Throughout the history of Major League Baseball, numerous franchises have moved or become defunct. Many of these franchises played in the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), the two existing major leagues, but other franchises played in one of the eleven major leagues that ultimately went defunct. The classification of the major leagues is based on Major League Baseball's recognition of historical leagues.
Major league baseball emerged in the 1870s, and four major leagues, including the NL, played at least one season of baseball in the nineteenth century. During this period, dozens of franchises were founded, but most went defunct, leaving just twelve NL franchises by the 1892 season. After four of the twelve NL franchises went defunct following the 1899 season, the American League emerged in 1901 with several newly founded franchises. The Federal League (FL) challenged the primacy of the American League and the National League for two seasons, but the FL and all of its franchises went defunct after the 1915 season. Numerous Negro leagues operated during the first half of the twentieth century; seven leagues that operated from 1920 to 1948 were later recognized as major leagues by Major League Baseball.
The Baltimore Orioles went defunct after the 1902 season, representing the most recent time that an NL or AL team ceased operations. No NL or AL team would go defunct or relocate until the relocation of the Boston Braves to Milwaukee following the 1952 season. Several teams moved over the next twenty years, often to the Southern or Western United States, with the last such move taking place in 1971 when the Washington Senators became the Texas Rangers. The Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals in 2005, the first move in three decades. In 2025, the Oakland Athletics plan to temporarily move to West Sacramento, California, and brand themselves as simply the "A's" and "Athletics" with no city name attached, until they permanently move to Las Vegas in 2028 or later when their new ballpark is completed.[1]
List of defunct and relocated major league franchises since 1892
National, American, and Federal League franchises
These franchises played in the National League, the American League, or the Federal League after the 1891 season and either went defunct or moved. Some franchises appear more than once in the table; for example, the Braves franchise appears twice because they moved to Milwaukee in 1952 and to Atlanta in 1965.
- League
- The league the franchise was in at the time of their move
- First
- First year in Major League Baseball
- Last
- Last year in Major League Baseball
- Post-change status
- The status of the franchise after moving or becoming defunct
- Current status
- The current status of the franchise
- P
- League championships won
- WS
- World Series victories
- ^
- City would later receive a new franchise
| Team | League | First | Last | Seasons | Post-change status | Current status | P | WS | Reason for move/disbandment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Colonels[2] | NL | 1882 | 1899 | 18 | Defunct | 1 | 0 | Contraction of National League[3] | |
| Baltimore Orioles^[4] | NL | 1882 | 1899 | 18 | Defunct | 3 | 0 | Contraction of National League[3] | |
| Cleveland Spiders^[5] | NL | 1887 | 1899 | 13 | Defunct | 0 | 0 | Contraction of National League[3] | |
| Washington Senators^[6] | NL | 1891 | 1899 | 9 | Defunct | 0 | 0 | Contraction of National League[3] | |
| Milwaukee Brewers^[7] | AL | 1901 | 1901 | 1 | St. Louis Browns | Baltimore Orioles | 0 | 0 | Poor attendance[8] |
| Baltimore Orioles^[9] | AL | 1901 | 1902 | 2 | Defunct[a] | 0 | 0 | American League wanted a franchise in New York City[13] | |
| Indianapolis Hoosiers[14] | FL | 1914 | 1914 | 1 | Newark Peppers | Defunct | 1 | 0 | Poor attendance[15] |
| Kansas City Packers^[16] | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct | 0 | 0 | Disbandment of Federal League | |
| Chicago Whales^[17] | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct | 1 | 0 | Disbandment of Federal League | |
| Baltimore Terrapins^[18] | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct | 0 | 0 | Disbandment of Federal League | |
| St. Louis Terriers^[19] | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct | 0 | 0 | Disbandment of Federal League | |
| Brooklyn Tip-Tops^[20] | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct | 0 | 0 | Disbandment of Federal League | |
| Pittsburgh Rebels^[21] | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct | 0 | 0 | Disbandment of Federal League | |
| Buffalo Blues^[22] | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct | 0 | 0 | Disbandment of Federal League | |
