Other Major Baseball Leagues 1800s

Other Major Baseball Leagues

NCBL (North Coast Baseball League) 1879-Present

The NCBL is the oldest baseball league in the world and is considered the second highest
level of professional baseball. The NCBL and UNBA are two structured leagues, other pro
leagues have less structure and much higher member fluctuation. The NCBL formed with
6 teams that wished to have a more stable schedule, eventually the league began to appoint
a yearly champion beginning in 1881.

1879:

• The Albany Club (NY)
• Central A.C. (New York, NY)\
• Empire A.C. (New York, NY)
• Vine Street A.C. (Philadelphia, PA)
• Ridge A.C. (Philadelphia, PA)
• Troy (NY)

The NCBL ballooned to 16 teams by 1882 which included their new addition of the New York Militia. The NCBL consisted primarily of Athletic Clubs with a few owner managed professional teams sprinkled in the league. By the mid 1880’s it had become apparent that the pro-teams were dominating the athletic club filled league. Prior to the 1885 season the NCBL splintered, with over half of its 22 teams leaving in order to either join the newly formed AACB or continue playing as an independent. The NCBL consisted of 9 teams during the 1885 season.

1885:

• The Albany Club (NY)
• Troy ‘Tigers’ (NY)
• Allegheny City A.C. (PA)
• Clark A.C. (Pittsburgh, PA)
• New York ‘Militia’ (NY)
• Erie Shore A.C. ‘Lakers’ (Cleveland, OH)
• Buffalo A.C. (NY)
• Philadelphia ‘Hounds’ (PA)
• Bridgeport A.C. ‘Fishermen’ (CT)

The NCBL would continue to slowly lose athletic clubs to the AACB for the next several seasons. However, they would add a few professional clubs to the league. By 1890 the league stabilized at 8 teams; 7 professional clubs and 1 athletic club. During this period of transition, the New York Militia began to establish itself as the elite ballclub within the NCBL, winning two championships in 1887 & 1888.

1890:

• Troy Tigers (NY)
• New York Militia (NY)
• Erie Shore A.C. ‘Lakers’ (Cleveland, OH)
• Philadelphia Hounds (PA)
• Scranton ‘Redcaps’ (PA)
• Richmond Falcons (VA)
• Utica Frost (NY)
• Wheeling Mongoose (WV)

The New York Militia would continue their dominance of the NCBL claiming the 1890, 1893, and 1895-1896 championships. The Richmond Falcons moved to Baltimore in 1893, and the NCBL stopped counting out of league games in teams’ records. This led many teams to stop scheduling opponents from outside the NCBL. The Wheeling Mongoose folded after the 1896 season and after the 1897 season Erie Shore A.C. left the NCBL. So the 1898 season would see only 6 teams within the NCBL, however, these were 6 financially secure clubs.

1898:

• Troy Tigers (NY)
• New York Militia (NY)
• Philadelphia Hounds (PA)
• Scranton Reds (PA)
• Baltimore Falcons (MD)
• Utica Frost (NY)

The New York Militia would dominate the smaller NCBL winning four straight championships from 1899-1902. The league would grow in 1900 to 7 teams with the addition of the Syracuse Machiners.

1900:

• Troy Tigers (NY)
• New York Militia (NY)
• Philadelphia Hounds (PA)
• Scranton Reds (PA)
• Baltimore Falcons (MD)
• Utica Frost (NY)
• Syracuse Machiners (NY)

NCBL championship history:

1881- Empire A.C. (57-27) .679

1882- Troy (78-32) .709

1883- Clark A.C. (52-8) .867

1884- New York (76-38) .666

1885- Philadelphia ‘Hounds’ (38-16) .704

1886- Troy ‘Tigers’ (67-26) .720

1887- New York ‘Militia’ (49-31) .613

1888- New York Militia (46-27) .630

1889- Philadelphia Hounds (50-31) .617

1890- New York Militia (50-24) .676

1891- Scranton ‘Redcaps’ (53-25) .679

1892- Troy Tigers (44-27) .620

1893- New York Militia (45-25) .643

1894- Philadelphia Hounds (47-23) .671

1895- New York Militia (46-24) .657

1896- New York Militia (44-26) .629

1897- Philadelphia Hounds (35-25) .583

1898- Philadelphia Hounds (28-22) .560

1899- New York Militia (38-22) .633

1900- New York Militia (44-16) .733

SBA (Southern Baseball Association) 1897-Present

The Southern Baseball Association was formed in 1897 as several baseball teams in the southern United States decided to form a baseball league in a similar vein as more northerly located leagues. The league had clubs in three southern states by 1900, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. The league had three solid ballclubs in the Atlanta Bullfrogs, Savannah Bluebirds, and Augusta Fireflies. These clubs played at a higher level than the rest of the league during the first 4 years of the league's existence.

1900:

• Atlanta Bullfrogs (2)

• Savannah Bluebirds (1)
• Augusta Fireflies (1)
• Mobile Hurlers
• Birmingham Rebels
• Charleston Athletics
• Southern Alabama Eagles

SBA Championship History

1897-Savannah Bluebirds (24-11) .686

1898-Atlanta Bullfrogs (22-7) .759

1899-Atlanta Bullfrogs (47-21) .691

1900-Augusta Fireflies (31-19) .620

AACB (Association for Athletic Club Baseball) 1885-1890(Professional league) 1891-Present(Club league)

The AACB was formed in 1885 as 10 members of the NCBL decided to leave and form their own baseball association. The AACB posts rules and guidelines, while also supplying umpires for AACB games since the 1889 season. By 1890 the AACB consisted of 18 athletic clubs. In 1891 the AACB passed a rule prohibiting the paying of players (Until that point star players at larger clubs would routinely receive cash bonuses), this rule stated that each athletic club could only waive their membership fees for participating players, and clubs were prohibited from paying players. After 1891 the league's talent level began dropping. Currently, the AACB functions as the largest club baseball league in the United States.