In Major League Baseball history, 65 teams have become defunct.[1] These teams played in five different Major Leagues–the extant National League and the now defunct American Association, Union Association, Players' League and Federal League. Thirteen men who managed now-defunct Major League Baseball teams have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: Ned Hanlon, John McGraw, Jim O'Rourke, Pud Galvin, Fred Clarke, George Wright, John Montgomery Ward, Harry Wright, Charles Comiskey, Buck Ewing, Joe Tinker, Bill McKechnie and Mordecai Brown. Hanlon managed the National League Baltimore Orioles to three league championships.[2] Eleven other managers managed now defunct teams to a single league championship: Bill Watkins, George Wright and Frank Bancroft in the National League, Arthur Irwin, Jack Chapman, Jim Mutrie and Lon Knight in the American Association, Fred Dunlap in the Union Association, King Kelly in the Players' League and Joe Tinker and Bill Phillips in the Federal League.
Patsy Tebeau's 579 wins with the National League Cleveland Spiders is more than any other manager won with any single defunct Major League Baseball team. His 1040 games managed and 436 losses with the Spiders are the most of any manager of a single defunct National League team. Billy Barnie's 1050 games managed and 548 losses with the American Association Baltimore Orioles are the most of any manager with a single defunct Major League team, and his 470 wins are the most of any manager of a defunct American Association team. Dunlap has the most managerial wins for a Union Association team, and King Kelly has the most wins for a Players' League team. Tinker has the most wins for a Federal League manager, and Otto Knabe has the most losses.
Chapman and Bancroft each managed six different now defunct Major League Baseball teams. Chapman managed the National League Louisville Grays, Milwaukee Grays, Worcester Ruby Legs, Detroit Wolverines and Buffalo Bisons, and the Louisville Colonels in both the American Association and the National League.[3] He managed the Colonels to the 1890 American Association championship, and to a tie with the National League champion Brooklyn Bridegrooms in the 1890 World Series.[3][4] Bancroft managed the National League Worcester Ruby Legs, Detroit Wolverines, Cleveland Blues, Providence Grays and Indianapolis Hoosiers and the American Association Philadelphia Athletics.[5] He managed the Providence Grays to the 1884 National League and World Series championships.[5][6][7]
Team |
Name of team. For teams that played under more than one name, the name used in its final season is given. For team names that were used by multiple defunct franchises, the league(s) in which the team played is shown in parentheses. |
League |
League the team played in: NL: National League AA: American Association FL: Federal League UA: Union Association PL: Players' League |
G |
Number of regular season games managed; may not equal sum of wins and losses due to tie games |
W |
Number of regular season wins in games managed |
L |
Number of regular season losses in games managed |
WPct |
Winning percentage: number of wins divided by number of games managed |
LC |
League Championships: number of League Championships, or pennants, achieved by the manager |
WS |
World Series: number of World Series victories achieved by the manager |
† |
Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame |
Team | League | Manager | Seasons | G | W | L | WPct | LC | WS | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boston Reds | PL | King Kelly | 1890 | 133 | 81 | 48 | .628 | 1 | — | [78] |
Brooklyn Ward's Wonders | PL | John Montgomery Ward† | 1890 | 133 | 76 | 56 | .576 | — | — | [52] |
Buffalo Bisons | PL | Jack Rowe | 1890 | 100 | 27 | 72 | .273 | — | — | [127] |
Buffalo Bisons | PL | Jay Faatz | 1890 | 34 | 9 | 24 | .273 | — | — | [128] |
Chicago Pirates | PL | Charles Comiskey† | 1890 | 138 | 75 | 62 | .547 | — | — | [129] |
Cleveland Infants | PL | Henry Larkin | 1890 | 79 | 34 | 45 | .430 | — | — | [130] |
Cleveland Infants | PL | Patsy Tebeau | 1890 | 52 | 21 | 30 | .412 | — | — | [29] |
New York Giants | PL | Buck Ewing† | 1890 | 132 | 74 | 57 | .565 | — | — | [131] |
Philadelphia Athletics (PL/AA) | PL | Jim Fogarty | 1890 | 16 | 7 | 9 | .438 | — | — | [132] |
Philadelphia Athletics (PL/AA) | PL | Charlie Buffinton | 1890 | 116 | 61 | 54 | .530 | — | — | [133] |
Pittsburgh Burghers | PL | Ned Hanlon† | 1890 | 131 | 60 | 68 | .469 | — | — | [2] |