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The American Association was formed by mid-western clubs who resented the National League's ban on beer and Sunday baseball. Dominated by the St. Louis Browns of brewing magnate Chris von der Ahe, the league thrived, quickly making peace with the NL. However, the Players' League revolt undid the AA, which (on the advice of the NL) expanded to 12 teams in 1890 to directly compete with the PL, a disastrous move that exacerbated the ills of that strife-torn year and led to the AA's being absorbed by the NL after the 1891 season. (SH)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » November 2, 1881: The American Association of Professionals is founded with the motto "Liberty to All." The members are St. Louis, Cincinnati, Louisville, Allegheny, Athletic, and Atlantic. This AA will be considered a major league. » March 11, 1882: In retaliation for the "theft" of Sam Wise and Dasher Troy by the NL, the American Association creates a loophole allowing all players either blacklisted or expelled by the NL to join AA clubs after appealing to a special commission. » March 2, 1886: The American Association meets and overrules president Denny McKnight (also owner of the Pittsburgh club) and suspends Sam Barkley for signing with Pittsburgh before the dispute over his sale is settled. » January 17, 1888: Kansas City is admitted to the American Association to replace the Mets. Even though the Mets were bought out by Brooklyn, their franchise is only considered suspended until suitable playing facilities in Manhattan can be found. » December 17, 1891: The American Association passes out of existence after ten years as a settlement is finally reached. Four AA clubs (St. Louis, Louisville, Washington, and Baltimore) join with the National League eight in a 12-club league formally styled "The National League and American Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs." The other four AA clubs are bought out for about $130,000. The NL will allow Sunday games for the first time but will retain its 50 cent minimum admission price. » November 16, 1894: Managers Al Buckenberger (Pittsburgh) and William Barnie (Louisville) and Louisville star Fred Pfeffer are expelled from the National League for planning with officials of the proposed American Association (previously called the National Association). The two managers are reinstated before the end of the year, but Pfeffer must wait until the end of February 1895 before he is welcomed back into the fold. » November 4, 1899: Representatives of seven cities meet in New York regarding the proposed new American Association. Attention focuses on what other city might become the 8th franchise. » January 30, 1902: Dashing Tony Mullane, the first player to have jumped the reserve rule by signing with the St. Louis Unions of the Union Association in 1883, signs a contract with Toledo, of the new American Association (AAA). » April 20, 1902: In an exhibition match in Chicago, the Milwaukee Brewers top the White Stockings, 3-2. Chuck Comiskey scheduled the tune-up with the American Association squad after the Brewers took three straight from the Cincinnati Reds. » July 22, 1911: The Pirates pay St. Paul of the American Association $22,500 for righthander Marty O'Toole, the highest purchase to date. Barney Dreyfuss spends another $5,000 for his batterymate Billy Kelly. In 1912, O'Toole will be 15–17 and lead the NL with 159 walks. He will last only two more years. » September 16, 1919: Dutch Ruether beats the Giants 4-3 to clinch the Reds' first pennant since American Association days. » March 8, 1923: Judge Landis allows former Giants lefthanded P Rube Benton to return to the NL. Benton had admitted prior knowledge of the 1919 WS fix, but he remained in baseball, winning 22 for St. Paul (American Association). NL President Heydler disagrees with Landis, calling Benton "undesirable," but does not stop the Reds from signing him. Benton, 35, will be 14-10 for the 2nd-place Reds. » October 12, 1925: Louisville manager Joe McCarthy (American Association) is named to manage the Chicago Cubs. » December 5, 1927: In an attempt to combat "chain store" baseball, the American Association votes to bar further ownership of its clubs by the ML clubs. » September 15, 1929: In a field day trial, former college track star Reds LF Evar Swanson circles the bases in 13.3 seconds. Two years later, with more sophisticated equipment timing him, he will do it in 13.2 while with Columbus (American Association). » April 27, 1930: Bud Clancy, White Sox 1B, enters record books without doing a thing. He has no chances in a 9-inning game against St. Louis. The last player to have a game with no plays at 1B was Al McCauley of Washington (American Association) in 1891. » November 10, 1932: Donie Bush, pennant-winning manager of Minneapolis (American Association), is named manager of the Cincinnati Reds. » July 11, 1938: The Dodgers buy former major-league hurler Whitlow Wyatt from Milwaukee (American Association). » May 5, 1944: Charlie Grimm resigns as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in the American Association to take over the Cubs. Casey Stengel is named manager in Milwaukee. » May 23, 1944: Milwaukee defeats Toledo 28–0 in an American Association game. » December 10, 1945: At the annual meeting the major leagues head off the quest of the PCL for major status and more territorial protection for upper minors by a new AAA classification for the PCL, American Association, and International Leagues. The Eastern and Texas Leagues are promoted from Class A to AA. The Southern Atlantic League moves to Class A from B. » January 1, 1946: George Trautman, head of the American Association, becomes general manager of Detroit, succeeding Jack Zeller, who retires after 25 years with the Tigers. » September 14, 1946: Roy Hamey, president of the American Association, is named general manager of the Pirates by its new owners. » May 24, 1949: Striking out the last six St. Paul batters, Maurice McDermott of Louisville (American Association) fans a total of 20 for a new league record. McDermott wins, 3–1, striking out the side in the 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th