The Eastern League was a Minor League Baseball

sports league A sports league is a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other and gain points in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on wee ...

that operated from 1916 through mid-season of 1932. The successor to an early 20th-century edition of the

New England League The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played intermittently in five of the six New England states (Vermont excepted) between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League ...

, it was not related to two other like-named leagues: an earlier Eastern League founded in 1884 that was absorbed into the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...

, and a later Eastern League that began as the New York–Pennsylvania League in 1923. The Eastern League of 1916–1932 was a mid- or higher classification league, beginning in 1916 as a Class B circuit and upgraded to Class A in 1919. Its president,

Tim Murnane Timothy Hayes Murnane (June 4, 1851 – February 7, 1917) was an American sportswriter specializing in baseball, regarded as the leading baseball writer at '' The Boston Globe'' for about 30 years until his death. At the same time, he organ ...

, a former sportswriter, and many of its original member clubs were inherited from the New England League, which ceased operation in 1915. While most of its teams were centered in

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

and upstate

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, in its later years the Eastern League admitted teams from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

. The league consisted of eight teams annually during its existence. The

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

franchise, owned and operated by George Weiss during 1919–1929, won four of the league's 17 championships, although under multiple nicknames. Weiss would go on to a

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 ...

career as a top executive with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

. This edition of the Eastern League collapsed during the nadir of the Great Depression on July 17, 1932.

Member teams

Albany, NY Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, also the county seat, seat and largest city of Albany County, New York, Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence w ...

: Albany Senators 1920–1932 (Champions, 1927, 1929) * Alllentown, PA:

Allentown Dukes Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: *Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California *Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County *Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Taze ...

1929–1930 (Champions, 1930);

Allentown Buffaloes Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: *Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California *Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County * Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Taz ...

1931–1932 *

Bridgeport, CT Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...

: Bridgeport Hustlers 1916; Bridgeport Americans 1917–1923; Bridgeport Bears 1924–1932 * Fitchburg, MA:

Fitchburg Boosters Fitchburg may refer to: Places in the United States of America * Fitchburg, California * Fitchburg, Kentucky * Fitchburg, Massachusetts * Fitchburg, Michigan * Fitchburg, Wisconsin Transportation *Fitchburg Railroad, named for the Massachuset ...

1922 *

Hartford, CT 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 ...

: Hartford Senators 1916–1932 (Champions, 1923, 1931) * Lawrence, MA:

Lawrence Barristers Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparato ...

1916–1917 *

Lowell, MA Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...

Lowell Grays Lowell may refer to: Places United States * Lowell, Arkansas * Lowell, California * Lowell, Florida * Lowell, Idaho * Lowell, Indiana * Lowell, Bartholomew County, Indiana * Lowell, Maine * Lowell, Massachusetts ** Lowell National Historical ...

1916 *

Lynn, MA Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by Eu ...

Lynn Pipers Lynn may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lynn (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Lynn (surname) * The Lynns, a 1990s American country music duo consisting of twin sisters Peggy and Patsy Lynn * Lynn ...

1916 *

New Haven, CT New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

New Haven Merlins New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

1916–1918 (Champions, 1917);

New Haven Weissmen New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

1919–1920 (Champions, 1920); New Haven Indians 1921–1922 (Champions, 1922); New Haven Profs 1923–1930 (Champions, 1928); New Haven Bulldogs 1931–1932 * New London, CT:

New London Planters The New London Planters were a minor league baseball team based in New London, Connecticut, that entered the now defunct Connecticut League in 1913, which had recently renamed itself the Eastern Association with the arrival of teams outside of th ...

1916–1918 (Champions, 1916, 1918) *

Norfolk, VA Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Bea ...

Norfolk Tars The Norfolk Tars were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1906 to 1955. Based in Norfolk, Virginia, they played in the Virginia League from 1906 to 1918 and from 1921 to 1928, in the Eastern League from 1931 to 1932 and in th ...

1931–1932 *

Pittsfield, MA Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfiel ...

: Pittsfield Hillies 1919–1930 (Champions, 1919, 1921) * Portland, ME: Portland Duffs 1916; Portland Paramounts 1917 *

Providence, RI Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

Providence Grays The Providence Grays were a Major League Baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island who played in the National League from until . The Grays played at the Messer Street Grounds in the Olneyville neighborhood. The team won the National Lea ...

1918–1919, 1927–1930;

Providence Rubes The Providence Rubes were an Eastern League baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island. Their manager was Rube Marquard, after whom the team was presumably named. They were the league champions in 1926, their only year of existence. They wer ...

1926 (Champions, 1926) *

Richmond, VA (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

Richmond Byrds Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

1931;

Richmond Colts The Richmond Colts were a minor league baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia that existed on-and-off from 1894 to 1953. They played in the Virginia League in 1894, and in another Virginia League in 1900, and another Virginia League from 19 ...

1932 *

Springfield, MA Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...

Springfield Green Sox Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

1917;

Springfield Ponies Springfield Ponies was the primary name of minor league baseball teams based in Springfield, Massachusetts that played between 1893 and 1943. The team competed as the Ponies through its history except for single seasons as the Maroons (1895), Tip ...

1916, 1918–1921, 1923–1931; Springfield Rifles 1932 (Champions, 1932) * Waterbury, CT:

Waterbury Nattatucks Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 202 ...

1918–1919; Waterbury Brasscos 1920–1928 (Champions, 1924–1925) *

Worcester, MA Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second- most populous city in New England after ...

Worcester Busters The Worcester Busters was an American baseball team which played at Boulevard Park (Worcester, Massachusetts), Boulevard Park, Worcester, Massachusetts. They played in Class B of the New England League from 1906 and the Eastern League (1916), Eas ...

1916–1917; Worcester Boosters 1918–1921, 1922; Worcester Panthers 1923–1925

References

* Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'', third edition. Durham, North Carolina:

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form ...

, 2007.

External links

1916 Eastern League
at Baseball-Reference.com (first season in Class B)
1918 Eastern League
at Baseball-Reference.com (final season in Class B)
1919 Eastern League
at Baseball-Reference.com (first season in Class A)
1932 Eastern League
at Baseball-Reference.com (final season in Class A) {{DEFAULTSORT:Eastern League (1916-1932) Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Sports leagues established in 1916 Sports leagues disestablished in 1932 Baseball leagues in Connecticut Baseball leagues in Virginia Baseball leagues in Maine Baseball leagues in Massachusetts Baseball leagues in New York (state) Baseball leagues in Pennsylvania Baseball leagues in Rhode Island