Baseball in the 19th Century

The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP), also called the National Association (NA) was founded in 1871 and lasted through the 1875 season. Although there is some dispute, many consider this the first professional baseball league.

The league featured the highest caliber of player during this time, even though Major League Baseball does not classify it as one of the recognized historical major leagues.

A team based out of Boston with the nickname Red Stockings were dominate during these years and many think it's because of this dominance that the league folded in 1875. Only the Philadelphia Athletics in the league first year, 1871, other than Boston won a championship.

Member Clubs
* Boston - Boston Red Stockings (1871-1875)
* Chicago - Chicago White Stockings (1871; 1874-1875)
* Forest City - Cleveland Forest Citys (1871-1872)
* Kekionga - Fort Wayne Kekiongas (1871)
* Mutual - New York Mutuals (1871-1875)
* Athletic - Philadelphia Athletics (1871-1875)
* Forest City - Rockford Forest Citys (1871) (A second league club with the same name as the Cleveland entry)
* Troy - Troy Haymakers (1871-1872)
* Olympic - Washington Olympics (1871-1872)
* Atlantic - Brooklyn Atlantics (1872-1875)
* Eckford - Brooklyn Eckfords (1872)
* Lord Baltimore - Baltimore Canaries (1872-1874)
* Mansfield - Middletown Mansfields (1872)
* National - Washington Nationals (1872-1873; 1875) Washington Blue Legs (1873)
* Maryland - Baltimore Marylands (1873) (played at Madison Avenue Grounds)
* Philadelphia - Philadelphia White Stockings (1873-1875) (also sometimes called "Pearls" or "Phillies")
* Resolute - Elizabeth Resolutes (1873)
* Hartford - Hartford Dark Blues (1874-1875)
* Centennial - Philadelphia Centennials (1875)
* Elm City - New Haven Elm Citys (1875)
* St. Louis - St. Louis Brown Stockings (1875)
* St. Louis Reds - St. Louis Red Stockings (1875)
* Western - Keokuk Westerns (1875)

It was common during this period for teams to just be known by their nickname and not always with their city.

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs or simply the National League was formed after the 1875 season of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players. The NA was a league with the a weak central authority. William Hilbert, a Chicago business man, who was associated with the Chicago Whire Stockings, proposed a league that had a stronger central authority. On February 2, 1876, the National League was established with eight charter members, six teams from the National Association plus two new members.

* Chicago White Stockings from the N.A. (now the Chicago Cubs)
* Philadelphia Athletics from the N.A. (expelled after the 1876 season)
* Boston Red Stockings, the dominant team in the N.A. (now the Atlanta Braves)
* Hartford Dark Blues from the N.A. (folded after the 1877 season)
* Mutual of New York from the N.A. (expelled after the 1876 season)
* St. Louis Brown Stockings (Browns) from the N.A. (folded after the 1877 season, having committed to Louisville stars for 1878)
* Cincinnati Red Stockings, a new franchise, unrelated to the team by the same name that folded in 1870 (expelled after the 1880 season)
* Louisville Grays, a new franchise (folded after the 1877 season when four players were banned for gambling)

By the end of the 1870s, some cities felt as if they were being squeezed due to some of the rules that had been incorporated by the National League. Attendance to the games were 50 cents, while some felt that a quarter was a better prices. Also the National League did not allow Sunday games and a rule that did not allow beer to be sold.

In 1882 a new League, the American Association was formed.

