Timeline of Major League Baseball

The following is a timeline of franchise evolution in Major League Baseball. The histories of franchises in the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP), National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NA), Union Association (UA), and American Association (AA) before they joined the National League are also included. The charter members of the American League had all been members of the minor league Western League prior to it becoming a competing major league.

The first line is the formation of the National League in 1876, and the second is the transformation of the American League to a major league in 1901. The third line is the beginning of the expansion era in 1961.

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Period = from:1855 till:2008TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyyScaleMajor = start:1860 increment:10 gridcolor:majorGridColor

LineData = at:1876 color:lineColor #Formation of NL at:1901 color:lineColor #Formation of AL at:1961 color:lineColor #Expansion Era Begins

BarData = bar:MNY # Mutual of New York bar:AOP # Athletic of Philidelphia bar:CHC # Chicago White Stockings / Colts / Orphans / Cubs bar:ATL # Boston Red Stockings / Beaneaters / Doves / Rustlers / Braves / Bees / Milwaukee Braves / Atlanta Braves bar:HAR # Hartford Dark Blues / Brooklyn Hartfords bar:SLBS # Saint Louis Brown Stockings bar:CINR # Cincinnati Red Stockings bar:LOU # Louisville Grays bar:IND # Indianapolis Blues bar:MILG # Milwaukee Grays bar:PRO # Providence Grays bar:BUF # Buffalo Bisons bar:CLEB # Cleaveland Blues bar:SYR # Syracuse Stars bar:TRY # Troy Trojans bar:WRC # Worchester Worchesters bar:DETW # Detroit Wolverines bar:SF # New York Giants / San Francisco Giants bar:PHI # Philadelphia Phillies bar:SLM # Saint Louis Maroons bar:KCC # Kansas City Cowboys bar:WSHN # Washington Nationals bar:INDH # Indianapolis Hoosiers bar:PIT # Pittsburg Pirates bar:CLES # Cleaveland Spiders bar:CIN # Cincinnati Reds bar:LAD # Brooklyn Dodgers / Los Angeles Dodgers bar:BALO # Baltimore Orioles (AA) bar:LOUC # Louisville Cardinals bar:STL # Saint Louis Browns / Cardinals bar:WSHS # Washington Senators bar:NYY # Baltimore Orioles / New York Highlanders / Yankees bar:BOS # Boston Americans / Red Sox bar:CWS # Chicago White Sox bar:CLE # Cleveland Blues / Bronchos / Naps / Indians bar:DET # Detroit Tigers bar:BAL # Milwaukee Brewers / Saint Louis Browns / Baltimore Orioles bar:OAK # Philadelphia Athletics / Kansas City Athletics / Oakland Athletics bar:MIN # Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins bar:TEX # Washington Senators / Texas Rangers bar:LAA # Los Angeles Angels / California Angels / Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim bar:NYM # New York Mets bar:HOU # Houston Colt .45s / Houston Astros bar:KC #Kansas City Royals bar:MIL # Seattle Pilots / Milwaukee Brewers bar:SD # San Diego Padres bar:WSH # Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals bar:SEA # Seattle Mariners bar:TOR # Toronto Blue Jays bar:COL # Colorado Rockies bar:FLA #Florida Marlins bar:ARI # Arizona Diamondbacks bar:TB # Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Tampa Bay Rays

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# Note on dates: A team's bar begins with the season that team played its first game, and ends with the season after that team played its last game. For example, the Cincinnati Red Stockings played their first game in 1876, the first season of the National League, and played their last game in 1880. Therefore, their bar goes from 1876 to 1881.

# --- Charter NL Franchises in 1876 bar:MNY from:1857 till:1871 color:nl1 text:"(NABBP)" bar:MNY from:1871 till:1876 color:nl1 text:"(NA)" bar:MNY from:1876 till:1877 color:green text:"New York Mutuals" $Right

bar:AOP from:1860 till:1871 color:nl1 text:"(NABBP)" bar:AOP from:1871 till:1876 color:nl1 text:"(NA)" bar:AOP from:1876 till:1877 color:blue text:"Athletic of Philadelphia" $Right

