Union League

The Union League is a professional Baseball league. It is the largest and oldest professional sports league in the United States. The Union League currently has twenty teams both in the continental United States and Australia. Originally founded in 1865 as the Atlantic League before being reformed into the Union League. The original Union League folded following the 1901 season due to a large team roaster, poor teams, and poor attendance. The league would be revied for the 1939 season.

## Atlantic League

The Atlantic League would be formed in Philadelphia in 1865 by a group of businessmen including future President James Chester. The original teams were the Boston Riders, New York Knickerbockers, Brooklyn Gothams, Newark Blue Jays, Philadelphia Titans, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Presidents, and the Philadelphia Quakers owned by the future President. The first Championship game would be played in 1872 at the Brooklyn Union Grounds between the Boston Riders and Baltimore Orioles with the Boston Riders securing the first Atlantic pendant beating Baltimore 6-4. Following the game it was announced that the league would changes its name for the 1873 season to the Union League.

## Early Union League

The league would change its name but not its roaster for the 1873 season. The 1873 Championship would be again be won by the Boston Riders. The 1874 season would see the first expansion of the league with the Pittsburgh Rouges and Albany Oranges joining the league. The Boston Riders again would win the 1874 Championship game. For the 1875 season the first team move was completed when the Newark Blue Jays moved to Cleveland due to poor attendance. The newly christened Cleveland Blue Jays would be bought by New York Senator Lucifer Morningstar. While Samuel Gompers organized the Milwaukee Cornhuskers and Charles Steen organized the Omaha Farmers which both joined the league for the 1875 season. That year the New York Knickerbockers would win the Championship game. In 1876 the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Eagles would join the league. 1880 would see the Omaha Farmers move to St. Louis and become the Scouts following the death of President Charles Steen while Samuel Gompers would be removed as owner of the Milwaukee Cornhuskers following the Donald Hood scandal. The 1881 would see major drama for the Cleveland Blue Jays with Senator and owner Lucifer Morningstar implementing a harsh training regiment to try and win the championship game. The players would go on strike with many being fired and lead to a tanking for the Blue Jays early in the season. Some others owners would attempt to bring a less harsh version of the Morningstar routine but with minimal results. Somehow the Blue Jays would make it the championship game but would loose to the Baltimore Orioles.

## A National League

The 1882 season would see four new teams join the league and an expansion south. The new teams were the Alabama Yellowhammers based in Mobile and owned by Jefferson Wallace. The Charleston Royals, Detroit Knights, and Montreal Lilies would also join the league. The 1882 championship would be won by the Chicago Eagles. The 1883 season would see expansion west with the San Francisco 49ers owned by the Anderson family, and Oakland Adventurers owned by the Sarge family which would change the team's name before the season to the Oakland Raiders. In their first season the 49ers would reach the pendent league game loosing to the Cleveland Blue Jays. In 1884 the Washington Presidents relocated to Toronto and became the Toronto Tomahawks. While the Albany Oranges changed their name to the Albany Yankees. The Baltimore Orioles would win in 1884 over the Cleveland Blue Jays. The league would remain with the same lineup for the next several years.

## History of Organizational Changes

### Atlantic League

**1865 Atlantic League**

* The Atlantic League is founded with eight teams

1865-1872 Atlantic League Teams
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Newark Blue Jays

### Union League

**1873** **Union League**

* Following the 1872 season the league changes its name to the Union League

1873 Union League Teams
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Newark Blue Jays

**1874 Union League**

* Pittsburgh Rouges join the U.L.
* Albany Oranges join the U.L.

1874 Union League Teams
 Baltimore Orioles
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Newark Blue Jays

**1875 Union League**

* Newark Blue Jays move to Cleveland
* Milwaukee Cornhuskers join the U.L.
* Omaha Farmers join the U.L.

1875 Union League Teams
 Baltimore Orioles
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Milwaukee Cornhuskers

**1876 Union League**

* Cincinnati Reds join the U.L.
* Chicago Eagles join the U.L.

1876-1879 Union League Teams
 Baltimore Orioles
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays

**1880 Union League**

* Omaha Farmers move to St. Louis and are renamed the Scouts

1880-1881 Union League Teams
 Baltimore Orioles
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays

**1882 Union League**

* Charleston Royals join the U.L.
* Alabama Yellowhammers join the U.L.
* Detroit Knights join the U.L.
* Montreal Lilies join the U.L.

1882 Union League Teams
 Albany Oranges
 Baltimore Orioles
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Charleston Royals
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays

**1883 Union League**

* San Francisco 49ers join the U.L.
* Oakland Raiders join the U.L.

1883 Union League Teams
 Albany Oranges
 Baltimore Orioles
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Charleston Royals
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Knights

**1884 Union League**

* Washington Presidents move to Toronto and are renamed the Tomahawks

1884-1887 Union League Teams
 Albany Oranges
 Baltimore Orioles
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Charleston Royals
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Knights

**1888 Union League**

* Albany Oranges are renamed the Albany Yankees
* Alabama Yellowhammers fold after the 1892 season
* Charleston Royals fold after the 1892 season

1888-1892 Union League Teams
 Albany Yankees
 Baltimore Orioles
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Charleston Royals
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Knights

**1893 Union League**

* San Francisco 49ers leave the U.L. following the 1893 season
* Oakland Raiders fold following league contraction after the 1893 season

1893 Union League Teams
 Baltimore Orioles
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Knights
 Milwaukee Cornhuskers

**1895 Union League**

* Albany Yankees fold following the 1895 season

1894-1895 Union League Teams
 Baltimore Orioles
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Knights

**1897 Union League**

* Philadelphia Titans fold following the 1897 season

1896-1897 Union League Teams
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Knights
 Milwaukee Cornhuskers

**1901**

* U.L. folds following the 1901 season

1898-1901 Union League Teams
 Boston Riders
 Brooklyn Gothams
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Knights

### Second Union League

**1939 Union League**

* U.L. is revived with twenty teams

1939 Union League Teams
 Boston Minutemen
 Brisbane Emus
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Romans
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Musketeers
 Los Angeles Bulldogs
 Melbourne Diggers
 Montreal Lilies

**1940 Union League**

* Pittsburgh Outlaws change their name to the Pittsburgh Ironmen
* Perth Predators leave the U.L. to join the Australian Baseball League after the season
* Melbourne Diggers leave the U.L. to join the Australian Baseball League after the season
* Sydney Kangaroos leave the U.L. to join the Australian Baseball League after the season
* Brisbane Emus leave the U.L. to join the Australian Baseball League after the season

1940 Union League Teams
 Boston Minutemen
 Brisbane Emus
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Romans
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Musketeers
 Los Angeles Bulldogs
 Melbourne Diggers
 Montreal Lilies

**1941 Union League**

* Vancouver Lumberjacks join the U.L.
* Hochunk Wheat Kings join the U.L.
* New York Knickerbockers change their name to the New York Yankees
* New Orleans Pelicans cease operations halfway through the 1941 season

1941 Union League Teams
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Romans
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Musketeers
 Hochunk Wheat Kings
 Los Angeles Bulldogs
 Montreal Lilies

**1942 Union League**

* Georgia Rebels join the U.L.
* Cincinnati Romans change their name to the Cincinnati Reds

1942 Union League Teams
 Boston Minutemen
 Chicago Eagles
 Cincinnati Reds
 Cleveland Blue Jays
 Detroit Musketeers
 Georgia Rebels
 Hochunk Wheat Kings
 Los Angeles Bulldogs