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The American Association of Professional Baseball is an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...
league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
teams or their minor league affiliates. Joshua Schaub is the league commissioner. League offices are located in Moorhead, Minnesota. Though a separate entity, the league shared a commissioner and director of umpires with the
Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, commonly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional, independent baseball league with teams in the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada, founded in 2005 as a reorganization of ...
during that league's existence. The American Association of Professional Baseball has
501(c)(6) A 501(c) organization is a nonprofit organization in the federal law of the United States according to Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)) and is one of over 29 types of nonprofit organizations exempt from some federal income taxes ...
tax-exempt status with the
Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory t ...
. In 2020, as part of MLB's reorganization of the minor leagues, the American Association, together with the Atlantic League and the
Frontier League The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...
, became an official
MLB Partner League There are 14  Minor League Baseball (MiLB) leagues and 206 teams in operation across the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada, which are affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. They are organized by one of five classes (fr ...
.


History

The American Association was founded in October 2005 when the
St. Paul Saints The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They prev ...
, Lincoln Saltdogs,
Sioux City Explorers The Sioux City Explorers are a professional minor league baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States. The Explorers are members American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. Si ...
, and
Sioux Falls Canaries The Sioux Falls Canaries are a professional baseball team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The Canaries are members of the North Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major L ...
announced they were leaving the
Northern League Northern League may refer to: Sport Baseball * Northern League (baseball, 1902–71), a name used by several minor leagues that operated in the upper midwestern U.S. and Manitoba from 1902 to 1971 * Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010), an indep ...
. Around the same time, the
Central Baseball League The Central Baseball League, formerly the Texas–Louisiana League, was a independent baseball league whose member teams were not affiliated with any Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises. In 1991, potential owners, Dallas businessman Byron P ...
announced it was disbanding after four seasons. The Fort Worth Cats, Shreveport-Bossier Sports, Pensacola Pelicans, Coastal Bend Aviators, and El Paso Diablos joined the four former Northern League teams and the expansion St. Joe Blacksnakes to form the American Association as a ten-team league. The new league began play in 2006, with a 96-game schedule, which has since expanded to 100 games. 2008 saw the league lose the Blacksnakes and Aviators, with the Grand Prairie AirHogs and
Wichita Wingnuts The Wichita Wingnuts were an independent baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States. The Wingnuts were members of the South Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball. An expansion franchise in the 2008 seas ...
joining in their place. In 2011 and 2012 the league went through a significant shift. Fort Worth was kicked out of the AA and moved to the North American League, while Shreveport and Pensacola both relocated. The Pelicans moved to
Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for " yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall Cou ...
and became the Amarillo Sox (later the Amarillo Thunderheads) while Shreveport, who had changed their name to the Shreveport-Bossier Captains, moved to
Laredo, Texas Laredo ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags (the Flag of th ...
and became the Laredo Lemurs. In addition, four more Northern League franchises ( Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks,
Gary SouthShore RailCats The Gary SouthShore RailCats are a professional baseball team based in Gary, Indiana, in the United States. The RailCats are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The Rai ...
, Kansas City T-Bones, and
Winnipeg Goldeyes The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a minor-league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, which they joined in 2011. Previously, the Goldeyes were members of the Northern ...
) joined the American Association as that league's stability came into question. For the 2012 season, the American Association began interleague play with the
Can-Am League The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, commonly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional, independent baseball league with teams in the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada, founded in 2005 as a reorganization of ...
. The two leagues were both headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, and both had Miles Wolff as their commissioner. This was similar to interleague play in Major League Baseball, but American Association and Can-Am League were separate legal entities and had separate playoffs/championships. At the end of the 2013 season, due to the Tucson Padres relocating to their city, the El Paso Diablos suspended operations. The team was eventually revived and relocated, operating as the