bar:ATL from:1876 till:end link:/wiki/Atlanta_Braves bar:ATL from:1871 till:1876 color:nl1 text:"(NA)" $Left bar:ATL from:1876 till:1883 color:red text:"Boston~Red Stockings" $Up bar:ATL from:1883 till:1907 color:red2 text:"Boston ~Beaneaters " textcolor:navy $Up bar:ATL from:1907 till:1911 color:red text:"Boston~Doves" $UpLeft bar:ATL from:1911 till:1912 color:red2 text:"Boston~Rustlers" $UpRight bar:ATL from:1912 till:1936 color:red text:" Boston~ Braves" $Up bar:ATL from:1936 till:1941 color:vegasgold text:"Boston~Bees" textcolor:navy $Up bar:ATL from:1941 till:1953 color:red2 text:"Boston~Braves" textcolor:navy $Up bar:ATL from:1953 till:1966 color:red text:"Milwaukee~Braves" textcolor:navy $Up bar:ATL from:1966 till:end color:red2 text:"Atlanta Braves" textcolor:navy

bar:CHC from:1876 till:end link:/wiki/Chicago_Cubs bar:CHC from:1870 till:1871 color:nl1 text:"(NABBP)" $Left bar:CHC from:1874 till:1876 color:nl1 text:"(NA)" $Up bar:CHC from:1876 till:1890 color:black text:"Chicago~White Stockings" textcolor:white $Up bar:CHC from:1890 till:1898 color:gray text:"Chicago~Colts" textcolor:white $Up bar:CHC from:1898 till:1902 color:navy text:"Chicago ~Orphans " textcolor:white $UpRight bar:CHC from:1902 till:end color:darkblue text:"Chicago Cubs" textcolor:red2

bar:CINR from:1876 till:1881 color:red text:"Cincinnati Red Stockings" $Right

bar:HAR from:1874 till:1876 color:nl1 text:"(NA)" $Left bar:HAR from:1876 till:1877 color:darkblue text:"Hartford Dark Blues" $UpRight bar:HAR from:1877 till:1878 color:navy text:"Brooklyn Hartfords" $DownRight

bar:LOU from:1876 till:1878 color:gray text:"Louisville Grays" $Right

bar:SLBS from:1875 till:1876 color:nl1 text:"(NA)" $Left bar:SLBS from:1876 till:1878 color:brown text:"Saint Louis Brown Stockings" $Right

# --- 1878 bar:IND from:1878 till:1879 color:blue text:"Indianapolis Blues" $Right

bar:MILG from:1878 till:1879 color:gray text:"Milwaukee Grays" $Right

bar:PRO from:1878 till:1886 color:skyblue text:"Providence Grays" $Right

# --- 1879 bar:BUF from:1879 till:1886 color:gray2 text:"Buffalo Bisons" $Right

bar:CLEB from:1879 till:1885 color:navy text:"Cleveland Blues" $Right

bar:SYR from:1879 till:1880 color:yellow text:"Syracuse Stars" $Right

bar:TRY from:1879 till:1883 color:green text:"Troy Trojans" $Right

# --- 1880 bar:WRC from:1880 till:1883 color:brown text:"Worchester Worchesters" $Right

# --- 1881 bar:DETW from:1881 till:1889 color:vegasgold text:"Detroit Wolverines" $Right

# --- 1883 bar:SF from:1883 till:end link:/wiki/San_Francisco_Giants bar:SF from:1883 till:1885 color:black text:"New York Gothams" $Left bar:SF from:1885 till:1958 color:orange text:"New York Giants" bar:SF from:1958 till:end color:black text:"San Francisco Giants" textcolor:orange

bar:PHI from:1883 till:end link:/wiki/Philadelphia_Phillies bar:PHI from:1883 till:end color:red2 text:"Philadelphia Phillies" textcolor:white

# --- 1884 bar:SLM from:1884 till:1885 color:nl1 text:"(UA)" $Left bar:SLM from:1885 till:1887 color:darkred text:"Saint Louis Maroons" $Right

# --- 1886 bar:KCC from:1886 till:1887 color:oceanblue text:"Kansas City Cowboys" $Right

bar:WSHN from:1886 till:1890 color:darkblue text:"Washington Nationals" $Right

# --- 1887 bar:INDH from:1887 till:1890 color:navy text:"Indianapolis Hoosiers" $Right

bar:PIT from:1887 till:end link:/wiki/Pittsburgh_Pirates bar:PIT from:1882 till:1887 color:nl1 text:"(AA)" $Left bar:PIT from:1887 till:1890 color:yelloworange text:"Pittsburg Alleghenys" $UpRight bar:PIT from:1890 till:1891 color:yellow text:"Pittsburg Innocents" $DownRight bar:PIT from:1891 till:end color:yelloworange text:"Pittsburgh Pirates"

