Formed in 1876 and 1901 respectively, the National and American Leagues are two of the more storied catalogies in global sporting history.
Together, the pair combine to make the Major Leagues - the summit for baseballers the globe over.
Today, there are 30 Major League Baseball franchises spread across 17 of America's 50 states, with teams found as far north-east as New England as well as in the south-western warmth of San Diego.
However, this was not always the case, as like America itself, the game's birth was actually a rebirth, and it took navigating a bloody Civil War to create this current lay of the land.
But with every solidified franchise born into a big city, there have been several in smaller markets that find themselves in much more precarious positions
And it is these teams - not the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox of the world - that are often left with a tough decision to make: fold or head for greener pastures?
From a set of single-season Federal League entities to a pair of New York National Leaguers that headed West, here is every defunct or relocated franchise in Major League history.
| Franchise | League |
First season |
Last season |
Seasons played |
Eventual status |
| Louisville Colonels | NL | 1882 | 1899 | 18 | Defunct |
| Baltimore Orioles | NL | 1882 | 1899 | 18 | Defunct |
| Cleveland Spiders | NL | 1887 | 1899 | 13 | Defunct |
| Washington Senators | NL | 1891 | 1899 | 9 | Defunct |
| Milwaukee Brewers | AL | 1901 | 1901 | 1 | St. Louis Browns |
| Baltimore Orioles | AL | 1901 | 1902 | 2 | Defunct |
| Indianapolis Hoosiers | FL | 1914 | 1914 | 1 | Newark Peppers |
| Kansas City Packers | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct |
| Chicago Whales | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct |
| Baltimore Terrapins | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct |
| St. Louis Terriers | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct |
| Brooklyn Tip-Tops | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct |
| Pittsburgh Rebels | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct |
| Buffalo Blues | FL | 1914 | 1915 | 2 | Defunct |
| Newark Peppers | FL | 1915 | 1915 | 1 | Defunct |
| Boston Braves | NL | 1876 | 1952 | 77 | Milwaukee Braves |
| St. Louis Browns | AL | 1902 | 1953 | 52 | Baltimore Orioles |
| Philadelphia Athletics | AL | 1901 | 1954 | 54 | Kansas City Athletics |
| New York Giants | NL | 1883 | 1957 | 75 | San Francisco Giants |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | NL | 1884 | 1957 | 74 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Washington Senators | AL | 1901 | 1960 | 60 | Minnesota Twins |
| Milwaukee Braves | NL | 1953 | 1965 | 13 | Atlanta Braves |
| Kansas City Athletics | AL | 1955 | 1967 | 13 | Oakland Athletics |
| Seattle Pilots | AL | 1969 | 1969 | 1 | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Washington Senators | AL | 1961 | 1971 | 11 | Texas Rangers |
| Montreal Expos | AL | 1969 | 2004 | 36 | Washington Nationals |
