International Association for Professional Base Ball Players


The International Association for Professional Base Ball Players, commonly known as the International Association, was the name for two separate Canadian-American professional baseball leagues that first operated during 1877–1878 and later operated during 1888–1890.

International Association of 1877–1878

The Association's by-laws and constitution required member teams to pay $10 to join the league and fan admission was set at 25 cents. Visiting teams were guaranteed $75, plus half of the gate receipts when they exceeded that amount.
Pitcher Candy Cummings was the first president of the International Association, while also a player for the Lynn Live Oaks of Massachusetts in 1877.
Jimmy Williams of Columbus served as the league's first Secretary.

1877 season

In 1877, the International Association featured teams based in:
Final standings of the 1877 season:
  • London Tecumsehs 14-4-2*
  • Pittsburgh Allegheny 13-6-0
  • Rochester, NY 10-8-0
  • Manchester, NH 9-10-0
  • Columbus Buckeyes 9-11-2
  • Guelph Maple Leafs 4-12-0
  • Lynn Live Oaks 1-9-0 * disbanded
Fred Goldsmith, London's star pitcher, had a 14–4 record in 193 innings pitched with three shutouts, during International Association play in 1877.

1878 season

In 1878, the league lost two teams - Guelph and Columbus - however, it added the Binghamton Crickets, Hornellsville Hornells, Lowell Lowells and Syracuse Stars. The cities of Buffalo, New York, Hartford, Connecticut, New Bedford, Massachusetts, New Haven, Connecticut, Springfield, Massachusetts and Worcester, Massachusetts also had representatives. Buffalo finished in first place.
Bud Fowler, the first known African-American player in organized baseball, pitched for the Lynn club in 1878.

Transformation and hiatus

The Buffalo Bisons, winners of the 1878 pennant, and the Syracuse Stars seriously hurt the International Association's chances at major league status when they joined the rival National League for the 1879 season. At the same time, the London Tecumsehs dropped out of the league, causing it to be renamed the National Base Ball Association entering the 1879 season. Under that name, it played through the 1880 season before dissolving.
The league did not operate from 1881 to 1887.

International Association of 1888–1890

In 1888, outfielder Patsy Donovan of the London Tecumsehs led the league in batting with a batting average of either.359 or.398, had 201 hits, scored 103 runs and stole 80 bases. His second season with the Tecumsehs was less successful due to a leg injury. Donovan went on to an outstanding career in Major League Baseball, even playing a significant role in scouting Babe Ruth.

Teams

The following teams played in the second incarnation of the league, which existed from 1888 until 1890:
In 1888, Syracuse finished in first place. Detroit finished in first place in 1889 and 1890.

Legacy

Some baseball historians consider the International Association the first minor league; others point out that the league was conceived as a rival to the National League, now thought of as the sole major league of the era. Statistics of players who competed in the International Association and other early non-major leagues, such as the New England League, are grouped as "Other" by the Baseball-Reference.com reference site. The Northwestern League of 1883–1884 is regarded as the first true minor league.