# --- 1889 bar:CLES from:1889 till:1900 link:/wiki/Cleveland_Spiders bar:CLES from:1887 till:1889 color:nl1 text:"(AA)" $Left bar:CLES from:1889 till:1900 color:black text:"Cleveland~Spiders" textcolor:white $Up

# --- 1890 bar:CIN from:1890 till:end link:/wiki/Cincinnati_Reds bar:CIN from:1882 till:1890 color:nl1 text:"(AA)" bar:CIN from:1890 till:1953 color:red text:"Cincinnati Reds" textcolor:white bar:CIN from:1953 till:1958 color:red2 text:"Cincinnati~Redlegs" textcolor:white $Up bar:CIN from:1958 till:end color:red text:"Cincinnati Reds" textcolor:white

bar:LAD from:1890 till:end link:/wiki/Los_Angeles_Dodgers bar:LAD from:1884 till:1885 color:nl1 text:"Brooklyn (AA)" $UpLeft bar:LAD from:1885 till:1888 color:nl1 bar:LAD from:1888 till:1890 color:nl1 bar:LAD from:1890 till:1896 color:navy text:"Brooklyn Grooms " textcolor:gray $Down bar:LAD from:1896 till:1899 color:darkblue text:"Bridegrooms " textcolor:white $Up bar:LAD from:1899 till:1914 color:navy text:" Brooklyn~ Superbas" textcolor:white $Up bar:LAD from:1914 till:1932 color:darkblue text:"Brooklyn~Robins" textcolor:white $Up bar:LAD from:1932 till:1958 color:navy text:"Brooklyn Dodgers" textcolor:white bar:LAD from:1958 till:end color:darkblue text:"Los Angeles Dodgers" textcolor:white

# --- AA Merger bar:BALO from:1882 till:1892 color:nl1 text:"(AA)" bar:BALO from:1892 till:1900 color:orange text:"Baltimore Orioles" $Right

bar:LOUC from:1882 till:1885 color:nl1 text:"Louisville Eclipse (AA)" $Left bar:LOUC from:1885 till:1892 color:nl1 text:"(AA)" bar:LOUC from:1892 till:1900 color:gray text:"Louisville Colonels" $Right

bar:STL from:1892 till:end link:/wiki/St._Louis_Cardinals bar:STL from:1882 till:1892 color:nl1 text:"(AA)" $Left bar:STL from:1892 till:1900 color:brown text:"Saint Louis~Brown Stockings" $Up bar:STL from:1900 till:end color:red2 text:"Saint Louis Cardinals"

bar:WSHS from:1891 till:1892 color:nl1 text:"Washington Statesmen (AA)" $Left bar:WSHS from:1892 till:1900 color:darkblue text:"Washington Senators" $Right
# --- Charter Members of the American League bar:NYY from:1901 till:end link:/wiki/New_York_Yankees bar:NYY from:1901 till:1903 color:orange text:"Baltimore Orioles" $Left bar:NYY from:1903 till:1912 color:gray text:"New York~Highlanders" textcolor:white $Up bar:NYY from:1912 till:end color:navy text:"New York Yankees" textcolor:white

bar:BOS from:1901 till:end link:/wiki/Boston_Red_Sox bar:BOS from:1901 till:1908 color:darkred text:"Boston Americans" $Left bar:BOS from:1908 till:end color:red text:"Boston Red Sox"

bar:CWS from:1901 till:end link:/wiki/Chicago_White_Sox bar:CWS from:1901 till:end color:black text:"Chicago White Sox" textcolor:white

bar:CLE from:1901 till:end link:/wiki/Cleveland_Indians bar:CLE from:1901 till:1902 color:darkblue text:"Cleveland Blues" $Left bar:CLE from:1902 till:1915 color:red text:"Cleveland~Naps" textcolor:navy $Up bar:CLE from:1915 till:end color:red2 text:"Cleveland Indians" textcolor:navy

bar:DET from:1901 till:end link:/wiki/Detroit_Tigers bar:DET from:1901 till:end color:navy text:"Detroit Tigers" textcolor:orange

bar:BAL from:1901 till:end link:/wiki/Baltimore_Orioles bar:BAL from:1901 till:1902 color:vegasgold text:"Milwaukee Brewers" $Left bar:BAL from:1902 till:1954 color:brown text:"Saint Louis Browns" textcolor:white bar:BAL from:1954 till:end color:orange text:"Baltimore Orioles"

