Archaeology - Architecture -
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18th century - 19th century - 20th century
1860s  1870s  1880s  - 1890s -  1900s  1910s  1920s
1888 1889 1890 - 1891 - 1892 1893 1894

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Subjects:     Archaeology - Architecture -
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The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League, is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league.
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The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League, is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league.
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World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball and the culmination of the sport's postseason each October. Since the Series takes place in mid-autumn, sportswriters many years ago dubbed the event the "Fall Classic". The St.
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18th century - 19th century - 20th century
1850s  1860s  1870s  - 1880s -  1890s  1900s  1910s
1883 1884 1885 - 1886 - 1887 1888 1889

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St. Louis Cardinals Established 1882

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Major league affiliations
  • National League (1892–present)
  • Central Division (1994–present)

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Chicago Cubs Established 1876

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Major league affiliations
  • National League (1876–present)
  • Central Division (1994–present)

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The Players League was a short-lived but star-studded professional American baseball league of the 19th century which has since been ruled to be one of six leagues officially recognized as major leagues.
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The following are the baseball events of the year 1890 throughout the world.   This year in baseball
2000s
2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005
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The following are the baseball events of the year 1889 throughout the world.   This year in baseball
2000s
2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005
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Pittsburgh Pirates Established 1882

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Major league affiliations
  • National League (1887–present)
  • Central Division (1994–present)

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Cincinnati Reds Established 1869

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Los Angeles Dodgers Established 1883 Based in Los Angeles since 1958

Team Logo Cap Insignia
Major league affiliations
  • National League (1890–present)

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St. Louis Cardinals Established 1882

Team Logo Cap Insignia
Major league affiliations
  • National League (1892–present)
  • Central Division (1994–present)

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Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an informal society for recovering alcoholics.[1] Members meet in local groups that vary in size from a handful to many hundreds of individuals.
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