The Western League of Professional Baseball Clubs was a minor league baseball league founded in 1893, and focused in the Midwest. In 1900, the league was renamed the American League, and declared major league status in 1901. A Class A California League game in San Jose, California (1994) Minor baseball leagues are North American professional baseball leagues that compete at a level below that of Major League Baseball. ... 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 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. ... MLB logo Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. ... 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

History

As described in Lee Allen's books, the Western League had been around in various forms since 1879, but had gone bankrupt. In a meeting in Detroit, on November 20, 1893, the league reorganized. This is the point from which the eventual American League can effectively date itself. 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

At that meeting, Ban Johnson was elected President, and would remain so until his retirement nearly 35 years later. Johnson, a Cincinnati-based newspaper reporter, had been recommended by his friend Charles Comiskey, former major league star with the St. Louis Browns in the 1880s, who was then managing the Cincinnati Reds. After the 1894 season, when Comiskey's contract with the Reds was up, he decided to take his chances at ownership. He bought the Sioux City team and transferred it to St. Paul. These two men would be among the cornerstones of the American League. Byron Bancroft Johnson (January 5, 1864 - March 28, 1931) was an American executive in Major League Baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League. ... Charles Comiskey baseball card, 1887 Charles Albert Comiskey (August 15, 1859 - October 26, 1931) was a Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. ... The St. ... // Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

After the 1899 season, the National League announced it was dropping Baltimore, Cleveland, Louisville and Washington. This afforded an opportunity for the Western circuit to expand into those vacated cities. In a meeting in Chicago on October 11, the WL renamed itself the American League. It was still officially a minor league, subject to the National Agreement and generally subordinate to the National League. The NL actually gave permission to the AL to put a team in Chicago that year, and Comiskey moved his St. Paul club to the south side. The AL also transferred the Grand Rapids team to Cleveland. 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... This article refers to the American baseball league. ...

The way Allen characterizes it, the National was too absorbed in its own infighting to see what was afoot. After the 1900 season, the American League declined to renew its membership in the National Agreement, declared itself a major league, and began raiding National League rosters... and cities. 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ...

In addition to the original Western League, several 20th century minor league circuits used the same name. Its franchises were located west of the Mississippi River, and in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains states. Foremost among these was the WL that existed from 1902-37 and 1947-58. The WL was then classified as an "A" league, but in today's minor league structure it would be a Class AA loop. In its post-World War II incarnation, the Western League included clubs in Denver, Colorado (now in the National League), Des Moines, Iowa, Omaha, Nebraska and Colorado Springs, Colorado, now all members of the AAA Pacific Coast League. Length 6,270 km Elevation of the source 450 m Average discharge Saint Louis¹: 5,500 m³/s Vicksburg²: 16,800 m³/s Baton Rouge³: 12,800 m³/s Area watershed 2,980,000 km² Origin  Lake Itasca Mouth  Gulf of Mexico Basin countries United States (98. ... The Great Plains states. ... Rocky Mountain National Park (photo courtesy of NPS) The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America. ... Denver skyline, 1999. ... Des Moines skyline Des Moines (pronounced in English, in French) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Iowa. ... Location in Nebraska Founded  -Incorporated 1854 1857  County Douglas County Mayor Michael Fahey Area  - Total  - Water 1290. ... Colorado Springs is a middle-sized city, located just east of the geographic center of the state of Colorado in the United States. ... The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a minor league baseball league operating in the West and Midwest of the United States. ...

Franchise history 1894-1900

• Detroit Tigers - only WL charter member in its original city
• Sioux City Cornhuskers -> St. Paul Saints, 1895 -> Chicago White Sox, 1900
• Milwaukee Brewers -> St. Louis Browns, 1902 - now Baltimore Orioles
• Toledo -> Columbus, 1896 -> replaced by Buffalo, 1899
  • Buffalo Bisons -> Boston Red Sox, 1901
• Kansas City Blues -> Washington Senators, 1901 - now Minnesota Twins
• Grand Rapids Rustlers -> Cleveland Indians, 1900

Had transferred to St. Joseph, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska in 1898 before returning to Michigan in 1899.

• Minneapolis Millers. ???

There is an inconsistency in the history of these teams as shown in Wikipedia. The previous version of this page, as well as the A's page, assert the following: The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. ... Sioux City is a city located in Western Iowa. ... The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. ... City nickname: The City of Festivals Location of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin County Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) Area   â€“Land   â€“Water 251. ... (For the 1901-02 American League team known as the Baltimore Orioles, see New York Yankees. ... The Baltimore Orioles are a Major League Baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. ... Toledo is a city in Lucas County on the northern border of Ohio. ... Skyline of downtown Columbus, Ohio, viewed across the Scioto River. ... Aerial view of downtown Buffalo, New York Buffalo, also known as The Queen City, The Nickel City, and the City of Good Neighbors, is an American city in western New York. ... The Boston Red Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Boston, Massachusetts. ... City nickname: City of Fountains, Heart of the Nation Location in the state of Missouri Country State County United States Missouri Cass/Clay/Jackson/Platte Mayor Kay Barnes Area   â€“Land   â€“Water 318 sq. ... The Washington Senators can refer to: The Washington Senators (officially named the Washington Nationals during the 1905–1956 seasons), an American League baseball team based in Washington, D.C. from 1901 to 1960. ... The Minnesota Twins are a Major League Baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Grand Rapids skyline Nickname: Furniture City Location in Michigan Founded  -Incorporated 1850  County Kent County Mayor George Heartwell Area  - Total  - Water 117. ... The Cleveland Indians are a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. ... Saint Joseph (also known as St. ... Location in Nebraska Founded  -Incorporated 1854 1857  County Douglas County Mayor Michael Fahey Area  - Total  - Water 1290. ... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Downtown Minneapolis as viewed from the Stone Arch Bridge Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota and the county seat of Hennepin County. ...

• Indianapolis Indians -> Philadelphia Athletics, 1901 - now Oakland Athletics

However, the Yankees page contradicts the above: Nickname: Circle City, Indy, Naptown Location in Indiana Founded  -Incorporated 1821 {{{incorporated}}}  County Marion County Mayor Bart Peterson Area  - Total  - Water 966. ... There have been three professional baseball teams based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania known as the Philadelphia Athletics: 1. ... This article is about the baseball team currently active in the American League. ...

• Indianapolis Indians -> Baltimore Orioles, 1901 - now New York Yankees.

The Allen books merely indicate that Buffalo, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Minneapolis were replaced by Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, not necessarily in any order. Clearly, more research is needed. Nickname: Circle City, Indy, Naptown Location in Indiana Founded  -Incorporated 1821 {{{incorporated}}}  County Marion County Mayor Bart Peterson Area  - Total  - Water 966. ... The New York Yankees are a Major League baseball team based in The Bronx, New York City. ...

Sources

• The National League Story, Lee Allen, Putnam, 1961.
• The American League Story, Lee Allen, Putnam, 1962.