page_title: List of defunct and relocated Major League Baseball teams
section_title: List of franchises that went defunct prior to 1892
hierarchical_section_title: List of defunct and relocated Major League Baseball teams / List of franchises that went defunct prior to 1892
caption_attribution_description: English: 1884 World Series champion Providence Grays baseball teamStanding, left to right: Charles Radbourn, Charlie Sweeney, Miah Murray, Jerry Denny, Paul Hines, Frank Bancroft, Joe Start, Charley Bassett, John Cattanach, Cliff Carroll, Arthur Irwin, Jack FarrellSitting, left to right: Barney Gilligan, Paul Radford, Sandy Nava
context_page_description: Throughout the history of Major League Baseball, numerous franchises have moved or become defunct. Many of these franchises played in the National League and the American League, the two existing major leagues, but other franchises played in one of the four major leagues that ultimately went defunct. The classification of the major leagues is based on rulings of Major League Baseball's Special Records Committee.
  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 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. The Federal League franchises are the most recent major league franchises to go defunct.
context_section_description: 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.  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,  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
caption: The Providence Grays won the National League in 1879 and 1884 before folding in 1885
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