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American Association (19th Century)
From BR Bullpen
The first American Association ran from 1882 to 1891 and is considered a major league. It was founded as a cheaper alternative to the National League, charging 25 cents admission usually instead of the 50 cents common in the NL. Additionally, Sunday baseball was allowed and beer was served in the stands, both a contrast with the tighter-laced NL. The AA placed teams in Cincinnati (deserted by the NL due to its love of Sunday ball and beer) and other huge non-NL cities like New York and Philadelphia.
The AA quickly became competitive with the NL, achieving something akin to parity within a few years. Charles Comiskey, player/manager of the St. Louis Browns in the AA led his team to four consecutive league titles - 1885 through 1888 - also winning the AA's only World Series crown in 1886.The league couldn't keep pace - internal squabbles and NL pressure kept sending AA teams over to the older rival; Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, New York, Brooklyn and Philadelphia all broke from the league by 1890, leaving it in mostly second-tier cities like Columbus, Louisville or Toledo. By 1890, the AA was not even the 2nd-best major league, ranking behind the Players League and NL. When numerous AA stars began making promises to sign with NL clubs in 1892, the AA stopped its challenge and merged with its rival, officially closing its doors on December 18, 1891. Several AA rules were put into place in the new merged league, including cheaper tickets, permitting Sunday ball where allowed by local law (and if the clubs agreed to it) and the right to sell alcohol at games. The AA pioneered the practice of awarding first base to hit batters in 1884 - the NL would not follow suit till 1888. The AA also was the first league to have paid umpires.
Contents |
[edit] Cities Represented
[edit] 1882-1891
American Association franchises
Baltimore Orioles (1882-1891)
Boston Reds (1891)
Brooklyn Gladiators (1890)
Brooklyn Atlantics / Brooklyn Grays / Brooklyn Bridegrooms (1884-1889)
Cincinnati Red Stockings (1882-1889)
Cincinnati (1891)
Cleveland Spiders (1887-1888)
Columbus Buckeyes (1883-1884)
Columbus Solons (1889-1891)
Indianapolis Hoosiers (1884)
Kansas City Cowboys (1888-1889)
Louisville Eclipse (1882-1884) Louisville Colonels (1885-1891)
Milwaukee Brewers (1891)
New York Metropolitans (1883-1887)
Philadelphia Athletics (1882-1891)
Pittsburgh Alleghenys (1882-1887)
Richmond Virginians (1884)
Rochester Broncos (1890)
St. Louis Brown Stockings St. Louis Browns (1882-1891)
Syracuse Stars (1890)
Toledo Blue Stockings (1884) Toledo Maumees (1890)
Washington Statesmen (1891-1894)
[edit] Teams and Statistics
[edit] 1882-1891
1882 American Association
President: Denny McKnight
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Red Stockings | 55 | 25 | .688 | - | Pop Snyder |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 41 | 34 | .547 | 11.5 | Juice Latham |
| Louisville Eclipse | 42 | 38 | .525 | 13.0 | Denny Mack |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 39 | 39 | .500 | 15.0 | Al Pratt |
| St. Louis Brown Stockings | 37 | 43 | .462 | 18.0 | Ned Cuthbert |
| Baltimore Orioles | 19 | 54 | .260 | 32.5 | Henry Myers |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Browning | Louisville | BA | .378 | Will White | Cincinnati | W | 40 | |
| Ed Swartwood | Pittsburgh | Runs | 86 | Tony Mullane | Louisville | SO | 170 | |
| Hick Carpenter | Cincinnati | Hits | 120 | Denny Driscoll | Pittsburgh | ERA | 1.21 | |
| Oscar Walker | St. Louis | HR | 7 | Will White | Cincinnati | Pct | .769; 40-12 |
1883 American Association
President: Denny McKnight
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Athletics | 66 | 32 | .673 | 0 | Lew Simmons |