Franchises
Baltimore Orioles (1882-1891)
Cincinnati Red Stockings (1882-1889) (Now the Cincinnati Reds of the National League)
Eclipse of Louisville (1882-1884)
Louisville Colonels (1885-1891)
Philadelphia Athletics (1882-1890)
Pittsburgh Alleghenys (1882-1886) (Now the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League)
St. Louis Brown Stockings (Browns) (1882-1891) (Now the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League)
Columbus Buckeyes (1883-1884)
New York Metropolitans (1883-1887)
Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays/Bridegrooms (1884-1889) (Now the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League)
Indianapolis Hoosiers (1884) (played at Seventh Street Park and Bruce Grounds)
Richmond Virginians (1884) (played at Allen Pasture)
Toledo Blue Stockings (1884)
Washington Statesmen (1884) (played at Athletic Park)
Cleveland Spiders (1887-1888)
Kansas City Cowboys (1888-1889)
Columbus Solons (1889-1891) (played at Recreation Park)
Brooklyn Gladiators (1890)
Rochester Broncos (1890)
Syracuse Stars (1890) (games played at Star Park)
Toledo Maumees (1890)
Boston Reds (1891)
Cincinnati Kelly's Killers (1891)
Milwaukee Brewers (1891) (played at Borchert Field)
Philadelphia Athletics (1891) (formerly the Philadelphia Quakers of the Players League, played at Forepaugh Park)
Washington Statesmen (1891) (played at Boundary Field)

The two leagues even decided to play an end of the year series against the league's best team. These series could be called the first World Series. The National League won all but one of the series.

Pennant winners of the AA
1882 Cincinnati Red Stockings
1883 Philadelphia Athletics
1884 New York Metropolitans (lost World Series, 3-0 to Providence NL)
1885 St. Louis Browns (tied World Series, 3-3-1 with Chicago NL)
1886 St. Louis Browns (won World Series 4-2 over Chicago NL)
1887 St. Louis Browns (lost World Series 10-5 to Detroit NL)
1888 St. Louis Browns (lost World Series 6-2 to New York NL)
1889 Brooklyn Bridegrooms (lost World Series 6-3 to New York NL)
1890 Louisville Colonels (tied World Series 3-3-1 with Brooklyn NL)
1891 Boston Reds

The two leagues merged in 1892.

When the National League and the American Association merged in 1892, the National League became a twelve team league with the teams:

Baltimore Orioles joined from A.A. in 1892
Boston Beaneaters (now the Atlanta Braves), N.L. charter member, originated in N.A.
Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers), joined from A.A. in 1890
Chicago White Stockings or Colts (now the Chicago Cubs), N.L. charter member, originated in N.A.
Cincinnati Reds, joined from A.A. in 1890
Cleveland Spiders, joined from A.A. in 1889
Louisville Colonels, joined from A.A. in 1892
New York Giants (now the San Francisco Giants), enfranchised 1883
Philadelphia Phillies, enfranchised 1883
Pittsburgh Pirates, joined from A.A. in 1887
St. Louis Browns (now the St. Louis Cardinals), joined from A.A. in 1892
Washington Senators, joined from A.A. in 1892

At the end of the 1899 season and the end of the 19th Century, the National League decided to contract, dropping four clubs: the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Spiders, Louisville Colonels, and Washington Senators.

This left the "classic eight" teams of the National League. All eight teams still exist today, although not all are still in the cities in which they were established.

Boston Beaneaters (Atlanta Braves - moving first to Milwaukee and then to Atlanta)
Brooklyn Superbas (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Chicago Orphans (Chicago Cubs)
Cincinnati Reds
New York Giants (San Francisco Giants)
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Perfectos (St. Louis Cardinals)

A team called the Cincinnati Red Stocking in 1869 was the first openly all-professional team. This team disbanded after the 1870 season.

In 1876 a new Cincinnati Red Stocking team was one of the charter members of the National League, but was expelled from the league in 1880 for violating rules.

In 1882 a rival league to the National League, the American Association began play with the Cincinnati Red Stockings as one of its team.

They left that league to join the National League in 1890 dropping the Stockings from their name becoming the Cincinnati Reds.

The Chicago Cubs began playing professional baseball in 1871 in the old National Association as the Chicago White Stockings.

The Chicago Fire prevented them from playing again until 1874.

They were one of the Charter members of the National League that began play in 1876.

They are the only team to play continuously in the same city since the National League was founded.

In 1890 they adopted the name Colts, Orphans in 1898 and the Cubs in 1902.