Joplin Blasters The Joplin Blasters were an American professional baseball team based in Joplin, Missouri. The Blasters were members of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. The team's home games were played at a rec ...
. The Blasters ceased operations after the conclusion of the 2016 season. On November 19, 2015, Miles Wolff announced that there would no longer be interleague play. It also was announced that for the Amarillo Thunderheads and Grand Prairie AirHogs would operate as a joint team, the Texas AirHogs, playing 25 games in Amarillo and 25 games in Grand Prairie to make up a 12-team league. The team remained in Grand Prairie full-time in 2017, with the
Cleburne Railroaders The Cleburne Railroaders are a professional baseball team based in Cleburne, Texas, that plays in the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The team, which began play in 2017, plays i ...
joining the league the same season. Shortly before the 2017 season, the Laredo Lemurs withdrew from the league. They were temporarily replaced by the Salina Stockade from the Pecos League for the season. The Chicago Dogs joined for 2018 and the Milwaukee Milkmen joined in 2019, replacing the Wichita Wingnuts, who folded in large part due to the demolition of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium and their eventual replacement by the Wichita Wind Surge. In 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, the league announced that 6 of its 12 clubs would play an abbreviated 60-game season beginning on July 3, 2020. Five stadiums were used for gameplay:
Sioux Falls Stadium Sioux Falls Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It originally opened in 1941 and was renovated in 2000. It is primarily used for baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine ...
(hosting the
Sioux Falls Canaries The Sioux Falls Canaries are a professional baseball team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The Canaries are members of the North Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major L ...
and
St. Paul Saints The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They prev ...
during July),
Newman Outdoor Field Newman Outdoor Field is a baseball stadium in Fargo, North Dakota. It is located on the campus of North Dakota State University and is the home of the independent American Association's Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and the North Dakota State Bison ba ...
(hosting the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and
Winnipeg Goldeyes The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a minor-league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, which they joined in 2011. Previously, the Goldeyes were members of the Northern ...
),
Franklin Field Franklin Field is a sports stadium in Philadelphia, United States, at the eastern edge of the University of Pennsylvania's campus. It is the home stadium for the Penn Relays, and the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for American football, foo ...
(hosting the Milwaukee Milkmen), Impact Field (hosting the Chicago Dogs), and CHS Field (hosting the
St. Paul Saints The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They prev ...
beginning in August). Players from non-participating teams had the opportunity to be drafted by one of the six active clubs. A limited number of fans were allowed to attend games, in accordance with local government guidelines and restrictions. The 2021 season saw the league lose both the Texas AirHogs, who dropped out of the league, and the
St. Paul Saints The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They prev ...
who move to affiliated ball as the Triple-A affiliate of the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
. Joining the league in 2021 is the
Kane County Cougars The Kane County Cougars are an independent professional baseball team located in Geneva, Illinois and are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball (MLB). They play their ...
, who were dropped from affiliated ball during the 2021 minor league reorganization, as well as the
Houston Apollos The Houston Apollos were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Houston, Texas. They played in the Central Hockey League from 1965 to 1969, and then from 1979 to 1981. From 1965 to 1969, they were a farm team of the NHL's Montreal Canadie ...
who will be a traveling team for the 2021 campaign. In May 2021, the league announced the approval of Lake Country Baseball, based in
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Oconomowoc ( ) is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The name was derived from Coo-no-mo-wauk, the Potawatomi language, Potawatomi term for "waterfall." The population was 15,712 at the 2010 census. The city is partially adjacen ...
, as a new member of the league starting in 2022. Construction commenced later that summer on a new stadium and multi-use indoor sports facility, which opened for play on May 20, 2022 as Wisconsin Brewing Company Park. The team selected the name Lake Country DockHounds, after hosting an online name the team contest. With the DockHounds joining the league for the 2022 season, the American Association opted for realignment of the divisions. Going away from the prior North/South divisions, the league decided to go with East/West divisions. The league placed Cleburne, Chicago, Kane County, Gary SouthShore, Milwaukee, and Lake Country in the East Division; and Winnipeg, Fargo-Moorhead, Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Lincoln, and Kansas City in the West Division. The league also changed the playoff format taking the top four teams in each division into the playoffs, and allowing the team in each division with the best record to choose their first round opponent from the remaining three division teams.