| St. Louis Browns | 65 | 33 | .663 | 1 | Ted Sullivan / Charlie Comiskey |
| Cincinnati Red Stockings | 61 | 37 | .622 | 5 | Pop Snyder |
| New York Metropolitans | 54 | 42 | .563 | 11 | Jim Mutrie |
| Louisville Eclipse | 52 | 45 | .536 | 13.5 | Phil Reccius / Leech Maskrey / Joe Gerhardt |
| Columbus Senators | 32 | 65 | .330 | 33.5 | Horace Phillips |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenies | 31 | 67 | .316 | 35 | Al Pratt / Ormond Butler / Joe Battin |
| Baltimore Orioles | 28 | 68 | .292 | 37 | Billy Barnie |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Swartwood | Pittsburgh | BA | .356 | Will White | Cincinnati | W | 43 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | Runs | 110 | Tim Keefe | New York | SO | 361 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | Hits | 148 | Will White | Cincinnati | ERA | 2.09 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | HR | 14 | Tony Mullane | St. Louis | Pct | .700; 35-15 |
1884 American Association
President: Denny McKnight
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Mets | 75 | 32 | .701 | 0 | Jim Mutrie |
| Columbus Senators | 69 | 39 | .639 | 6.5 | Gus Schmelz |
| Louisville Eclipse | 68 | 40 | .630 | 7.5 | Joe Gerhardt / Mike Walsh |
| St. Louis Browns | 67 | 40 | .626 | 8 | Jimmy Williams |
| Cincinnati Reds | 68 | 41 | .624 | 8 | Will White / Pop Snyder |
| Baltimore Orioles | 63 | 43 | .594 | 11.5 | Billy Barnie |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 61 | 46 | .570 | 14 | Charlie Mason / Bill Sharsig |
| Toledo Blue Stockings | 46 | 58 | .442 | 27.5 | Charlie Morton |
| Brooklyn Atlantics | 40 | 64 | .385 | 33.5 | George Taylor |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenies | 30 | 78 | .278 | 45.5 | Battin / Creamer / McKnight / Ferguson / Phillips |
| Indianapolis Hoosiers | 29 | 78 | .271 | 46 | Jim Gifford / Bill Watkins |
| Richmond Virginians # | 12 | 30 | .286 | NA | Felix Moses |
| Washington Nationals # | 12 | 51 | .190 | NA | Holly Hollingshead |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | BA | .404 | Guy Hecker | Louisville | W | 52 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | Runs | 126 | Guy Hecker | Louisville | SO | 385 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | Hits | 179 | Jack Lynch | New York | Pct | .725; 37-14 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | HR | 11 | John Reilly | Cincinnati | HR | 11 |
1885 American Association
President: Denny McKnight
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Browns | 79 | 33 | .705 | 0 | Charlie Comiskey |
| Cincinnati Reds | 63 | 49 | .563 | 16 | O.P. Caylor |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenies | 56 | 55 | .505 | 22.5 | Horace Phillips |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 55 | 57 | .491 | 24 | Lon Knight / Charlie Mason / Bill Sharsig |
| Brooklyn Grays | 53 | 59 | .473 | 26 | Joe Doyle / Charlie Hackett / Charlie Byrne |
| Louisville Colonels | 53 | 59 | .473 | 26 | Jim Hart |
| New York Mets | 44 | 64 | .407 | 33 | Jim Gifford |
| Baltimore Orioles | 41 | 68 | .376 | 36.5 | Billy Barnie |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Browning | Louisville | BA | .362 | Bob Caruthers | St. Louis | W | 40 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | Runs | 130 | Ed Morris | Pittsburgh | SO | 298 | |
| Pete Browning | Louisville | Hits | 174 | Bob Caruthers | St. Louis | ERA | 2.07 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | HR | 13 | Bob Caruthers | St. Louis | Pct | .755; 40-13 |
1886 American Association
President: Wheeler C. Wyckoff
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Browns | 93 | 46 | .669 | 0 | Charlie Comiskey |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenies | 80 | 57 | .584 | 12 | Horace Phillips |