| Newark Peppers[14] | FL | 1915 | 1915 | 1 | Defunct | 0 | 0 | Disbandment of Federal League | |
| Boston Braves^[23] | NL | 1876 | 1952 | 77 | Milwaukee Braves | Atlanta Braves | 10 | 1 | Poor attendance and competition with the Boston Red Sox[24] |
| St. Louis Browns^[7] | AL | 1902 | 1953 | 52 | Baltimore Orioles | Baltimore Orioles | 1 | 0 | Poor attendance and competition with the St. Louis Cardinals[25] |
| Philadelphia Athletics^[26] | AL | 1901 | 1954 | 54 | Kansas City Athletics | Oakland Athletics | 9 | 5 | Poor attendance and competition with the Philadelphia Phillies[27] |
| New York Giants^[28] | NL | 1883 | 1957 | 75 | San Francisco Giants | San Francisco Giants | 17 | 5 | Declining attendance and desire for a new ballpark[29] |
| Brooklyn Dodgers[30] | NL | 1884 | 1957 | 74 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Los Angeles Dodgers | 13 | 1 | Declining attendance and desire for a new ballpark[31] |
| Washington Senators^[32] | AL | 1901 | 1960 | 60 | Minnesota Twins | Minnesota Twins | 3 | 1 | Poor attendance[33] |
| Milwaukee Braves^[23] | NL | 1953 | 1965 | 13 | Atlanta Braves | Atlanta Braves | 2 | 1 | Declining attendance and the owner's desire for a larger market[34] |
| Kansas City Athletics^[26] | AL | 1955 | 1967 | 13 | Oakland Athletics | Oakland Athletics | 0 | 0 | Poor attendance and the owner's desire for a larger market[35] |
| Seattle Pilots^[36] | AL | 1969 | 1969 | 1 | Milwaukee Brewers | Milwaukee Brewers | 0 | 0 | Poor attendance and desire for a larger ballpark[37] |
| Washington Senators^[38] | AL | 1961 | 1971 | 11 | Texas Rangers | Texas Rangers | 0 | 0 | Poor attendance[39] |
| Montreal Expos[40] | NL | 1969 | 2004 | 36 | Washington Nationals | Washington Nationals | 0 | 0 | Poor attendance and desire for a new ballpark[41] |
Negro major league franchises
In 2020, Major League Baseball extended major league recognition to seven Negro leagues:[42]
- Negro National League (NNL I), 1920–1931
- Eastern Colored League (ECL), 1923–1928
- American Negro League (ANL), 1929
- East–West League (EWL), 1932
- Negro Southern League (NSL), 1932
- Negro National League (NNL II), 1933–1948
- Negro American League (NAL), 1937–1948
The listed years in the table below indicate the first and last years that the franchise played in a major league as recognized by Major League Baseball; many franchises existed before or after playing in a major league. Franchises that played only as associate clubs of a major league are not included. From 1924 to 1927, and from 1942 to 1948, the top Negro leagues crowned a champion through the Negro World Series.
| Team | League | First | Last | NWS championships | NWS appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Black Crackers | NSL, NAL | 1932 | 1939 | 0 | 0 |
| Bacharach Giants | ECL, ANL | 1923 | 1929 | 0 | 2 |
| Baltimore Elite Giants | NNL I, NSL, NNL II | 1930 | 1948 | 0 | 0 |
| Baltimore Black Sox | ECL, ANL, EWL, NNL II | 1923 | 1933 | 0 | 0 |
| Birmingham Black Barons | NNL I | 1924 | 1948 | 0 | 3 |
| Brooklyn Eagles[b] | NNL II | 1935 | 1935 | 0 | 0 |
| Brooklyn Royal Giants | ECL | 1923 | 1928 | 0 | 0 |
| Chicago American Giants | NNL I, NSL, NNL II, NAL | 1920 | 1948 | 2 | 2 |
| Chicago Giants | NNL I | 1920 | 1921 | 0 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Tigers | NAL | 1937 | 1937 | 0 | 0 |
| Cleveland Browns | NNL I | 1924 | 1924 | 0 | 0 |
| Cleveland Buckeyes | NAL | 1942 | 1948 | 1 | 2 |
| Cleveland Elites | NNL I | 1926 | 1926 | 0 | 0 |
| Cleveland Hornets | NNL I | 1927 | 1927 | 0 | 0 |
| Cleveland Red Sox | NNL II | 1934 | 1934 | 0 | 0 |
| Cleveland Stars | EWL | 1932 | 1932 | 0 | 0 |
| Cleveland Tate Stars | NNL I | 1922 | 1923 | 0 | 0 |
| Cleveland Tigers | NNL I | 1928 | 1928 | 0 | 0 |
| Columbus Buckeyes | NNL I | 1921 | 1921 | 0 | 0 |
| Columbus Blue Birds | NNL II | 1933 | 1933 | 0 | 0 |
| Cuban House of David | EWL | 1932 | 1932 | 0 | 0 |
| Cuban Stars (East) | ECL, ANL | 1923 | 1929 | 0 | 0 |
| Cuban Stars (West) | NNL I | 1920 | 1930 | 0 | 0 |
| Dayton Marcos | NNL I | 1920 | 1926 | 0 | 0 |
| Detroit Stars | NNL I | 1920 | 1931 | 0 | 0 |
| Detroit Stars | NAL | 1937 | 1937 | 0 | 0 |
| Detroit Wolves | EWL | 1932 | 1932 | 0 | 0 |
| Harrisburg Giants | ECL | 1924 | 1927 | 0 | 0 |
| Hilldale Club | ECL, ANL, EWL | 1923 | 1932 | 1 | 2 |
| Homestead Grays | ANL, EWL, NNL II | 1929 | 1948 | 3 | 5 |
| Jacksonville Red Caps | NAL | 1938 | 1942 | 0 | 0 |
| Indianapolis ABCs | NNL I | 1920 | 1926 | 0 | 0 |
| Indianapolis ABCs | NNL I, NSL, NNL II | 1931 | 1933 | 0 | 0 |
| Indianapolis Athletics | NAL | 1937 | 1937 | 0 | 0 |
| Indianapolis Clowns | NAL | 1943 | 1948 | 0 | 0 |
