Western League (original) (1885-1900)

The Western League of Professional Baseball Clubs, simply called the Western League, was a minor league baseball league originally founded on February 11, 1885, and focused in the Midwest.

After several failures and reorganizations, the most notable version of the league was organized by Ban Johnson on November 20, 1893. In 1900, the League was renamed the American League, and declared its major league status in 1901 against the older National League of 1876, which was centered in the American Northeast states.