The International League, the oldest minor league in existance, was founded in 1883 as the Interstate League, either the second or the fourth minor league formed, depending on the definition. It was reorganized as the Eastern League in 1884 and took the name International League in 1913. Usually one of the strongest minor leagues, it has boasted some legendary teams. The Baltimore Orioles of the 1910s and 1920s, owned by Jack Dunn, developed such stars as Babe Ruth (who hit only one HR in his short time in the minors), Lefty Grove, Max Bishop, and George Earnshaw. They won seven straight pennants (1919-25) by keeping many of those stars for years after they were ready for the majors. Minor league teams were still mostly independent then, not tightly controlled by major league teams. The late 1930s Newark Bears, referred to as the Yankee B-team, featured future stars Joe Gordon and Charlie Keller. Clubs in Toronto and Montreal justified the International name, and it was in Montreal, where Branch Rickey judged that racial prejudice would be less of a problem than in the States, that Jackie Robinson made his organized-baseball debut in 1946.

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In 1988 the International League combined with the American Association in the "Triple-A Alliance", playing interleague games and a postseason series. (SFS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » January 4, 1884: The newly organized Union League changes its name to the Eastern League to avoid confusion with the new Union Association. The EL continues today as the AAA International League. » March 18, 1886: The New York State League admits Buffalo, Toronto, and Hamilton. The inclusion of the Canadian teams causes the league to change its name to the International League. » December 2, 1887: The International League disbands. Syracuse, Toronto, Hamilton, and Buffalo split off to form the International Association, while Newark, Jersey City, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton become the nucleus of the Central League. » May 30, 1912: The Washington Nationals buy 1B Chick Gandil for $12,000 and two players from Montreal of the International League. He is immediately inserted in the lineup and Washington begins a 17-game winning streak—16 on the road—that will be stopped on June 19th. » July 23, 1912: Iron Man McGinnity is still pitching doubleheaders, winning a pair of games for Newark against Rochester (International League) at age 41. » April 22, 1914: At age 19, Babe Ruth's first professional game (as a pitcher) is a 6-hit 6–0 win for Baltimore (International League) over Buffalo. The 2nd batter he faces is Joe McCarthy, the manager he will play for 17 years later with New York. Ruth is 2-for-4. » January 24, 1915: In a retreat from the FL competition, the Baltimore Orioles of the International League move to Richmond, VA. With the demise of the FL, the Orioles will return to Baltimore. » February 11, 1915: The International League tries to put a team in the Bronx, but Giants president Hempstead objects. » September 13, 1922: The powerful Baltimore Orioles win their 4th straight International League pennant. The O's are paced by Lefty Grove (18–8), in his 3rd of five seasons (108–36) in Baltimore. » September 13, 1923: The White Sox buy OF Maurice Archdeacon from Rochester (International League) for $50,000. After batting .402 in 22 games, the little speed merchant will drop to .319, then to .111, then out of sight. » May 30, 1927: Reading, PA, managed by Fred Merkle, defeats Baltimore in the International League to break its 32-game losing streak. » September 20, 1930: Joe Hauser of the Baltimore Orioles (International League) sets a new minor league record by hitting his 63rd HR. » January 26, 1931: The International League accepts the open draft imposed by the major leagues. Until this time the top minor leagues could control their players and refuse to sell them. » November 13, 1931: Jacob Ruppert, Yankee owner, buys the Newark franchise in the International League. During the decade the Bears will dominate the league and send a steady stream of players to New York. » February 12, 1932: George Weiss, GM of the Baltimore Orioles (International League), joins the Yankee front office. He will eventually run the club during its years under Casey Stengel's managing. » September 9, 1933: Joe Hauser, Minneapolis (AA), hits two home runs to set all-time record of 69. Hauser also set the International League record mark at 63, with Baltimore in 1930. » July 30, 1936: Buffalo pitcher Bill Harris tosses his 2nd no hitter in the International League, stopping Newark. » December 18, 1936: The Giants purchase the Albany International League franchise and move it to Jersey City where the team will play in the new Roosevelt Stadium. Recently retired Travis