The Western League: A Baseball History, 1885 to 1999

One of the first minor leagues in history, the Western League (previously the Northwestern League) was founded by Ban Johnson in 1885 and was the predecessor of today’s American League. The Western League endured a season to season existence until Johnson created the American League and the Western continued to be a part of the minors, employing such future Hall of Famers as Charles Comiskey, Dizzy Dean, and Connie Mack. The league’s demise in the minors came in the 1950s, but it was revived in 1995 as an independent league on the West Coast with no relation to the majors. This work begins with an introduction to the Western League and documents the history of the Western and the American leagues from 1885 to 1999. Included are photographs of teams and players who participated in the league and in-depth team and individual player statistics.