The Continental League (or formally the Continental League of Professional Baseball Clubs) was a proposed third major league for baseball, announced in 1959 and scheduled to begin play in the 1961 season. Unlike predecessor competitors such as the Players League and Federal League, it sought membership within organized baseball's existing organization and acceptance within Major League Baseball. The league disbanded in August 1960 without playing a single game, but it helped to accelerate the expansion of Major League Baseball. Baseball on the professional, amateur, and youth levels is popular in North America, Central America, parts of South America, parts of the Caribbean, and East Asia. ... The Players League, also known as The Brotherhood, was an attempt to establish a third major baseball league in 1890. ... The Federal League was the last major attempt to establish an independent major league in baseball in the United States in direct competition with and opposition to the established National and American Leagues in 1914 and 1915. ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. ...

New league announced

The Continental League was the idea of New York City attorney William Shea, proposed in November 1958, a year after the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers had moved to California. On July 27, 1959 the new league was formally announced, with teams in Denver, Houston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, and Toronto. The name of the league was said to have been the suggestion of Colorado senator Edwin C. Johnson. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... William Alfred Bill Shea (June 21, 1907 – October 2, 1991) was a lawyer who is best known for his part in the return of National League professional baseball to New York City after the departure of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants after the 1957 season, and for the... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers NY, NY, 3, 4, 11, 24, 27, 30, 36, 42, 44 Name San Francisco Giants (1958–present) New York Giants (1885-1957) New York Gothams (1883-1885) Other nicknames Jints, Gigantes, G-Men Ballpark AT... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location of Denver in Colorado Location of Colorado in the United States Coordinates: , Country United States State Colorado City-County Denver (coextensive) Founded [1] November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Government  - Type Strong Mayor/Weak Council  - Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area [1]  - City & County  154. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country United States State Texas Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Incorporated June 5, 1837 Government  - Mayor Bill White Area  - City  601. ... A map of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Signature of Edwin C. Johnson Edwin Carl Johnson (January 1, 1884 - May 30, 1970) was a Democratic Party politician from the state of Colorado. ...

Representing the team owners at the announcement were Bob Howsam (Denver), Craig Cullinan Jr. (Houston), Wheelock Whitney Jr. (Minneapolis-St. Paul), Dwight Davis (New York), and Jack Kent Cooke (Toronto). Owners in each city had agreed to pay $50,000 to the league and committed to a capital investment of $2.5 million, not including stadium costs. A minimum seating capacity of 35,000 was established by the league for the venues in which its teams would play. Robert L. Howsam (born 1918, Denver, Colorado) is a former executive in American professional sport who, in 1959, played a key role in establishing two leagues – the American Football League, which succeeded and merged with the National Football League, and baseballs Continental League, which never played a game but... Wheelock Whee Whitney, Jr. ... Jack Kent Cooke Jack Kent Cooke (25 October 1912 – 6 April 1997) was a Canadian-American entrepreneur who became one of the most widely-known executives in North American professional sports. ...

At least three other teams were expected to be in place before play began in 1961, and the league said it had received applications from 10 cities. The three that were later selected were Atlanta, Buffalo, and Dallas/Ft. Worth. Former Dodgers president Branch Rickey was named league president. Hotlanta redirects here. ... Nickname: Location of Buffalo in New York State County Erie County Government  - Mayor Byron Brown Area  - City 52. ... The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. ... 1914 E145 Crackerjack Branch Rickey; as a member of the St. ...

Many observers believed the CL was a gambit devised by Shea when he realized he was not going to entice an existing National League franchise to relocate to New York City to fill the void created by the departure of the Giants and the Dodgers after the 1957 season. When Shea realized he was getting nowhere with his relocation efforts, he and Branch Rickey developed the CL, with Rickey's name adding significant credibility to the League.

