Defunct Teams
Teams that have folded or moved away from the Philadelphia area.F i l t e r & S o r t Search & Sort
WHA: 1973-1973
1
🏀 ABL3: 1963-1963
1
🏀 NBA: 1947-1962
16 2
⚾ MLB: 1901-1954
54 6
One of the eight original American League teams beginning with the 1901 season.
Left Philadelphia to relocate in Kansas City to begin the 1955 season.
Left Kansas City to relocate to Oakland to begin the 1968 season.
⚾ NNL: 1933-1948
16 1
Owned in part by sports promoter Eddie Gottlieb who also owned the Philadelphia Sphas and Philadelphia Warriors basketball teams. Gottlieb was also the booking agent for all the Negro league teams in the Northeast, taking 10% of all receipts
🏀 WPBT: 1915-1948
34 1
The Barons played in several major and minor leagues over the decades. The team achieved tremendous success after 1946 as a minor league team, winning 11 titles during its time.
🏀 ABL: 1923-1947
25 11
The team's name is an acronym, derived from South Philadelphia Hebrew Association, and the team's players, at least in its earlier years, were primarily Jewish.
🏀 ABL: 1942-1947
6 2
A powerhouse in the ABL during the 1940s, the eventually faded after they lost their entire starting lineup to the military during World War II.
🏀 ABL: 1899-1947
49 6
Known as the Trenton Potters in early 1900s, the Trenton Bengals (aka Royal Bengals) in the 1920s and 30s, and eventually as the Trenton Tigers in the 1940s before fading along with the ABL.
⚾ USNL: 1916-1945
30 3
Established as a boys team in 1910, developed by their owner to be one of the powerhouse Negro league baseball teams in the mid 1920s. Folded along with many clubs during the Great Depression
⚾ Negro: 1932-1936
5
White promoter Harry Passon organized a new Bacharach team based in Philadelphia. The club eventually joined Gus Greenlee's new Negro National League in 1934 but returned to independent baseball in 1935.
🏀 EBL2: 1903-1933
31 2
🏀 EBL2: 1899-1932
34 2
🏈 NFL: 1924-1931
8 1
NHL: 1931-1931
1
🏈 NFL: 1924-1928
5
⚾ ECL: 1922-1927
6
Known primarily for their hitting with HOF'er Oscar Charleston, triple-crown winning Heavy Johnson, and well-known pro basketball player Fats Jenkins. Never able to finish much better than average in the ECL, the club dropped to play an independent schedule, and lost its best players to other teams.
⚾ Negro: 1902-1911
10 2
From 1904 to 1909 they were one of the strongest teams in black baseball, winning five eastern championships in six years. Disbanded during the 1911 season, forced by player defections across North, South, East, and West versions of Philadelphia Giants
🏀 NBL1: 1900-1903
4 1
Bristol franchise merged with Burlington at the end of the first half
🏈 NFL1: 1901-1902
2
⚾ AA: 1890-1891
2
After the Players League folded following the 1890 season, the Philadelphia joined the American Association (AA) to replace the previously expelled Philiadelphia Athletics team.
The AA folded the following season and the Philadelphia players were absorbed into existing NL clubs in 1892.
⚾ AA: 1882-1890
9 1
Expelled by the Association following the 1890 season in response to the franchise releasing and selling the majority of their players for financial reasons.
⚾ UA: 1884-1884
1
Team disbanded in August of 1884.
The Union Association replaced the team with the Wilmington Quicksteps.
⚾ UA: 1884-1884
1
Joined the Union Association in late August 1884 to replace the Philadelphia Keystones.
Wilmington played only 18 games before folding themselves, replaced by the Milwaukee Brewers.
⚾ NL: 1861-1876
16 1
Left the National Association to become one of 8 founding clubs of the National League in 1876. Folded after being expelled for failing to complete final road trip of the 1876 season.
⚾ NA: 1873-1875
3
Philadelphia was formed to join the NA in 1873. To differentiate from Athletic of Philadelphia, the new team was known as the White Stockings. Folded following the 1875 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.