International League

The International League (IL) is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States and Canada. Like the Pacific Coast League, it plays at the AAA (Triple-A) level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. The league was created from the mergers of member teams from three precursor leagues, the Eastern League, founded in 1884 (which brought Richmond, Virginia), the New York State League, formed in 1885 (which brought Rochester, New York and Syracuse, New York), and the Ontario League, also organized in 1885.

Early History of the International Leauge

The New York State and Ontario Leagues merged in 1886 to form the International League, and Buffalo, New York entered the league when it was granted a franchise after moving from the National League. In 1887 the Eastern League and its Newark, New Jersey and Jersey City, New Jersey franchises were absorbed to complete the International League and create a ten-club league, with Scranton, Pennsylvania and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania replacing former New York State League cities, Oswego, New York and Utica, New York.

Related Topics:
Buffalo, New York - National League - Newark, New Jersey - Jersey City, New Jersey - Scranton, Pennsylvania - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania - Oswego, New York - Utica, New York

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Unfortunately, the league collapsed soon afterwards, when the northern teams claimed that it was too onerous to travel to the south, and left the league. They formed the International Association in 1888, with its members in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Toronto, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Albany, New York, Troy, New York and London, Ontario. In 1889 Toledo, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan replaced the Albany and Troy franchises.

Related Topics:
International Association - Toronto, Ontario - Hamilton, Ontario - Albany, New York - Troy, New York - London, Ontario - Toledo, Ohio - Detroit, Michigan

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Baseball's most expensive war broke out in 1890 when major league players organized their own Players League in competition with the National League and then major-league American Association. Buffalo jumped to the rival league while Rochester, Syracuse and Toledo accepted bids from the American.

Related Topics:
Players League - American Association

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Bidding for players by the three leagues led to widespread contract jumping as salaries skyrocketed. An effort to sustain an International League club in Buffalo collapsed shortly after the start of the season. The Bisons shifted to Montreal, Quebec, met little success, moved on to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Later the Hamilton franchise was brought to Montreal and hung on until the League folded on July 7. This was the only time the International disbanded before season's end. Charles D. White, League President in 1890, reorganized the circuit in 1891 as the Eastern Association.

Related Topics:
Montreal, Quebec - Grand Rapids, Michigan - Charles D. White - Eastern Association

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The Eastern Association?s members that are still exisiting today included only Rochester and Syracuse. The league?s title was changed to the Eastern League in 1892, a year of economic depression, and only six of the eight franchises that began the season actually finished it.

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In 1893 Pat Powers began a 17-year tenure of office as League President. He served until 1911, except for a one-year term in 1906 by Harry L. Taylor of Buffalo, later a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court. Under Powers? reign the International League became an institution. Starting with Buffalo, Rochester, Toronto, and Providence, Rhode Island, the league added other franchises over the next few years, as Springfield, Massachusetts (1983) Wilkes-Barre (also 1893), Syracuse (1894) and Scranton (1895) joined the league.

Related Topics:
Pat Powers - Harry L. Taylor - New York State Supreme Court - Providence, Rhode Island - Springfield, Massachusetts

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For a few years Rochester was a vagabond franchise. Fire destroyed their ballpark during the 1897 season, and the Jingos finished their home schedule in Montreal under an agreement to return to Rochester in 1898. But before the season ended, the city took strongly to baseball and refused to relinquish the franchise. Rochester wound up buying the Scranton membership to stay in the League, but they moved to Ottawa, Ontario for the season instead. The Canadian capital was not ready for the sport and the franchise moved back to Rochester the next year.

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In 1899, the Western League, which would become the American League, began to lay its plans for major status. An early maneuver by Ban Johnson was to annex the Buffalo territory from the International League. Wilkes-Barre also withdrew and replacements were found in Hartford, Connecticut and Worcester, Massachusetts.

Related Topics:
Western League - American League - Ban Johnson - Hartford, Connecticut - Worcester, Massachusetts

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