Business model

The American Association (AA) typically recruits college and former major and minor league players. Former affiliated-league players who get injured or have other circumstances join the AA as an opportunity to get re-signed by major league organizations. For example,
David Peralta Senger David Peralta Guerreiro (born August 14, 1987) nicknamed "Freight Train" is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014. He won ...
was signed in 2004 as a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals but suffered injuries and was released in 2009. He resurrected his career as an outfielder with teams such as the AA's
Wichita Wingnuts The Wichita Wingnuts were an independent baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States. The Wingnuts were members of the South Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball. An expansion franchise in the 2008 seas ...
and Amarillo Sox in 2012 and 2013, then became a starting outfielder for the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
. Other players include college players who were not drafted into MLB but seek the opportunity to be seen by major league scouts and possibly get signed by major league organizations. Other former MLB players join the AA as a way to stay involved in baseball after their MLB career, often as coaches and managers. As of 2008, the salary cap for each team was $100,000, with a minimum salary of $800 per month. The price of an expansion team is also about $750,000. This is in stark contrast with the minor and major leagues. Former Commissioner Miles Wolff stated in an interview that "We have to pay the salaries of the players, which they don't in an affiliated eague It's a much riskier business. Just because of the longevity and tradition, we usually don't get the best cities, either, so some of the markets we're in are not great markets. But as I say, I think it's a better product." In 2018, the league raised the minimum salary to $1,200 per month to comply with the new Save America's Pastime Act.


Roster rules

Rosters are limited to 25 players, with a maximum of six may be veterans and minimum of five must be rookies or LS-1. The remaining players will be designated limited service players and of those LS players only six (6) may be LS-4. Two of the LS-4 players may have LS-5 status. Rookie: A player with less than one year of service. LS-1: A player with fewer than two years of service. LS-2: A player with fewer than three years of service. LS-3: A player with fewer than four years of service. LS-4: A player with fewer than five years of service. LS-5: A player with less than 6 years of service. Veteran: A player with six or more years of service. If a player has six or more years of service but has not reached the age of 26 by September 1 of that season, he will be considered an LS-4. If he has not reached the age of 24 by September 1 of that season, he will be considered an LS-3.