Jackson will manage the team. » April 23, 1937: Jersey City, now a Giants farm team, returns to the International League with the largest crowd, 31,294, in minor league history. » April 20, 1939: A minor league attendance record is set at Jersey City as 45,112 see the Giants farm team play Newark (International League). » December 27, 1939: The New York Giants obtain infielder Mickey Witek from the Newark Bears for $40,000 and infielder Alex Kampouris and catcher Tommy Padden. New York has high hopes for Witek, the 1939 MVP in the International League. » December 2, 1943: With only nine minor leagues operating during the season, the minor league convention in New York has an incipient revolt to oust longtime head William G. Bramham in favor of Frank Shaughnessy, president of the International League, who had five pledges. But Bramham rules that 15 non operating circuits which had paid dues are eligible to vote. Five of the leagues had given proxies. A later appeal to Commissioner Landis fails. » May 4, 1944: Joe Cicero, actor Clark Gable's cousin, hits three home runs, two of which are grand slams, for 10 RBI, as Newark beats Montreal 17–8 in the International League. » February 15, 1945: Billy Southworth Jr., the son of Cards manager Billy Southworth, is killed when his B29 crashes into the water off Flushing, New York. The 27-year-old was a veteran of 25 missions in Europe, and was the first player in organized baseball to enlist in WW2. The young Southworth was a well regarded outfielder with the Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) in 1940. » April 18, 1946: Jackie Robinson debuts as 2B for the Montreal Royals (International League) and is the first recognized black in organized ball in this century. A HR and 3 singles versus Jersey City start off the season in which he will win the IL batting championship at .349. » June 24, 1946: A bus careens off a Cascade Mountain pass road, killing nine members of the Spokane (Western International League) club. Jack Lohrke, a young infielder, had gotten off the bus at its last stop before the accident, on orders to report to San Diego. The future Giant and Phil will be known ever after as Lucky. » April 1, 1947: Branch Rickey deflects pressure on Jackie Robinson by keeping him in Montreal, although it is clear the contending Dodgers can use the 1946 International League batting king. » May 18, 1948: An International League game in Jersey City draws less than 1,700 on a night a Giants' telecast is being received in 600 bars in Jersey. The minor leagues, especially in the East, are getting testy over the impact of the major leagues open television policy. » August 26, 1949: For choking an umpire in the Florida International League, Miami manager Pepper Martin is fined $100 and suspended for the remaining 2 weeks in the season. » January 12, 1950: The Yankees sell their Newark franchise to the Cubs, who will move the team to Springfield, Mass. The once-proud Bears, owned by the Yankees since 1932, finished last in the International League in 1949. » August 13, 1950: At Rochester (International League), Rochester edges Jersey City 3–2 in 22 innings. Pitchers Tom Poholsky of Rochester and Andy Tomasic of Jersey City go all the way. » September 3, 1950: Havana (Florida International League) wins its fifth straight pennant. Miami, managed by Pepper Martin, finishes second. » September 2, 1951: Tony Ponce of the Phoenix Senators (Southwest International League) hurls his 38th consecutive complete game in beating Yuma 4–2 for his 25th win of the season. » August 31, 1952: The Montreal Royals clinch the International League pennant behind the stellar pitching of lefty Tom Lasorda. » 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. » October 18, 1953: The Orioles agree to pay the International League $48,749 for its territorial rights in Baltimore. » December 22, 1953: Jack Dunn III, whose family successfully owned and operated the Orioles for years in the International League, officially turns the old team name over to the Baltimore Orioles. » January 12, 1954: The International League makes two franchises shifts as the Baltimore team is transferred to Richmond, and the Springfield, MA team moves to Havana, Cuba. » April 6, 1958: The International League votes to open its season in Havana, unless the political and social strife in Cuba worsens. » March 11, 1959: The Players Association drops its threat of a strike against the International League. » April 14, 1960: After a 9–4 Opening Day loss to the Reds, Eddie Sawyer decides he's had it with managing and quits the Phillies, stating, "I'm 49 and I want to live to be 50." He came to Philadelphia from Toronto (International League) in 1948 and has managed no other ML team. Interim manager Andy Cohen wins one game before Gene Mauch gets the job and begins a 26-year