List of defunct and relocated Major League Baseball teams

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.

Outside of the Negro leagues, no major league franchises moved until the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee following the 1952 season. Several teams moved over the next twenty years, often to the Western or Southern United States. 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

Overview of defunct and relocated Major League Baseball teams

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 [lower-alpha 1]		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]

Buffalo

Chicago

Newark

Indianapolis

Pittsburgh

Louisville

Boston

Cleveland

Montreal

New York

Seattle

Philadelphia

Baltimore

Brooklyn

Kansas City

Milwaukee

St. Louis

Washington

class=notpageimage|

The map shows cities that hosted defunct and relocated baseball franchises that played in the National League, the American League, or the Federal League after 1891. A steel pog indicates that the city hosted a defunct franchise from the Federal League. A green pog indicates the city hosted a relocated or defunct franchise from the National League. A red pog indicates the city hosted a relocated franchise from the American League. An orange pog indicates that the city hosted relocated or defunct franchises from multiple leagues.

Negro major league franchises

Further information: Negro league baseball, List of Negro league baseball teams, and List of Negro league baseball champions

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.

Overview of Negro League franchises with MLB-recognized records

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 [lower-alpha 2]	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 [lower-alpha 2]	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

See also: National Association as a major league

For a list of National Association franchises, see National Association of Professional Base Ball Players § Member clubs.

The Boston Reds won pennants in the Players' League and the American Association before going defunct

The Providence Grays won the National League in 1879 and 1884 before folding in 1885

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.

Major league teams that went defunct prior to 1892

Team	League	First	Last	Pennants
Philadelphia Athletics†	NL	1876	1876	0
New York Mutuals†	NL	1876	1876	0
Hartford Dark Blues† [lower-alpha 3]	NL	1876	1876	0
St. Louis Brown Stockings†	NL	1876	1877	0
Louisville Grays	NL	1876	1877	0
Cincinnati Reds	NL	1876	1879	0
Brooklyn Hartfords [lower-alpha 3]	NL	1877	1877	0
Milwaukee Grays	NL	1878	1878	0
Indianapolis Blues	NL	1878	1878	0
Providence Grays	NL	1878	1885	2
Syracuse Stars	NL	1879	1879	0
Troy Trojans	NL	1879	1882	0
Cleveland Blues	NL	1879	1884	0
Buffalo Bisons	NL	1879	1885	0
Worcester Worcesters	NL	1880	1882	0
Detroit Wolverines	NL	1881	1888	1
Philadelphia Athletics	AA	1882	1890	1
Columbus Buckeyes	AA	1883	1884	0
New York Metropolitans	AA	1883	1887	1
Altoona Mountain Citys	UA	1884	1884	0
Baltimore Monumentals	UA	1884	1884	0
Boston Reds	UA	1884	1884	0
Pittsburgh Stogies	UA	1884	1884	0
Cincinnati Outlaw Reds	UA	1884	1884	0
Indianapolis Hoosiers	AA	1884	1884	0
Kansas City Cowboys	UA	1884	1884	0
Milwaukee Brewers	UA	1884	1884	0
Philadelphia Keystones	UA	1884	1884	0
Richmond Virginians	AA	1884	1884	0
St. Paul Saints	UA	1884	1884	0
Toledo Blue Stockings	AA	1884	1884	0
Washington Statesmen	AA	1884	1884	0
Washington Nationals	UA	1884	1884	0
Wilmington Quicksteps	UA	1884	1884	0
St. Louis Maroons [lower-alpha 4]	UA/NL	1884	1886	1
Kansas City Cowboys	NL	1886	1886	0
Washington Nationals	NL	1886	1889	0
Indianapolis Hoosiers [lower-alpha 4]	NL	1887	1889	1
Kansas City Cowboys	AA	1888	1889	0
Columbus Solons	AA	1889	1891	0
Brooklyn Gladiators	AA	1890	1890	0
Brooklyn Ward's Wonders	PL	1890	1890	0
Buffalo Bisons	PL	1890	1890	0
Chicago Pirates	PL	1890	1890	0
Cleveland Infants	PL	1890	1890	0
New York Giants	PL	1890	1890	0
Pittsburgh Burghers	PL	1890	1890	0
Rochester Broncos	AA	1890	1890	0
Syracuse Stars	AA	1890	1890	0
Toledo Maumees	AA	1890	1890	0
Boston Reds	PL/AA	1890	1891	2
Philadelphia Athletics	PL/AA	1890	1891	0
Cincinnati Kelly's Killers	AA	1891	1891	0
Milwaukee Brewers	AA	1891	1891	0

†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 franchisesAmerican League franchisesOther leagues

National League franchisesAmerican League franchisesOther 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 ti 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 FranchiseAmerican Association franchiseUnion Association franchisePlayer's League franchise

National League FranchiseAmerican Association franchiseUnion Association franchisePlayer's League franchise

See also

• American League franchises
• List of defunct professional baseball leagues
• National League franchises
• National Association franchises

Notes

1. Although the history of the New York Yankees can be traced back to the 1901–1902 Baltimore Orioles, that iteration of the Orioles is considered a separate franchise from the Yankees by Baseball-Reference.com, ^[10] official Major League Baseball historian John Thorn, ^[11] and the official Yankees website. ^[12]
2. The Newark Dodgers and the Brooklyn Eagles merged in 1936, becoming the Newark Eagles.
3. The Hartford Dark Blues moved to Brooklyn for the 1877 season, becoming the Brooklyn Hartfords.
4. The St. Louis Maroons relocated to Indianapolis after the 1886 season, becoming the Indianapolis Hoosiers

References

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