The American Association was a

Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

league that operated in the United States from 1902 to 1962 and from 1969 to 1997. A champion was determined at the end of each season. From 1902 to 1932 and in 1935, champions were the regular-season pennant winners—the team with the best win–loss record at the conclusion of the regular season. In 1933 and 1934, the top two teams competed in a postseason series to determine a champion. The Shaughnessy playoff system, in which the top four teams qualified for postseason play, was adopted from 1936 to 1962. The American Association dissolved after the 1962 season, but it was reorganized in 1969. After crowning that year's pennant winner as champion, it divided its teams into two divisions, and the division champions played for the league title from 1970 to 1980. A variety of postseason playoff formats were used over the next 17 seasons before the league disbanded for a final time following the 1997 campaign. The

Louisville Colonels The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association (AA) throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891. They were known as the Louisville Eclipse from 1882 to 1884, and as th ...

won 15 American Association championships, more than any other team, followed by the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

(12); the

Columbus Red Birds The Columbus Red Birds were a top-level minor league baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio, in the American Association from 1931 through 1954. The Columbus club, a member of the Association continuously since 1902, was previously known as ...

(10); the

Minneapolis Millers The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...

(9); the St. Paul Saints (8); the Denver Zephyrs (7); the Kansas City Blues (6); the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

(5); the

Omaha Royals Omaha ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 41st-most-populous city, Omaha had a popu ...

(4); the

Evansville Triplets The Evansville Triplets were a Minor League Baseball team of the Triple-A American Association (AA) from 1970 to 1984. They were located in Evansville, Indiana, and played their home games at Bosse Field. The Triplets served as a farm club for ...

and Louisville Redbirds (3); the Oklahoma City 89ers and

Tulsa Oilers The Tulsa Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and play in the ECHL. The Oilers played their home games at the Tulsa Convention Center until 2008 when they moved into the new BOK Center. For many years, the Tulsa ...

(2); and the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...

, Springfield Redbirds, and

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A baseball team nicknamed the ...

(1).

History

The American Association, which was founded in 1902, determined a league champion at the end of each season. Champions from 1902 to 1932 were simply the regular-season pennant winners—the team with the best win–loss record at the conclusion of the regular championship season. The first league champions were the

, who won by two games over the

in 1902. The first championship playoffs were held in 1933. The top two teams, based on

winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage or Copeland score is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the to ...

, competed for the championship in a best-of-seven series. The first playoff championship was won by the

, who defeated the

, 4–2, in 1933. Similar playoffs were held in 1934, but the league returned to recognizing the regular-season pennant winner as champion in 1935. The American Association adopted the Shaughnessy playoff system in 1936. Under this expanded playoff format, the four teams with the highest winning percentage competed for the championship. From 1936 to 1962, the first round typically consisted of a series between the first and third-place teams and a series between the second and fourth-place teams, though other seedings were occasionally used. The winners of these semifinals then faced one another for the championship. With few exceptions, each series during this period was the best-of-seven games. The first four-team playoff was won in 1936 by the

, who defeated Indianapolis, 4–1. The circuit disbanded after the 1962 season, but was reorganized for 1969. The first champions in this second iteration of the league were the regular-season pennant winners. The

won by virtue of a six-game lead over the

. The American Association divided its teams into two divisions, East and West, in 1970. From 1970 to 1980, the winners of each division met in a best-of-seven series (sometimes five) to determine a champion. Across the league's last 17 seasons, 1981 to 1997, three different postseason formats were utilized. Some seasons ended with the East and West Division champions facing off in a single round. Some saw wild card berths awarded to the second-place team from each division. After a series between the division champions and a series between the wild card teams, the winners would play for the league championship. Still in others, the league played without divisions, and the top four teams qualified for the playoffs. In these scenarios, the first round consisted of a series between the first and fourth-place teams and between the second and third-place teams, with the winners competing for the league title. Most rounds during this period were best-of-five series, though some final rounds and fewer semifinals were sometimes the best-of-seven. The circuit permanently disbanded after the 1997 season. The final American Association championship was won by the

, who defeated the

, 3–0.

Champions

Pre-playoff champions (1902–1932)

Playoff era champions (1933–1962, 1969–1997)

Wins by team

Notes

References

Specific General * * Champions American Association American Association (1902-1997) champions American Association (1902-1997) {{DEFAULTSORT:List of American Association (1902-1997) champions