Teams


Current teams


League timeline

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:1100 height:auto barincrement:25 Period = from:10/01/2000 till:09/30/2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<# Colors = id:barcolor value:black id:line value:pink id:bg value:white id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a current league member id:Past value:rgb(0.4,0.80,0.67) # Use to indicate a former team id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to or from another league LineData = at:01/01/2006 color:black layer:back width:0.66 #AA forms # -- Text Positions Define $Up = shift:(,1) Define $Left = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,) Define $LeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(25,) Define $LeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(3,) Define $UpLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,1) Define $UpLeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(-1,1) Define $UpLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,1) Define $Right = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,) Define $RightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2) Define $RightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,) Define $UpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,1) Define $UpRightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,1) Define $UpRightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,1) Define $UpUpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,10) Define $Down = shift:(,-10) Define $Downx2 = shift:(,-20) Define $DownRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,-10) Define $DownRightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,-10) Define $DownLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-2,-10) Define $DownLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,-10) PlotData= width:17 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2003 till:12/31/2005 text: CBL bar:1 color:Past from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2007 text: Coastal Bend Aviators (2006–2007) bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2005 till:12/31/2005 text: CBL bar:2 color:Past from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2013 text: El Paso Diablos (2006–2013) bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2001 till:12/31/2001 text: AAA bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2002 till:12/31/2005 text: CBL bar:3 color:Past from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2011 text: Fort Worth Cats (2006–2011) bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2012 till:12/31/2012 text: NAL bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2013 till:12/31/2014 text: ULB bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2001 till:12/31/2005 text: Nor bar:4 color:Full from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2019 text: Lincoln Saltdogs (2006–2019, 2021–present) bar:4 color:Full from:01/01/2021 till:end text: bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2002 till:12/31/2003 text: SEL bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2004 till:12/31/2005 text: CBL bar:5 color:Past from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2010 text: Pensacola Pelicans (2006–2010) bar:6 color:Past from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2007 text: St. Joe Blacksnakes (2006–2007) bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:start till:12/31/2005 text: Nor (from 1993) bar:7 color:Past from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2020 text:
St. Paul Saints The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They prev ...
(2006–2020) bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2021 till:end text: IL bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2003 till:12/31/2005 text: CBL bar:8 color:Past from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2008 $UpLeftMargin text:
Shreveport Sports The Shreveport Sports were a professional Minor League Baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the United States. The Sports fielded a team from 1925 to 1935, 1938 to 1942, 1946 to 1957, and 1959 to 1961. They were affiliated with the C ...
~(2006–2008) bar:8 color:Past from:01/01/2009 till:12/31/2011 text:
Shreveport-Bossier Captains The Shreveport–Bossier Captains were a professional baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the United States. Following the 2011 season, the team was sold to new ownership and moved to Laredo, Texas, to continue play as the Laredo Lem ...
(2009–2011) bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:start till:12/31/2005 text: Nor (from 1993) bar:9 color:Full from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2019 text:
Sioux City Explorers The Sioux City Explorers are a professional minor league baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States. The Explorers are members American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. Si ...
(2006–2019, 2021–present) bar:9 color:Full from:01/01/2021 till:end text: bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:start till:12/31/2005 text: Nor (from 1993) bar:10 color:Full from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2009 text:
Sioux Falls Canaries The Sioux Falls Canaries are a professional baseball team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The Canaries are members of the North Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major L ...
(2006–2009) bar:10 color:Full from:01/01/2010 till:12/31/2012 $UpLeftMargin text: Sioux Falls Pheasants ~(2010–2012) bar:10 color:Full from:01/01/2013 till:end text:
Sioux Falls Canaries The Sioux Falls Canaries are a professional baseball team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The Canaries are members of the North Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major L ...
(2013–present) bar:11 color:Past from:01/01/2008 till:12/31/2015 text: Grand Prairie AirHogs (2008–2015) bar:11 color:Past from:01/01/2016 till:12/31/2019 text: Texas AirHogs (2016–2019) bar:12 color:Past from:01/01/2008 till:12/31/2018 text:
Wichita Wingnuts The Wichita Wingnuts were an independent baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States. The Wingnuts were members of the South Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball. An expansion franchise in the 2008 seas ...
(2008–2018) bar:13 color:Past from:01/01/2011 till:12/31/2014 text: Amarillo Sox (2011–2014) bar:13 color:Past from:01/01/2015 till:12/31/2015 text: Amarillo Thunderheads (2015) bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:start till:12/31/2010 text: Nor (from 1996) bar:14 color:Full from:01/01/2011 till:end text: Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (2011–present) bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2002 till:12/31/2010 text: Nor bar:15 color:Full from:01/01/2011 till:12/31/2019 text:
Gary SouthShore RailCats The Gary SouthShore RailCats are a professional baseball team based in Gary, Indiana, in the United States. The RailCats are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The Rai ...
(2011–2019, 2021–present) bar:15 color:Full from:01/01/2021 till:end text: bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2003 till:12/31/2010 text: Nor bar:16 color:Full from:01/01/2011 till:12/31/2019 text: Kansas City T-Bones (2011–2019) bar:16 color:Full from:01/01/2021 till:end text:
Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930 ...
(2021–present) bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:start till:12/31/2010 text: Nor (from 1994) bar:17 color:Full from:01/01/2011 till:end text:
Winnipeg Goldeyes The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a minor-league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, which they joined in 2011. Previously, the Goldeyes were members of the Northern ...
(2011–present) bar:18 color:Past from:01/01/2012 till:12/31/2016 text: Laredo Lemurs (2012-2016) bar:19 color:Past from:01/01/2015 till:12/31/2016 text:
Joplin Blasters The Joplin Blasters were an American professional baseball team based in Joplin, Missouri. The Blasters were members of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. The team's home games were played at a rec ...
(2015–2016) bar:20 color:Full from:01/01/2017 till:12/31/2019 text:
Cleburne Railroaders The Cleburne Railroaders are a professional baseball team based in Cleburne, Texas, that plays in the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The team, which began play in 2017, plays i ...
(2017–2019, 2021–present) bar:20 color:Full from:01/01/2021 till:end text: bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2016 till:12/31/2016 text: PL bar:21 color:Past from:01/01/2017 till:12/31/2017 $UpLeftMargin text: Salina ~Stockade ~(2017) bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2018 till:12/31/2018 text:
CAL Cal or CAL may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Cal'' (novel), a 1983 novel by Bernard MacLaverty * "Cal" (short story), a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov * ''Cal'' (1984 film), an Irish drama starring John Lynch and Helen Mir ...
bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2019 till:12/31/2019 text: PA bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2020 till:12/31/2021 text: PL bar:22 color:Full from:01/01/2018 till:end text: Chicago Dogs (2018–present) bar:23 color:Full from:01/01/2019 till:end text: Milwaukee Milkmen (2019–present) bar:24 color:OtherC1 from:start till:12/31/2019 text: MWL (from 1991) bar:24 color:Full from:01/01/2021 till:end text:
Kane County Cougars The Kane County Cougars are an independent professional baseball team located in Geneva, Illinois and are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball (MLB). They play their ...
(2021–present) bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:01/01/2012 till:12/31/2020 text: PL bar:25 color:Past from:01/01/2021 till:12/31/2021 text:
Houston Apollos The Houston Apollos were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Houston, Texas. They played in the Central Hockey League from 1965 to 1969, and then from 1979 to 1981. From 1965 to 1969, they were a farm team of the NHL's Montreal Canadie ...
(2021) bar:26 color:Full from:01/01/2022 till:end text: Lake Country DockHounds (2022—present) ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/2001 TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center) text:"American Association Timeline" fontsize:M textcolor:black pos:(260,200) tabs:(40-left) text:"2006: AA is formed" #> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. <#


