I've been doing research for a book I am writing about baseball and the DC phenomenon when I came across the "Richmond Virginians", a minor league international team. Upon doing further digging, I was shocked to find that the Baltimore Orioles have folded, been relocated (to NY to become who we now know as the New York Yankees), and then the St. Louis Browns came to Baltimore and became the team we know today.
Fascinating stuff I didn't know before and strangely is kept out of all arguments that some O's fans make when they try to say "DC isn't a baseball town."
Stole some minor stuff here from Wikipedia to show and tell:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Orioles_%28minor_league%29
First Major League Team
The first Orioles team was founded in 1882, and played in the American Association (then a major league) and the National League until 1899. This team was one of the most successul and colorful in baseball history, winning three straight pennants (1894-1896) and featuring a number of Hall-of-Famers including John McGraw, Hughie Jennings, and Wee Willie Keeler.
After the 1898 season, manager Ned Hanlon and most of the team's best players jumped to the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Baltimore team folded after the 1899 season.
Second Major League Team
Another Orioles team became a charter member of the American League in 1901. After the 1902 season, the Orioles franchise was shifted to New York City and renamed the New York Highlanders, which later became the New York Yankees.
Third Major League Team
After the 1953 season, the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and took the name of the Baltimore Orioles. The later minor league Orioles team re-located to Richmond (as had the earlier Orioles team) as the Virginians from 1954-64, have been today's Toledo Mud Hens franchise since 1965.
Going to have to dig deeper some when I get the chance.