bar:OAK from:1901 till:end link:/wiki/Oakland_Athletics bar:OAK from:1901 till:1955 color:blue text:"Philadelphia Athletics" textcolor:vegasgold bar:OAK from:1955 till:1968 color:oceanblue text:"Kansas City~Athletics" textcolor:gold $Up bar:OAK from:1968 till:end color:kelleygreen text:"Oakland Athletics" textcolor:yellow2

bar:MIN from:1901 till:end link:/wiki/Minnesota_Twins bar:MIN from:1901 till:1961 color:darkblue text:"Washington Senators" textcolor:white bar:MIN from:1961 till:end color:skyblue text:"Minnesota Twins" textcolor:red

# --- 1961 Expansion bar:TEX from:1961 till:end link:/wiki/Texas_Rangers bar:TEX from:1961 till:1972 color:darkblue text:"Washington Senators" $Left bar:TEX from:1972 till:end color:oceanblue text:"Texas Rangers" textcolor:darkred

bar:LAA from:1961 till:end link:/wiki/Los_Angeles_Angels_of_Anaheim bar:LAA from:1961 till:1965 color:red text:"Los Angeles~Angels" $UpLeft bar:LAA from:1965 till:1997 color:red2 text:"California ~Angels " $Up bar:LAA from:1997 till:2005 color:skyblue text:"Anaheim~Angels" $Upleft bar:LAA from:2005 till:end color:red text:"Los Angeles~Angels of Anaheim" textcolor:navy $Up

# --- 1962 Expansion bar:NYM from:1962 till:end link:/wiki/New_York_Mets bar:NYM from:1962 till:end color:darkblue text:"New York Mets" textcolor:redorange

bar:HOU from:1962 till:end link:/wiki/Houston_Astros bar:HOU from:1962 till:1964 color:redorange text:"Houston Colt .45s" $Left bar:HOU from:1964 till:end color:darkred text:"Houston Astros"

# --- 1969 Expansion bar:KC from:1969 till:end link:/wiki/Kansas_City_Royals bar:KC from:1969 till:end color:skyblue text:"Kansas City Royals" textcolor:darkblue

bar:MIL from:1969 till:end link:/wiki/Milwaukee_Brewers bar:MIL from:1969 till:1970 color:darkblue text:"Seattle~Pilots" $UpLeft bar:MIL from:1970 till:1998 color:gold text:"Milwaukee~Brewers (AL)" textcolor:darkblue $Up bar:MIL from:1998 till:end color:vegasgold text:"Milwaukee~Brewers (NL)" textcolor:navy $Up

bar:SD from:1969 till:end link:/wiki/San_Diego_Padres bar:SD from:1969 till:end color:sand text:"San Diego Padres" textcolor:navy

bar:WSH from:1969 till:end link:/wiki/Washington_Nationals bar:WSH from:1969 till:2005 color:red2 text:"Montreal ~Expos " textcolor:darkblue $Up bar:WSH from:2005 till:end color:red text:"Washington~Nationals" $UpLeft

# --- 1977 Expansion bar:SEA from:1977 till:end link:/wiki/Seattle_Mariners bar:SEA from:1977 till:end color:teal2 text:"Seattle Mariners"

bar:TOR from:1977 till:end link:/wiki/Toronto_Blue_Jays bar:TOR from:1977 till:end color:darkblue text:"Toronto Blue Jays" textcolor:nl1

# --- 1993 Expansion bar:COL from:1993 till:end link:/wiki/Colorado_Rockies bar:COL from:1993 till:end color:purple text:"Colorado~Rockies" textcolor:white $Up

bar:FLA from:1993 till:end link:/wiki/Florida_Marlins bar:FLA from:1993 till:end color:teal text:"Florida Marlins" textcolor:black

# --- 1998 Expansion bar:ARI from:1998 till:end link:/wiki/Arizona_Diamondbacks bar:ARI from:1998 till:end color:darkred text:"Arizona~Diamondbacks" $UpLeft

bar:TB from:1998 till:end link:/wiki/Tampa_Bay_Rays bar:TB from:1998 till:2007 color:teal2 text:"Tampa Bay~Devil Rays" $UpLeft bar:TB from:2007 till:end color:navy text:"Tampa~Bay Rays" $UpRight