| Brooklyn Grays | 76 | 61 | .555 | 16 | Charlie Byrne |
| Louisville Colonels | 66 | 70 | .485 | 25.5 | Jim Hart |
| Cincinnati Reds | 65 | 73 | .471 | 27.5 | O.P. Caylor |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 63 | 72 | .467 | 28 | Lew Simmons / Bill Sharsig |
| New York Mets | 53 | 82 | .393 | 38 | Jim Gifford / Bob Ferguson |
| Baltimore Orioles | 48 | 83 | .366 | 41 | Billy Barnie |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guy Hecker | Louisville | BA | .342 | Dave Foutz | St. Louis | W | 41 | |
| Arlie Latham | St. Louis | Runs | 152 | Ed Morris | Pittsburgh | W | 41 | |
| Dave Orr | New York | Hits | 193 | Matt Kilroy | Baltimore | SO | 513 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | HR | 7 | Dave Foutz | St. Louis | ERA | 2.11 | |
| Bid McPhee | Cincinnati | HR | 7 | Dave Foutz | St. Louis | Pct | .719; 41-16 | |
| Dave Orr | New York | HR | 7 |
1887 American Association
President: Wheeler C. Wyckoff
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Browns | 95 | 40 | .704 | 0 | Charlie Comiskey |
| Cincinnati Reds | 81 | 54 | .600 | 14 | Gus Schmelz |
| Baltimore Orioles | 77 | 58 | .570 | 18 | Billy Barnie |
| Louisville Colonels | 76 | 60 | .559 | 19.5 | John Kelly |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 64 | 69 | .481 | 30 | Frank Bancroft / Bill Sharsig |
| Brooklyn Grays | 60 | 74 | .448 | 34.5 | Charlie Byrne |
| New York Mets | 44 | 89 | .331 | 50 | Bob Ferguson / Dave Orr / O.P. Caylor |
| Cleveland Blues | 39 | 92 | .298 | 54 | Jimmy Williams |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tip O'Neill | St. Louis | BA | .435 | Matt Kilroy | Baltimore | W | 46 | |
| Tip O'Neill | St. Louis | Runs | 167 | Toad Ramsey | Louisville | SO | 355 | |
| Tip O'Neill | St. Louis | Hits | 225 | Elmer Smith | Cincinnati | ERA | 2.94 | |
| Tip O'Neill | St. Louis | HR | 14 | Bob Caruthers | St. Louis | Pct | .763; 29-9 |
1888 American Association
President: Wheeler C. Wyckoff
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Browns | 92 | 43 | .681 | 0 | Charlie Comiskey |
| Brooklyn Bridegrooms | 88 | 52 | .629 | 6.5 | Bill McGunnigle |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 81 | 52 | .609 | 10 | Bill Sharsig |
| Cincinnati Reds | 80 | 54 | .597 | 11.5 | Gus Schmelz |
| Baltimore Orioles | 57 | 80 | .416 | 36 | Billy Barnie |
| Cleveland Blues | 50 | 82 | .379 | 40.5 | Jimmy Williams / Tom Loftus |
| Louisville Colonels | 48 | 87 | .356 | 44 | John Kerins / Mordecai Davidson |
| Kansas City Cowboys | 43 | 89 | .326 | 47.5 | Dave Rowe / Sam Barkley / Bill Watkins |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tip O'Neill | St. Louis | BA | .335 | Silver King | St. Louis | W | 45 | |
| George Pinkney | Brooklyn | Runs | 134 | Ed Seward | Philadelphia | SO | 272 | |
| Tip O'Neill | St. Louis | Hits | 177 | Silver King | St. Louis | ERA | 1.64 | |
| John Reilly | Cincinnati | RBI | 103 | Nat Hudson | St. Louis | Pct | .714; 25-10 | |
| John Reilly | Cincinnati | HR | 13 |
1889 American Association
President: Wheeler C. Wyckoff
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Bridegrooms | 93 | 44 | .679 | 0 | Bill McGunnigle |
| St. Louis Browns | 90 | 45 | .667 | 2 | Charlie Comiskey |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 75 | 58 | .564 | 16 | Bill Sharsig |
| Cincinnati Reds | 76 | 63 | .547 | 18 | Gus Schmelz |
| Baltimore Orioles | 70 | 65 | .519 | 22 | Billy Barnie |
| Columbus Senators | 60 | 78 | .435 | 33.5 | Al Buckenberger / Tom Loftus |
| Kansas City Cowboys | 55 | 82 | .401 | 38 | Bill Watkins |
| Louisville Colonels | 27 | 111 | .196 | 66.5 | Dude Esterbrook / Wolf / Shannon / Chapman |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Tucker | Baltimore | BA | .372 | Bob Caruthers | Brooklyn | W | 40 | |
