Teams That Won a Pennant Before Folding Quiz

Answer: Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia

The Athletic Base Ball Club was founded in 1860 and joined the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) in 1861. In 1870, several teams including the Athletics broke from the NABBP to form the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP), the forerunner of the National League.

As such, the Athletic Baseball Club had the distinction of winning the final NABBP Pennant and the first NAPBBP Pennant. The team played its games at the Jefferson Street Grounds in 1871, when it won the pennant with a 21-9 record, under manager Dick McBride.

The Athletics would join the National League for its first season in 1876 but were expelled at the end of that season and folded.

Answer: Providence Grays

The Providence Grays were awarded a franchise to replace the Hartford Dark Blues after that team folded. Based in Providence, RI, the Grays played in the National League from 1878 to 1885. In 1879, manager George Wright led the team to its first NL Pennant with 59-25 record.

The second pennant was secured in 1884 by Frank Bancroft who led the team to a 84-28 reccord. That was followed by a series win over the New York Metropolitans in the first National League-American Association World Series.

The Grays played their home games in the Messer Street Grounds. Unfortunately the team folded the next season due to financial reasons.

Answer: Philadelphia Athletics

The Philadelphia Athletics were a distinct team from the Athletics franchise of the 20th century. The Athletics began as an independent team in 1880 and became a charter member of the American Association in 1882. Manager Lon Knight would lead the Athletics to 127 wins between 1883 and 1884.

In the first year, the team won its only pennant. The team folded after the 1890 season due to financial problems due to competition with the National League and Players' League. The majority of the Athletics' home games were played at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia, PA. Ironically, a team from the recently-ended Players' League also named the Philadelphia Athletics took their place for the 1891 season.

Answer: New York Metropolitans

The New York Metropolitans of the 19th century were a distinct team from the New York Mets that began play in 1962. The Metropolitans were founded in 1880 as an independent team, before joining the American Association in 1883. Manager Jim Mutrie would lead the team to a 75-32 record in its second year in the AA and the team's only pennant.

The team then fell to the Providence Grays 3-0 in the first National League-American Association World Series. The team played its home games at Metropolitan Park in the East Harlem section of New York, NY, with some games played at the Polo Grounds. Due to financial issues, the team folded after the 1887 season.

Answer: St. Louis Maroons

The St. Louis Maroons won the only pennant in the brief existence of the Union Association. Managers Fred Dunlap and Ted Sullivan led the team to a 94-19 record, 21 games ahead of the second place team (Cincinnati Outlaw Reds). The team was invited to join the National League for the 1885 season, when the rest of the Union Association folded. By 1887, the team was renamed the Indianapolis Hoosiers and was folded after the 1889 season.

In 1884, the team played its home games at the Union Grounds in St. Louis, MO.

Answer: Detroit Wolverines

The Detroit Wolverines played in the National League between 1881 and 1888. Heavy spending to create a super-team would lead to financial losses that would cause the team to disband. Manager Bill Watkins would lead the team to 237 wins between 1885 and 1888.

The team defeated the St. Louis Browns (Cardinals) in the 1887 World Series with the American Association. The Wolverines played at Recreation Field, located at the intersection of Brady Street and Willis Avenue in Detroit, MI.

Answer: Louisville Colonels

The Louisville Colonels began play in the American Association in 1882 as the Louisville Eclipse, before changing their name in 1885. After the American Association folded after the 1891 season, the Colonels moved to the National League. After the 1899 season, the Colonels were one of four teams folded by the National League.

The team played its home games at Eclipse Park, located at the intersection of 28th Street and Broadway in Louisville, KY. Manager Jack Chapman led the team to 142 wins between 1890 and 1891.

In the first season, he would lead the Colonels to their only pennant. They then played the Brooklyn Bridegrooms (Dodgers) in the final National League-American Association World Series. Bad weather and inter-league squabbling led to the series ending in a 3-3-1 tie.

Answer: Boston Reds

The Boston Reds played at the Congress Street Grounds during their two years of existence. In 1890, the team won the Players' League Pennant during the only year of that league's existence. Manager King Kelly led the team to a 81-48 record. The team then moved to the American Association for that league's final year. Under the leadership of Arthur Irwin, the team won their second pennant with a record of 93-42.

When several American Association teams were absorbed by the National League, the Boston Reds were not one of them. Perhaps the presence in the National League of the Boston Beaneaters (Braves) played a role.

Answer: Baltmore Orioles

These Baltimore Orioles are distinct from the team that moved east from St. Louis before the 1954 season. A charter member of the American Association in 1882, these Baltimore Orioles moved to the National League when the AA folded in 1891. While winning three consecutive NL pennants in the 1890s for the regular season, the Orioles only followed the last season with a Temple Cup (though winning a second Temple Cup in 1897). (The Temple Cup was awarded to the winner of a post-season series between the first place and second place teams in the National League from 1894 to 1897).

The Orioles played against the New York Giants in 1894, the Cleveland Spiders in 1895 and 1896, and the Boston Beaneaters 1897. The team played its home games in Union Park (located between Hunter and Barclay Streets and 25th and 24th Streets in Baltimore, MD).

The team played under the leadership of Ned Hanlon, who amassed 555 wins between 1892 and 1898. The Orioles were one of four teams who were folded by the National League after the 1899 season.

Answer: Chicago Whales

This team began play in the Federal League (founded as a minor league) in 1913 as the Chicago Federals. In 1914 the League proclaimed itself a major league and in 1915 the team changed its name to the Whales. Under the leadership of player-manager Joe Tinker the team won 173 games between 1914 and 1915.

The team played its home games at Weeghman Park (known since 1926 as Wrigley Field) in Chicago, IL. In 1915, the team won its lone pennant with one fewer win than it had as a second-place team in 1914 (behind the Indianapolis Hoosiers).

The financially struggling Federal League ended after the 1915 season. The owner of the Whales, Charles Weeghman would buy the Chicago Cubs, though financial difficulties caused him to sell the Cubs to the Wrigley family a few years later.