Timeline of the AABL

The following is a timeline of franchise evolution in the All-American Baseball League. The histories of franchises in the American Baseball Organization (ABO), Pacific Coast League (PCL) before they joined the All-American Baseball League are also included.

## History of organizational changes

Main articles: History of the AABL and History of the American Baseball Organization

### 1913–1928: Early history

#### 1913: Founding of the AABL

* The AABL was founded with eight teams in two conference and absorbs four teams from the American Baseball Organization

#### 1915: New York and St. Louis join the AABL

* The New York Yankees join the Eastern Conference.
* The St. Louis Browns join the Western Conference.

#### 1916 expansion

* The original Brooklyn Dodgers dissolve.
* The Chicago White Sox join the Eastern Conference.
* The Detroit Tigers move to the Eastern Conference.
* The Dallas Outlaws, Los Angeles Royals, and New Jersey Red Devils join the Western Conference.

#### 1917: Brooklyn dissolves and Honolulu joins

* The Brooklyn Dodgers dissolve.
* The Honolulu Sailors joined the Western Conference.

#### 1918–1919: Departure of the Tigers and Mets

* The Detroit Tigers and New York Mets dissolve

#### 1920: Second major league expansion and relocation

* The Eastern and Western conferences are subdivided into north and south divisions.
* The Dallas Outlaws relocate to Houston and become the Houston Colt .45s.
* The New Jersey Red Devils became the Minnesota Pioneers.
* The Pittsburgh Innocents were established and joined the WC North.
* The Louisville Scarlet Knights were founded and joined the WC South.
* The first incarnation of the Philadelphia Athletics are founded as members of the EC North.

#### 1921: Buffalo leaves and Salisbury joins the league

* The Buffalo Bisons dissolve; The Salisbury Firebirds join the EC North replacing the Bisons

#### 1922: Pioneers dissolution and Giants join

* The Minnesota Pioneers dissolve and are replaced by the San Francisco Giants

#### 1923: Louisville Scarlet Knights to Washington Nationals

* The Washington Nationals replace the Louisville Scarlet Knights

#### 1924

* The Salisbury Firebirds relocate and become the Denver Explorers
* The Kansas City Royals replace the Detroit Knights
* The Houston .45 Colts become the Texas Texans
* The Pittsburgh Innocents relocate and become the Chicago Cubs

#### 1925

* The Denver Explorers relocate and became the Cincinnati Reds
* The San Francisco Giants relocate and become the Minnesota Twins
* The Texas Texans relocate and became the Brooklyn Dodgers

#### 1926–1927

* The St. Louis Cardinals replace the Philadelphia Athletics, who dissolved
* The St. Louis Browns relocate and became the second incarnation of the San Francisco Giants
* The Honolulu Sailors relocate and became the Buffalo Bisons
* The Minnesota Twins dissolve and are replaced by the Milwaukee Brewers

#### 1928

* The Cincinnati Reds move to Boston and become the Boston Reds
* The Kansas City Royals move to Cleveland to become the Cleveland Royals
* The Buffalo Bisons move to Montreal and became the Montreal Expos

### 1929–1940: Expansion era

#### 1929–1932: League re-alignment and expansion

* The Boston Reds relocate to Minnesota, becoming the Minnesota Twins
* The Cleveland Royals move to New York and became the New York Mets
* The Philadelphia Athletics are resurrected as a member of the EC North
* The Pittsburgh Pirates join the AABL as a member of the EC South
* The Detroit Tigers join as an expansion franchise
* The Cleveland Guardians join as an expansion franchise

#### 1933: Guardians and Expos replaced by Conquistadors and Sailors

* The Cleveland Guardians are replaced by the San Juan Conquistadors
* The Montreal Expos dissolve and are replaced by the Honolulu Sailors

 Minnesota Twins
 New York Mets
 New York Yankees
 Philadelphia Athletics

#### 1934: Twins become Freedom and Tigers become Oilers

* The Minnesota Twins move to Birmingham and become the Birmingham Freedom
* The Detroit Tigers move to Houston and became the Houston Oilers