Established leagues respond

The MLB commissioner's office was noncommital on the issue. At that time, however, the American League and the National League enjoyed far more autonomy than they do today, answering more to their constituent owners (who were universally hostile to the new league) than to the Commissioners' Office. They reacted to the formation of the new league by announcing plans to expand by adding two teams in each of the existing leagues. Priority would be given, it was stated, to cities that did not have Major League Baseball. Accordingly, the NL placed one of its expansion teams in Houston (the Houston Colt .45s), a CL city without an existing MLB team. American League The American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. ... 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 worlds oldest extant professional team sports league. ... Houston redirects here. ... The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team based in Houston, Texas. ...

Though the AL placed one of its expansion teams in a previously existing MLB city (Washington, DC) with the expansion Washington Senators; this was done to replace the original Senator team which had relocated to Minneapolis-St. Paul and became the Minnesota Twins. Like Houston, the twin cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul were a CL city without an existing MLB team. Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Major league affiliations American League (1961–present) West Division (1972–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 26, 34, 42 Name Texas Rangers (1972–present) Washington Senators (1961-1971) Other nicknames None in common use Ballpark Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (1994–present) a. ... A map of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 6, 14, 29, 34, 42 Name Minnesota Twins (1961–present) Washington Nationals/Senators (1901-1960) Other nicknames The Twinkies Ballpark Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 1982-present Metropolitan Stadium (1961-1981) Griffith Stadium (1903-1960...

The NL then placed another expansion team in New York, offering its tenth franchise to the owners of the CL New York team, who immediately accepted, effectively killing any attempt to revive the proposed league. This franchise would become the New York Mets. The AL then followed by placing a second expansion team in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Angels, giving the American League its first franchise and first presence on the West Coast. Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 14, 37, 41, 42 Name New York Mets (1962–present) Other nicknames The Amazin Mets, The Amazins, The Metropolitans Ballpark Shea Stadium (1964–present) Polo Grounds (1962–1963) Major league titles World Series titles... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... The term Los Angeles Angels refers to two professional baseball teams: 1. ...

The league disbands

With Shea's mission to bring a second MLB team to New York successful, he stopped championing the CL's formation. The promise of expansion achieved the owners' desired effect; on August 2, 1960, the CL formally disbanded. At the time it was reported that four CL cities would get major league teams -- two in the American League and New York and one other in the National League, possibly as early as the 1961 season. As it turned out, only three cities gained MLB franchises in the immediate aftermath of the CL's demise (Houston, Minneapolis-St. Paul and New York). Four more would eventually receive relocated or expansion MLB franchises as well: Atlanta in 1966, Dallas/Ft. Worth in 1972, Toronto in 1977, and Denver in 1993. Only Buffalo would, as of yet, not receive a MLB franchise, although the city does have the Buffalo Bisons, who have been a successful and much-admired AAA International League franchise. is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... Major league affiliations American League (1961–present) West Division (1972–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 26, 34, 42 Name Texas Rangers (1972–present) Washington Senators (1961-1971) Other nicknames None in common use Ballpark Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (1994–present) a. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) a. ... Major league affiliations National League (1993–present) West Division (1993–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Colorado Rockies (1993–present) Other nicknames The Rocks, The Rox, Blake Street Bombers Ballpark Coors Field (1995–present) Mile High Stadium (1993-1994) Major league titles World Series titles (0) None NL Pennants... The Buffalo Bisons (Pronounced BI-zons by locals) are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. ... The International League (IL) is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States and Canada. ...

Legacy

The legacy of the Continental League is that it hastened the expansion and growth of Major League Baseball. Although William Shea's efforts to create a third major league are not well known today, Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets since 1964, was named in his honor for his efforts in bringing National League baseball back to New York. William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium, is an American baseball stadium in Flushing, New York. ...

References

David Pietrusza Major Leagues: The Formation, Sometimes Absorption and Mostly Inevitable Demise of 18 Professional Baseball Organizations, 1871 to Present Jefferson (NC): McFarland & Company, 1991. ISBN 0-89950-590-2