managerial career in the bigs. » July 8, 1960: The Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro brings an end to Havana's International League team. The Sugar Kings relocate in Jersey City, marking that city's return to the IL after a 10-year absence. Poor attendance at Roosevelt Stadium prompts the parent Reds to cease the minor-league operation there following the 1960 season. » May 3, 1961: In an International League game at Toronto, the home town Maple Leafs score 10 runs in the 8th inning to win 15–3. Leaf switch hitter Ellis Burton homers twice in the big inning, once from each side of the plate. His 2nd homer is a grand slam over the RF fence. Teammate Sparky Anderson scored on both home runs after reaching base on walks. » 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. » July 22, 1963: Diomedes Olivo, who will split his time between the Cards (5–6 in 1963) and Atlanta (International League) pitches a 1–0 no-hitter for Atlanta over Toronto. At "45 something" Olivo is likely the oldest pitcher in OB to toss a no-hitter. » December 2, 1963: The Indianapolis and Little Rock franchises are transferred from the International League to the Pacific Coast League. The International League is reduced to eight clubs and the Pacific Coast League membership raised to 12 clubs. » July 1, 1967: Baltimore's Jim Palmer gives up a grand slam—but its in the minors. Sent to Rochester (International League) to rehabilitate from back problems, Rochester manager Earl Weaver starts the 21-year-old against Buffalo, in a game moved to Niagara Falls because of racial disturbances on Buffalo's east side. Palmer is given a 7–0 lead, but the Bisons score five runs in the 3rd, four coming home on a grand slam by Johnny Bench. Rochester hangs on to win, 10–8. » 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). » July 19, 1969: At War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo, a knife-wielding gang takes over the club house during batting practice. The International League game is postponed due to "threatening weather." » September 19, 1970: Syracuse (International League) beats Omaha (American Association) 5–3 in 11 innings, thereby winning the Junior World Series. » May 14, 1971: Syracuse blows its 11–1 lead in an International League game as Winnipeg gets nine home runs to tie the game at 13. Syracuse finally wins 15–13 in the 12th inning. » 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. » March 5, 1975: Tony Conigliaro signs a contract with Pawtucket (International League) in an attempt to make a comeback. » April 18, 1981: The Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings (International League) play 32 innings before suspending play at 4:07 a.m. on April 19th with the score tied 2–2. The game is already the longest in professional baseball history, surpassing a 29-inning Florida State League contest in 1966, and will be resumed on June 23rd. » June 29, 1983: Mark Fidrych, in the 2nd year of an extended comeback attempt with the Pawtucket Red Sox (International League), retires. The 1976 American League Rookie of the Year was 2–5 with a 9.68 ERA. » September 4, 1991: Infielders Shane Turner and Tommy Shields both play all nine positions for the Rochester Red Wings in their season finale, an 8–0 win against Syracuse of the Class AAA International League. » July 17, 1994: The Richmond Braves defeat the Norfolk Tides, 3-2 in 12 innings, in a Class AAA International League game. The contest is marked by a brawl in the 8th inning in which both dugouts empty and one player is ejected. A new anti-fighting policy in the minors mandates fines and suspensions for any player who leaves his position, the dugout, or the bullpen during a fight. IL president suspends and fines 35 players for their actions. » April 20, 1995: The Pirates release Tim Wakefield, 8–1 in 1993 and the National League Rookie pitcher of the Year. The knuckleballer started the 1994 opener, but spent most of the season in Buffalo (International League) going 5–15, and was shelled in his only start this spring. Wakefield will be picked up by the Red Sox. » 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. » May 31, 1998: At Toledo (International League), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre downs the Mud Hens, 26-4. The Barons collect seven home runs and 27 hits, led by DH Bobby Estalella who goes 5-for-6 with two doubles and a home run. » June 1, 2000: Japanese righthander Tomokazu Ohka, a top prospect with the Pawtucket Red Sox, becomes the first pitcher in nearly 50 years to throw a 9-inning perfect game in the International League. Ohka retired all 27 batters he faced in a 2-0 triumph over the Charlotte Knights. The 24-year-old Ohka needs just 76 pitches to toss the first nine-inning perfect game in the IL since Dick Marlowe did it for Buffalo in 1952.