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In 1900, the American League (still operating as a minor league) had a team in Cleveland known as the Lake Shores. In 1901 the AL declared major league status and signed a large number of major league players for more money than the NL owners had been paying them. Although some AL teams chose names abandoned by other major league teams in their respective cities (such as the Chicago White Stockings, Philadelphia Athletics, and [in 1902] the St. Louis Browns), the Cleveland team did not want to associate themselves with the disastrous 1899 Cleveland Spiders, so the new team became known as the Bluebirds or Blues. In 1902 the players began to call themselves the "Bronchos" (spelled with an "H"). On May 31st of that year, the team signed Nap Lajoie to a contract after a court in Pennsylvania ruled that the only team in the state that he could play for was the Phillies (he had been a Phillie in 1900, and then signed with the Athletics in 1901). By 1903 the Cleveland team was known as the Naps, a name that they would keep until Lajoie was traded back to the Athletics after the season of 1914. The team was also sometimes called the Molly McGuires in honor of striking coal miners 1912-14. After Lajoie's departure, the team owner asked newspaper reporters for suggestions for a new name, and they became known as the Indians thereafter.
(A few of the team photos have previously been posted elsewhere in Baseball Fever.)
To see photos from the 19th Century Spiders who played in the American Association and National League, go to this thread: http://www.baseball-fever.com/showth...-Blues-Spiders
(A few of the team photos have previously been posted elsewhere in Baseball Fever.)
To see photos from the 19th Century Spiders who played in the American Association and National League, go to this thread: http://www.baseball-fever.com/showth...-Blues-Spiders
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