Defunct Teams
Teams that have folded or moved away from the Indiana area.F i l t e r & S o r t Search & Sort
WHA: 1975-1979
5
🏀 NBA: 1941-1957
17 5
🏀 NBA: 1950-1953
4
🏀 NPBL: 1946-1951
6 1
🏀 BAA: 1933-1949
17 1
⚾ NAL: 1948-1948
1
Before becoming the Ethiopian Clowns, there is evidence indicating that the team was formed in Miami, Florida. Soon enough the team became an independent barnstorming club, changing its name to the Ethiopian Clowns. and evenually, the Cincinnati Clowns.
🏀 NBL: 1937-1941
5
⚾ NAL: 1940-1940
1
Members of the short-lived and mysterious USNL developed by Branch Rickey prior to integration of blacks in baseball.
⚾ NAL: 1939-1939
1
Founded as the Atlanta Cubs and changed their name to the Black Crackers because fans had already begun to call them by that name as a play on the local white league team, the Atlanta Crackers
⚾ NAL: 1938-1938
1
Hoping to revive the success of years past, the owners named the team the ABCs; the third such team to do so and the first in five years. Almost immediately, financial difficulties forced the team to relocate to St. Louis, and then New Orleans and Harrsiburgh before folding in 1943
🏀 NBL: 1937-1938
2 1
🏀 MBC: 1936-1937
2
⚾ NNL: 1933-1933
1
From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the most dominant team in black baseball. Evolved from the split of the Chicago Union Leland Giants into the Chicago Giants and Chicago American Giants.
🏀 NPBL2: 1926-1933
8 1
⚾ NSL: 1931-1932
2
Five years after the demise of the original Indianapolis ABCs, Negro league baseball came back to Indianapolis. Within a few years the Cole's American Giants moved their 1933 home games to Indianapolis, forcing the ABCs move the club to Detroit shortly after opening day.
⚾ NNL1: 1907-1926
20
Originally organized by the American Brewing Company in the early 20th century. By 1915, the ABCs were already challenging Rube Foster's Chicago American Giants for supremacy in black baseball.
🏈 NFL: 1920-1926
7
⚾ Negro: 1916-1922
7
🏈 NFL: 1921-1922
2
🏈 NFL: 1920-1921
2
⚾ Negro: 1910-1915
6
They often frequented baseball diamonds near the West Baden Springs Hotel. Their name derived from a bottled water produced at the Hotel which bordered on a local salt lick and mineral spring. The product was labeled as "Sprudel Water"
⚾ Negro: 1912-1914
3
Based at the French Lick Springs Hotel in Indiana, and their name derived from a bottled water produced at the Hotel. The Hotel bordered on a local salt lick and mineral spring and the minerals from the spring made the water act as an effective and marketable natural laxative.
⚾ FL: 1913-1914
2 2
Relocated from Indiana to New Jersey for marketing purposes by league executives after winning the 1914 championship.
Disbanded when the Federal League folded after the 1915 season.
⚾ NL: 1887-1889
3
Only team to continue after the Union Associaton folded in 1884, joining the National League in 1885. Left St. Louis for Indianapolis to begin the 1887 season. Folded following the 1889 season.
The early history of sports contains hundreds of teams that appeared for only 1 or 2 seasons before folding. Most of these teams have no historical photographs or articles, so are omitted from this list to reduce clutter. To view a comprehensive list of all defunct teams, browse to the early leagues section for baseball, football, basketball, or hockey.