The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was the first professional baseball league, formed in 1871. Clubs joined, played a schedule, and crowned a champion. The association did not survive the decade. Later leagues were organized separately, with their own clubs and their own rules.
The National League (NL) was founded in 1876, after this association had already failed. It is a later league, not a renaming of the earlier one. A few cities fielded clubs in both, under new arrangements.
How the Association Was Organized
- Clubs. Member cities fielded a professional nine.
- A schedule and a champion. Games counted toward a pennant.
- A short life. The association folded before the 1870s were over.
The First Association and the Later League
| Compared | The 1871 Association | The 1876 League |
| Founded | 1871 | 1876 |
| Relation | The earlier body | A separate league, founded after the association failed |
| Still operating | No | Yes |