| Kansas City Monarchs | NNL I, NAL | 1920 | 1948 | 2 | 4 |
| Lincoln Giants | ECL, ANL | 1923 | 1929 | 0 | 0 |
| Little Rock Grays | NSL | 1932 | 1932 | 0 | 0 |
| Louisville Black Caps | NNL I, NSL | 1930 | 1932 | 0 | 0 |
| Memphis Red Sox | NNL I, NSL, NAL | 1924 | 1948 | 0 | 0 |
| Milwaukee Bears | NNL I | 1923 | 1923 | 0 | 0 |
| Monroe Monarchs | NSL | 1932 | 1932 | 0 | 0 |
| Montgomery Grey Sox | NSL | 1932 | 1932 | 0 | 0 |
| Newark Browns | EWL | 1932 | 1932 | 0 | 0 |
| Newark Eagles[b] | NNL II | 1934 | 1948 | 1 | 1 |
| Newark Stars | ECL | 1926 | 1926 | 0 | 0 |
| New York Black Yankees | NNL II | 1936 | 1948 | 0 | 0 |
| New York Cubans | NNL II | 1935 | 1948 | 1 | 1 |
| Philadelphia Stars | NNL II | 1934 | 1948 | 0 | 0 |
| Pittsburgh Crawfords | NNL II, NAL | 1933 | 1940 | 0 | 0 |
| Pittsburgh Keystones | NNL I | 1922 | 1922 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Louis Stars | NNL I | 1920 | 1931 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Louis Stars | NAL | 1937 | 1937 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Louis–New Orleans Stars | NAL, NNL II | 1938 | 1943 | 0 | 0 |
| Toledo Tigers | NNL I | 1923 | 1923 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington Black Senators | NNL II | 1938 | 1938 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington Pilots | EWL | 1932 | 1932 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington Potomacs | ECL | 1924 | 1925 | 0 | 0 |
List of major league franchises that went defunct prior to 1892
The franchises in the following list went defunct before the 1892 season, and played in the National League, the American Association (AA), the Players' League (PL), the Union Association (UA), or some combination of the four leagues. The NL has played continuously since 1876, the AA existed from 1882 to 1891, the UA existed for one season in 1884, and the PL operated for one season in 1890. Note that there have been many cases of multiple distinct franchises sharing the same name.
In 1968–1969, the Special Records Committee, which was established by Major League Baseball, defined the major leagues as consisting of the NA, NL, AA, PL, UA, American League, and Federal League.[43] The Special Records Committee excluded the National Association (NA), which operated from 1871 to 1875, as a major league. Some baseball writers have nonetheless argued that the NA should be considered the first major league,[44] but NA franchises are not included below unless they later played in the National League.
†Indicates a franchise that played in the National Association prior to joining the National League
Timelines
Franchise and league timeline
This timeline includes all franchises (including non-defunct franchises) that played in the AL or NL after 1891; it also shows the eleven historical leagues during the period in which each is considered a major league by Major League Baseball. Only major and recent name changes are marked in blue. Franchise moves are marked in black.
National League franchises American League franchises Other leagues
National League franchises American League franchises Other leagues
- From 1954 through 1959, during the Cold War, the Cincinnati Reds changed their name to the Redlegs for 5 seasons due to the connection between communism and the color red.
- The Baltimore Orioles were inaugurated in 1901 as the Milwaukee Brewers and finished in dead last. They quickly moved to Saint Louis as the Browns and eventually moved to Baltimore.
- The Houston Astros were named the Colt .45s for their inaugural three seasons.
- L.A.A.A stands for Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The name caused controversy between the two cities and led to the 2015 name change.
- The Milwaukee Brewers played their 1969 inaugural season in Seattle as the Pilots but moved to Milwaukee six days before the 1970 season opener.
- Tampa Bay started as the Devil Rays in 1998 and changed their name in 2009 to the Rays, dropping the “Devil” from the original name.
Pre-1900 city timeline
This timeline shows the history of major league franchises (including non-defunct franchises) before 1900. Multiple bars for a city indicates that the city hosted multiple major league franchises at the same time; for example, Philadelphia at times hosted two or three franchises concurrently. Gaps in the bars indicate a change in franchises; for example, there were three franchises known as the Kansas City Cowboys. Franchise moves are not tracked by this timeline.
National League Franchise American Association franchise Union Association franchise Player's League franchise
National League Franchise American Association franchise Union Association franchise Player's League franchise