| Mike Griffin | Baltimore | Runs | 152 | Mark Baldwin | Columbus | SO | 368 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | Runs | 152 | Jack Stivetts | St. Louis | ERA | 2.25 | |
| Tommy Tucker | Baltimore | Hits | 196 | Bob Caruthers | Brooklyn | Pct | .784; 40-11 | |
| Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | RBI | 119 | Harry Stovey | Philadelphia | HR | 19 | |
| Bug Holliday | Cincinnati | HR | 19 |
1890 American Association
President: Zach Phelps
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Colonels | 88 | 44 | .667 | 0 | 206,208 | Jack Chapman |
| Columbus Senators | 79 | 55 | .590 | 10 | NA | Al Buckenberger / Gus Schmelz |
| St. Louis Browns | 78 | 58 | .574 | 12 | 140,000 | Tommy McCarthy / Chief Roseman / Campau |
| Toledo Maumees | 68 | 64 | .515 | 20 | 70,000 | Charlie Morton |
| Rochester Hop Bitters | 63 | 63 | .500 | 22 | NA | Pat Powers |
| Syracuse Stars | 55 | 72 | .433 | 30.5 | NA | George Frazier |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 54 | 78 | .409 | 34 | 134,000 | Bill Sharsig |
| Brooklyn / Baltimore# | 41 | 92 | .308 | 47.5 | 71,500 | Dude Esterbrook / Jim Kennedy / Billy Barnie |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Wolf | Louisville | BA | .363 | Sadie McMahon | Brook/Bal/Phil | W | 36 | |
| Jim McTamany | Columbus | Runs | 140 | Sadie McMahon | Brook/Bal/Phil | SO | 291 | |
| Jimmy Wolf | Louisville | Hits | 197 | Scott Stratton | Louisville | ERA | 2.36 | |
| Count Campau | St. Louis | HR | 10 | Scott Stratton | Louisville | Pct | .708; 34-14 |
1891 American Association
Presidents:Louis Kramer / Ed Renau / Zach Phelps
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Reds | 93 | 42 | .689 | 0 | 188,000 | Arthur Irwin |
| St. Louis Browns | 86 | 52 | .623 | 8.5 | 245,000 | Charlie Comiskey |
| Baltimore Orioles | 72 | 63 | .533 | 21 | 165,000 | Billy Barnie / George Van Haltren |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 73 | 66 | .525 | 22 | 186,000 | Bill Sharsig / George Wood / Billy Barnie |
| Cincinnati / Milwaukee # | 64 | 72 | .471 | 29.5 | 119,000 | King Kelly / Charlie Cushman |
| Columbus Senators | 61 | 76 | .445 | 33 | 115,000 | Gus Schmelz |
| Louisville Colonels | 55 | 84 | .396 | 40 | 155,000 | Jack Chapman |
| Washington Senators | 43 | 92 | .319 | 50 | 123,000 | Sam Trott / Pop Snyder / Shannon / Griffin |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Brouthers | Boston | BA | .350 | Sadie McMahon | Baltimore | W | 34 | |
| Tom Brown | Boston | Runs | 177 | George Haddock | Boston | W | 34 | |
| Tom Brown | Boston | Hits | 189 | Jack Stivetts | St. Louis | SO | 259 | |
| Duke Farrell | Boston | RBI | 110 | Cannonball Crane | Cin/Mil | ERA | 2.45 | |
| Duke Farrell | Boston | HR | 12 | Charlie Buffinton | Boston | Pct | .757; 28-9 |
[edit] World Series Records
| YR | AA CHAMPION | SERIES RESULTS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | Cincinnati Red Stockings | No Series | |
| 1883 | Philadelphia Athletics | No Series | |
| 1884 | New York Metropolitans | (lost, 3-0 to Providence NL) | |
| 1885 | St. Louis Browns | (tied, 3-3-1 with Chicago NL) | |
| 1886 | St. Louis Browns | (won, 4-2 over Chicago NL) | |
| 1887 | St. Louis Browns | (lost, 10-5 to Detroit NL) | |
| 1888 | St. Louis Browns | (lost, 6-2 to New York NL) | |
| 1889 | Brooklyn Bridegrooms | (lost, 6-3 to New York NL) | |
| 1890 | Louisville Colonels | (tied, 3-3-1 with Brooklyn NL) | |
| 1891 | Boston Reds | No Series |
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 defeated the Chicago White Stockings.
[edit] Sources
- The Beer and Whisky League by David Nemec
- The Encyclopedia of Minor league Baseball: Second Edition.