 Chicago White Sox
 New York Mets
 New York Yankees
 Philadelphia Athletics

#### 1935–1936: League realignment

* The New York Mets and Houston Oilers swap conferences

 Chicago White Sox
 Houston Oilers
 New York Yankees
 Philadelphia Athletics

#### 1937–1938

* The Pittsburgh Pirates relocate and become the Kansas City Pirates
* The St, Louis Cardinals are replaced by the Buffalo Bisons
* The Milwaukee Brewers relocate to Mexico City and become the Mexico City Vipers
* The New York Yankees dissolve and are replaced by the Cincinnati Reds
* The Houston Oilers move to the WC North
* The Boston Braves move to the EC North

 Birmingham Freedom
 Chicago White Sox
 Cincinnati Reds
 Philadelphia Athletics

#### 1939: League realignment

* The Brooklyn Dodgers and Birmingham Freedom swap conferences

 Brooklyn Dodgers
 Chicago White Sox
 Cincinnati Reds
 Philadelphia Athletics

#### 1940–1941: Birmingham Freedom become the Jacksonville Panthers

* The Birmingham Freedom dissolve and are replaced by the Jacksonville Panthers

 Brooklyn Dodgers
 Chicago White Sox
 Cincinnati Reds
 Philadelphia Athletics

### 1942–1944: Pre-modern era

The Early Modern Era was the shortest era of the AABL. The era lasted for three seasons from the 1942 season to the 1944 season. The era began with the merger of the AABL and the Pacific Coast league, which saw four teams join the AABL, the Anaheim Majestics, Los Angeles Baseball Club, Oakland Sharks, and the Stockton Stingrays.

#### 1942: AABL–Pacific Coast League merger

* The Buffalos Bisons move to the EC North
* The Chicago Cubs, Houston Oilers and San Juan Conquistadors join the EC South
* The Oakland Sharks join the AABL as members of the WC North from the Pacific Coast League
* The Anaheim Majestics and the Stockton Stingrays join the AABL as members of the WC South
* The Los Angeles Angels move the WC North
* The Washington Nationals move to the WC North
* The Kansas City Pirates move to the WC North

#### 1943–1944

* The Toronto All-Stars replace the Philadelphia Athletics in the EC North
* The Philadelphia Athletics join the WC North
* The Tucson Aeros join the league as members of the EC South
* The Nashville Bay Sox join the league as members of the WC South

### 1945–1951: Early modern era

#### 1947: Oakland Sharks become Milwaukee Brewers

* The Oakland Sharks dissolve and are replaced by the Milwaukee Brewers

#### 1948: Cleveland and Detroit renaming

* The Cleveland Guardians replaced the Vancouver Sailors
* The Jacksonville Panther relocate and become the St. Louis Browns
* The Detroit Federals relocated to Orlando and became the Orlando Palms

#### 1949: St. Louis dissolves, Hartford and Toronto relocating

* The Texas Rangers relocate to Boston and become the Boston Red Sox
* The Hartford Shockers replaced the Cleveland Guardians
* The Toronto All-Stars relocated to Frederick becoming the Frederick Patriots

#### 1950: Anaheim Majestics become the Montreal Majestics

* The Anaheim Majestics moved to Montreal and became the Montreal Majestics

#### 1951: League relocations

* The New York Yankees relocate to Kansas City and become the Kansas City Indians
* The Nashville Bay Sox relocate to become the Sacramento Spurs
* The Hartford Shockers become the Rocky Mount Bandits
* The Washington Nationals become the Richmond Rebels
* The Frederick Patriots relocate and became the Frederick Patriots the Denver Rockets

### 1952–present: Modern era

#### 1952: Expansion to 30 teams

* The AABL will expand from 24 to 30 teams, with 5 teams in each division instead of four. The expansion cities are Phoenix, Dallas, Detroit, Honolulu, New Orleans, and Seattle.
* Division names are changed from North, Central, South to East, Central, West
* The Detroit Federals join the EC East
* The New Orleans Revolution join the EC West
* The Arizona Terrapins and Dallas Outlaws join the WC Central
* The Honolulu Sailors and Seattle Pilots join the WC West
* The Denver Rockets move from the WC Central to the EC West
* The Milwaukee Brewers move from the WC West to the WC Central
* The Orlando Palms move from the WC Central to the EC Central
* The Kansas City Indians move from the EC East to the EC West

## See also

* List of defunct and relocated AABL teams