Former teams

* Coastal Bend Aviators – founding member of league, originally from
Central Baseball League The Central Baseball League, formerly the Texas–Louisiana League, was a independent baseball league whose member teams were not affiliated with any Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises. In 1991, potential owners, Dallas businessman Byron P ...
, folded after 2007 * St. Joe Blacksnakes – founding member of league, folded after 2007 * Pensacola Pelicans – founding member of league, originally from
Central Baseball League The Central Baseball League, formerly the Texas–Louisiana League, was a independent baseball league whose member teams were not affiliated with any Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises. In 1991, potential owners, Dallas businessman Byron P ...
, became the Amarillo Sox * Fort Worth Cats – founding member of the league, had its membership revoked by the league on October 26, 2011, after failing to provide the league with a letter of credit Moved to the North American League, then
United League Baseball United League Baseball was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas. The league operated from 2006 to 2009. The league then temporarily merged with the Northern League and the Golden Baseball League to form the North American Leagu ...
, then later folded *
Shreveport-Bossier Captains The Shreveport–Bossier Captains were a professional baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the United States. Following the 2011 season, the team was sold to new ownership and moved to Laredo, Texas, to continue play as the Laredo Lem ...
– moved to Laredo, Texas to become Laredo Lemurs * El Paso Diablos – suspended operations after the 2013 season to make way for the Triple-A
El Paso Chihuahuas The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in El Paso, Texas, and play their home games at Southwest University Park, which opened ...
. resumed operations in 2015 as the
Joplin Blasters The Joplin Blasters were an American professional baseball team based in Joplin, Missouri. The Blasters were members of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. The team's home games were played at a rec ...
* Amarillo Thunderheads – originally called the Amarillo Sox; merged with the Grand Prairie AirHogs prior to the 2016 season and changed name to Texas AirHogs *
Joplin Blasters The Joplin Blasters were an American professional baseball team based in Joplin, Missouri. The Blasters were members of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. The team's home games were played at a rec ...
– folded following the 2016 season * Laredo Lemurs – folded following the 2016 season * Salina Stockade – moved to the
Can-Am League The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, commonly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional, independent baseball league with teams in the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada, founded in 2005 as a reorganization of ...
as a partial-schedule traveling team following the 2017 season *
Wichita Wingnuts The Wichita Wingnuts were an independent baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States. The Wingnuts were members of the South Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball. An expansion franchise in the 2008 seas ...
– suspended operations following the 2018 season as their ballpark was to be demolished to make way for a new ballpark and the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge * Texas AirHogs – did not play the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, folded after the season *
St. Paul Saints The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They prev ...
– founding member of the league, became the Triple A affiliate of the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
following the 2020 season joining 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 ( ...
*
Houston Apollos The Houston Apollos were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Houston, Texas. They played in the Central Hockey League from 1965 to 1969, and then from 1979 to 1981. From 1965 to 1969, they were a farm team of the NHL's Montreal Canadie ...
- travelling team from the Pecos League brought in for the 2021 season


