National League History
The National League is the oldest league in Baseball; it is older than the American League by twenty five years.
When the National League of Professional Baseball began in the late 19th century, it had only eight teams these were: the Louisville Grays, Cincinnati Reds, the New York Mutuals, Boston Red Caps, Hartford Dark Blues, St. Louis Brown, Chicago White Stockings and the St. Louis Brown Stockings.
Among the above mentioned, six moved from the defunct National Association and only two baseball teams are still playing today, the Boston Red Caps (known as the Atlanta Braves) and the Chicago White Stockings (known as the Chicago Cubs).
Other leagues were formed late in the nineteenth century and early in the twentieth. The American League was formed in the first year of the 20th century.
National League Teams