The Atlantic League was a minor league baseball league that operated between 1896 and 1900 in the

Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...

. It was the successor of the Pennsylvania State League, which had operated from 1892 to 1895. The name has subsequently been reused twice, for another short-lived league in 1914, and for a contemporary independent minor league.

History

League champions

: In 1896, eight teams competed; at any point in time, there were six teams active. : In 1899 and 1900, there were only six teams active at season's end. Source:

Teams

Notes: :In 1896, New Haven disbanded on July 12; Lancaster entered the league on July 13; New York was expelled on July 13 and was replaced by Philadelphia. :In 1899, Paterson disbanded on July 4, and Scranton followed on July 9. :In 1900, Philadelphia moved to Harrisburg on June 4; Newark and Jersey City disbanded on June 2; the league disbanded on June 14. Source:

Results by season

Teams denoted in ''italics'' disbanded during the season. ;1896 (Class A) April 23–September 13 :New York was 30–32 when replaced by Philadelphia ;1897 (Class A) April 26–September 19
;1898 (Class B) April 25–September 10 ;1899 (Class A) April 27–August 6

;1900 (Class A) April 30–June 14 :Philadelphia was 10–11 when replaced by Harrisburg

Soby Cup

The Soby Cup, made of silver, was given to the league by tobacco businessman Charles Soby of

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

, in September 1896. In its first season, the cup was to be awarded to the winner of a postseason series between the league's top two teams; in subsequent years, the holder of the cup would play a series against the league's top finishing team. Standings at the end of the 1896 season, which had Newark finishing first, were formally protested by the Paterson team, claiming that some of Newark's games were actually exhibitions. With that protest pending, the next two teams in the standings—Paterson and Hartford—arranged to play a series for the Soby Cup. Paterson won the seven-game series, four games to two. The protested standings were not ruled upon until the league's annual meeting in late November; despite inconsistencies in record-keeping, Newark was declared the pennant winner. Following the 1897 season, the Soby Cup series should have been contested between Lancaster, that year's top team, and Paterson, who had won the cup in 1896. However, league officials decided to have the top two teams of 1897—Lancaster and Newark—play for the cup. After Lancaster and Newark could not agree to terms for a series, the Soby Cup was awarded to Lancaster, the pennant winner. Prior to the 1898 season, the league abolished the postseason Soby Cup series, and returned to the cup to its donor. By 1951, the cup was at the

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

, where it remains .

Notable players

Notable players in the Atlantic League (1896–1900) include: *

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* Dan Kerwin * Fred Ketchum *

Sam Leever Samuel Leever (December 23, 1871 – May 19, 1953), nicknamed "The Goshen Schoolmaster", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Early life Sam Leever was born in G ...

* John Newell *

Jerry Nops Jeremiah Henry Nops (June 23, 1875 – March 26, 1937) was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1896 to 1901, he played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles (NL), Brooklyn Superbas, and Baltimore Orioles (AL). He was 5 ...

* Hal O'Hagan * Casey Patten *

Socks Seybold Ralph Orlando "Socks" Seybold (November 23, 1870 – December 22, 1921) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played over parts of nine seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Athletics.

* Lee Viau * Tom Vickery *

Honus Wagner Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...

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* Harry Wilhelm * Rasty Wright * Joe Yeager

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlantic League (1896-1900) Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Sports leagues established in 1896 1896 establishments in the United States 1900 disestablishments in the United States