American Association (1902–1997)
Class A (1903–1911) | |
Sport | Baseball |
---|---|
Founded | 1902 |
Ceased | 1997 |
No. of teams | 30 (total) |
Country | United States |
Last champion(s) | Buffalo Bisons (1997) |
Most titles | Louisville Colonels (15) |
The American Association (AA) was a
A league champion was determined at the end of every season. The Louisville Colonels won 15 American Association titles, the most in the league's history, followed by the Indianapolis Indians (12) and the Columbus Red Birds (10).
Intermittently throughout its history, the American Association champion competed against the champion of the
History
First run (1902–1962)
The American Association was formed in the fall of 1901 by Thomas J. Hickey, who had recently been appointed president of the
The American Association became members of the National Association after two seasons and was then classified as a
In 1914, the newly-formed
Much like other professional sports at the time, the 1920s were a golden age for the American Association. The league drew record crowds that witnessed fast-paced games usually dominated by offence. This success, as well as its forthcoming innovations, positioned the AA to fare well during the
Until 1931, the league champions were simply the regular season pennant winners. In 1932, the first playoffs were introduced for determining champions. The league was divided into two divisions with the top team in each division meeting in a best-of-seven series to determine a winner. The Columbus Red Birds beat the Minneapolis Millers, four games to two, for the first AA playoff championship.[14] The system was utilized again in 1933, but abandoned when Columbus again bested Minneapolis and advanced to play in the Junior World Series despite the Millers having the best record.[13] No playoffs were held in 1935. In 1936, the league adopted the Shaughnessy playoff system in which the top four teams qualified for postseason play. The AA would still recognize a pennant winner, but the playoff champion would represent the league at the Junior World Series and be the recipient of a Governors' Cup.[15] In the semi-finals, Indianapolis ousted St. Paul, and the Milwaukee Brewers swept the Kansas City Blues. The Brewers went on to defeat the Indians, four games to one.[16]
Unlike other minor leagues, the American Association survived the 1930s as the only circuit to play its full season schedule without stoppage, reducing its membership, or any teams disbanding.[17] As with other leagues, it suffered from low attendance and a lesser quality of play during World War II, but quickly returned to a period of prosperity after the war.[18] In 1946, the AA was reclassified again, this time as a Triple-A league.[5]
During the 1948 season, Brooklyn Dodger
The American Association's attendance base began to be eroded significantly in the 1950s and early 1960s due to expansion and westward migration of Major League Baseball teams into several of the AA's larger member cities, especially Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Another contributing factor was the increased frequency of televised games, both of MLB teams and the AA's own clubs, enticing fans to watch baseball from the comfort of their own homes.
After the 1962 season, the American Association disbanded, and some of its member teams were distributed between the
Second run (1969–1997)
With major league expansion in 1969 and the need for four new Triple-A farm teams, the American Association was revived. The creation of a third Triple-A league would alleviate some of the travel costs incurred by having only two leagues spread out across the country.
The 1970s were a stable time for the Association with strong attendance and only minor franchise shifts.
From 1988 to 1991, the Association participated in interleague play with the International League as a part of the Triple-A Alliance.[35] The two leagues played an interlocking schedule consisting of 40 to 44 interleague games per team. At the end of each season, an Alliance champion was determined in the Triple-A Classic, a best-of-seven postseason series.[36] All three Triple-A leagues, began participating in the Triple-A All-Star Game in 1988.[37] The first of these events was held at the Buffalo Bisons' newly-constructed Pilot Field on July 13, 1988. In the inaugural game, a team of American League-affiliated All-Stars defeated a team of National League affiliates, 2–1.[37] High attendance in Buffalo and across the league helped the Association draw over 3.6 million fans in both 1988 and 1989, the highest ever recorded by a minor league.[38]
The further expansion of Major League Baseball in 1998 spurred the re-alignment of the Triple-A classification from three leagues to two. The American Association disbanded for the second time following the 1997 season. The league's final championship was won by the Buffalo Bisons, who still possess the trophy. The AA's teams were again distributed to the remaining leagues for the 1998 season. The
Interleague play
On and off, the American Association champion played against the International League's champion in a postseason series similar to Major League Baseball's
From 1988 until the league's demise in 1997, players from all three Triple-A leagues were selected to play in the mid-season Triple-A All-Star Game. One team was made up of All-Stars from American League affiliates and the other of National League affiliates.[37][42]
Teams
1902–1962 Timeline
1969–1997 Timeline
|
Presidents
Fifteen presidents led the American Association:[43][44]
- 1902–1903: Thomas J. Hickey
- 1904: J. Ed Grillo
- 1905–1909: Joseph D. O'Brien
- 1910–1916: Thomas M. Chivington
- 1917–1934: Thomas J. Hickey
- 1935–1944: George M. Troutman
- 1945–1947: Roy Hamey
- 1948–1952: Bruce Dudley
- 1953–1959: Ed Doherty
- 1960–1962: James Burris
- 1969–1971: Allie Reynolds
- 1972–1987: Joe Ryan
- 1988–1989: Ken Grandquist
- 1990–1991: Randy Mobley
- 1991–1997: Branch B. Rickey
Champions
Awards
The American Association regularly honored outstanding players and team personnel at the end of each season.
MVP Award
The
Most Valuable Pitcher Award
The
Rookie of the Year Award
The Rookie of the Year Award, introduced in 1946, was given to the best rookie player in the league. The first award was presented to first baseman Jerry Witte of the Toledo Mud Hens. The final award was given to outfielder and league MVP Magglio Ordóñez of the Nashville Sounds.[45]
Manager of the Year Award
The Manager of the Year Award, introduced in 1945, was given to honor the best manager in the league. The first award went to George Selkirk of the Toledo Sox. The final award was issued to Dave Miley of the Indianapolis Indians.[45]
See also
References
Specific
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 3.
- ^ a b O'Neal 1991, p. 3–4.
- ^ a b O'Neal 1991, p. 4.
- ^ a b c "American Association Playoff Results". Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c "American Association (AAA) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c O'Neal 1991, p. 21.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 21–23.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 30–32.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 37–38.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 39–40.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 63–65.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 66.
- ^ a b O'Neal 1991, p. 75.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 71–74.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 78.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 80–81.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 87–88.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 98.
- ^ "Top Five Black Players In St. Paul Saints History". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ Borzi, Pat (2019-05-17). "With City of Baseball Museum, the Saints add a side of history to CHS Field". MinnPost. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 108–109.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 115.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 116.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 128–131.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 121–124.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 139–140.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 140.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 141.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 144–145.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 152–153.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 162–163.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 170.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 171.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 174.
- ^ Peterson, Randy (July 10, 1991). "Triple-A Alliance Breaking Up". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. p. 2S. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
- ^ "Notable Events in American Association History". Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Triple-A All-Star Game Results (1988–1992)". Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 199.
- ^ "Notable Events in American Association History". Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 363–364.
- ^ "Triple-A Baseball Interleague Post-Season Play Results". Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ^ "Triple-A All-Star Game Results (1993–1997)". Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ O'Neal 1991, p. 364.
- ^ "Staff and League Directors". Pacific Coast League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "American Association Special Award Winners". Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
General
- O'Neal, Bill (1991). The American Association: A Baseball History, 1902–1991. Eakin Press. ISBN 0-89015-812-6.
- "American Association (AAA) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved October 18, 2019.