Champions


All-Star Game

The American Association hosted an annual
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...
from 2006 to 2010. The league's first All-Star game was played in
El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the ...
, on July 18, 2006, which pit a team of American Association All-Stars against an All-Star team from the
Can-Am League The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, commonly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional, independent baseball league with teams in the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada, founded in 2005 as a reorganization of ...
. Its current format pits the all-stars from each division against each other. There was no All-Star game in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2020, or 2021. ;Game results *2006 – AA 5, Can-Am 3 *2007 – South 6, North 4 *2008 – South 11, North 4 *2009 – North 6, South 2 *2010 – South 12, North 3 *2011 – game cancelled *2012 – game cancelled *2013 – game cancelled *2014 – South 7, North 0 *2015 – North 3, South 1 *2016 – North 6, South 1 *2017 – Can-Am 3, AA 2 *2018 – game cancelled *2019 – North 7, South 3 *2020 – game cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
*2021 – game cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic *2022 — West 7, East 6


Most Valuable Players

*2006 – Pichi Balet, (Lincoln Saltdogs) *2007 – Jorge Alvarez, (El Paso Diablos) *2008 – Beau Torbert, (Sioux Falls Canaries) *2009 – Greg Porter, (Wichita Wingnuts) *2010 – Beau Torbert, (Sioux Falls Canaries) *2011 – Lee Cruz, (Amarillo Sox) *2012 – Nic Jackson, (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks) *2013 – C. J. Ziegler, (Wichita Wingnuts) *2014 –
Brent Clevlen Brent Aaron Clevlen (born October 27, 1983) is an American former professional baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the cou ...
, (Wichita Wingnuts) *2015 – Vinny DiFazio, (St. Paul Saints) *2016 – Nate Samson, (Sioux City Explorers) *2017 – Josh Romanski, (Winnipeg Goldeyes) *2018 – Jose Sermo, (Sioux City Explorers) *2019 – Keon Barnum, (Chicago Dogs) *2020 – Adam Brett Walker II, (Milwaukee Milkmen) *2021 – Adam Brett Walker II, (Milwaukee Milkmen) *2022 – Jabari Henry, (Sioux Falls Canaries)


League attendance


Attendance Records

Season: 413,482, St. Paul, 2016 Game: 13,406, El Paso, July 4, 2011


See also

* Baseball awards – U.S. independent professional leagues


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:American Association Of Professional Baseball Independent baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Florida Baseball leagues in Indiana Baseball leagues in Iowa Baseball leagues in Kansas Baseball leagues in Louisiana Baseball leagues in Minnesota Baseball leagues in Missouri Baseball leagues in Nebraska Baseball leagues in North Dakota Baseball leagues in South Dakota Baseball leagues in Texas Baseball leagues in Canada Sports leagues established in 2006 2006 establishments in the United States 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations Baseball leagues in Illinois Baseball leagues in Wisconsin