innings. » June 27, 1950: At Toledo (American Association), Marlin Stuart of Toledo pitches a 1-0 perfect game against Indianapolis. It is the 2nd perfect game in league history. The Tigers will recall Stuart. » July 27, 1950: Former Dodger great Kirby "Koiby" Higbe hurls a no-hitter for the Minneapolis Millers (American Association) against the Columbus Clippers. » November 28, 1952: IL President Frank Shaughnessy reveals plans to form two new major leagues by merging the top teams in the American Association and the top teams from the International League. He thinks that in five to six years, ML baseball will elevate these two leagues, along with the Pacific Coast League, which nearly has ML status now. » December 16, 1953: In a ten-player trade, the Yankees send 1B Vic Power, infielders Jimmy Finigan and Don Bollweg, OF Bill Renna, C Jim Robertson, and P John Gray to the A's. Philadelphia packs veteran 1B Eddie Robinson, Loren Babe, P Harry Byrd, and outfielders Tom Hamilton and Carmen Mauro to New York. Byrd, who won 26 games in two years for the A's, will never match his wins in New York. The stylish Power, the American Association batting leader in 1953, will win seven Gold Gloves and make the All-Star team four times. » September 29, 1958: Minneapolis (American Association) wins the Little World Series, defeating the IL champs, the Montreal Royals, in four straight games. This is the 4th time in a row the AA has won the title. » December 4, 1958: The American Association expands to 10 teams by admitting Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth from the Texas League. This effectively denudes the Texas League, leaving it with five teams and a vacancy. » January 9, 1961: The new Minnesota Twins and the American Association finally agree on a $500,000 indemnity payment to the minor league for the Minneapolis/St. Paul territory, ending two months of negotiation. » June 23, 1961: Louisville's Howie Bedell's 43-game hit streak ends against Dallas-Fort Worth. Bedell ties the record of Eddie Marshall for the American Association's longest hitting streak. » November 29, 1962: After 61 years, the American Association (AAA) folds, with some of the franchises being absorbed by the International League and the Pacific Coast League. The PCL adds the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX; Denver, CO and Oklahoma City, OK Clubs and drops the Vancouver, BC club. The International League adds the Indianapolis, IN and Little Rock, AK clubs. As a result, both leagues became ten club leagues. » April 18, 1969: The American Association opens the season using the DPH rule, which the major leagues dropped near the end of spring training. The DPH will also be used in International League (AAA), the Eastern League (AA), and the Arizona Instructional League. Larry Osborne (Omaha; 0-4,1 BB, one run) and John Brandt (0-4) are the ones in Oklahoma City. Denver's Charles Weatherspoon (1-4) and William Wolff (1-3, one BB) are the DPHers in Tulsa. Tulsa manager Warren Spahn calls the DPH rule "terrible." (as noted by John Lewis). » September 19, 1970: Syracuse (International League) beats Omaha (American Association) 5–3 in 11 innings, thereby winning the Junior World Series. » September 22, 1971: Rochester (International League) beats Denver (American Association) 9–6 to win the Junior World Series, four games to 3. » September 21, 1973: Jim Rice's 3-run home run is the key blow as Pawtucket (International League) defeats Tulsa (American Association) 5–2 to win the Junior World Series. » February 21, 1974: Today in Charles Schulz's syndicated cartoon strip "Peanuts" Snoopy declares, " I have a trivia question that will drive Woodstock up the wall." In the next frame: " Who played shortstop for St. Paul when they won the American Association pennant in 1938?" After Woodstock answers, Snoopy shakes his head in amazement: "How did he ever hear of Ollie Bejma?" Bejma, who played for Schultz' home town team, was the co-MVP with teammate Whitlow Wyatt in 1938 (beating out Triple Crown winner Ted Williams) before playing for the White Sox. » October 25, 1977: The Cards get Frank Riccelli from the Giants. To complete the deal, St. Louis will sell Jim Dwyer, who led the American Association in hitting and runs in 1977, to the Giants on June 15, 1978. » May 26, 1978: Silvio Martinez, making his last start for Springfield (American Association) before joining the Cardinals, no-hits Omaha 4–0. » August 27, 1980: Pitcher and coach Hub Kittle becomes the oldest man to play in an organized baseball game when he starts for Springfield (American Association) against Iowa at the age of 63 years and six months. Kittle retires the side in the first inning, then tosses one pitch to retire a batter in the 2nd frame before exiting. » August 25, 1983: The Louisville Redbirds (American Association) become the first minor league team to draw one million fans in a season, as 31,258 watch them beat Evansville 7–0 to clinch the Eastern Division title. Louisville will finish the season with an attendance of 1,052,438. » May 9, 1990: Louisville OF Bernard Gilkey sets an American Association record by collecting three hits—2 singles and a home run—in the Redbird's 16-run 3rd inning against the Nashville Sounds. 21 players collect 14 hits in the frame. The Redbirds win 18–4 after losing to the Sounds yesterday, 17–5. » May 2, 1993: The Triple-A American Association game between Iowa and Buffalo is called because of a toxic cloud in Des Moines. The area around the stadium is evacuated when several barrels of chemicals explode during a fire, releasing toxic fumes. » August 9, 1997: Toledo (American Association) tops visiting Richmond, 11–10, 13 innings. Mudhen LF Bubba Trammell is four for seven with four home runs and five RBIs. Trammell homers in the 9th inning to tie the game and again in the 13th inning to win it. » September 10, 1997: The American Association's plays its final game Wednesday night in Des Moines, Iowa with the Buffalo Bisons defeating the Iowa Cubs for the final American Association title. The Association's existing teams will merge with the International League and the perhaps "to-be-newly named" Pacific Coast League in 1998.