Gulf League

{{Infobox sports league | title =Gulf League | current_season =  | current_season2 =  | last_season =  | upcoming_season =  | logo = | pixels =  | caption = | formerly = | sport =Minor League Baseball | replaced =Southern League | owner = | ceo = | chief operating officer = | director = | president =J.G. Brien (1886) | commissioner = | fame =  | motto = | inaugural =1886 | teams =4 | singles = | country =United States of America | venue = | confed =  | folded =1886 | champion = | most_champs ='''1'''<br /> Acid Iron Earths (1886) | classification =Independent (1886) | qualification = | tv = | sponsor = | related_comps = | founder = | levels = | promotion = | relegation = | domestic_cup = | website = }}

The '''Gulf League''' was an independent American minor baseball league that played in the 1886 season. The four–team league franchises were based in Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana, with each city hosting two teams. The Acid Iron Earths won the league championship.

==History== On April 7, 1886, the "Gulf League" finalized plans to play in the 1886 season. Teams were to be placed in Columbus, Georgia, Mobile, Alabama, Montgomery, Alabama, New Orleans, Louisiana, Pensacola, Florida and Selma, Alabama, with play beginning on April 24, 1886.<ref>{{cite journal | last = | first = | author-link = | title =Motley Crowd, April 7, 1886 | journal =Diamonds in the Dusk | volume = | issue = | pages =1 | publisher = | location = | date =18 March 2017 | language = | url = | jstor = | issn = | doi = | id = | mr = | zbl = | jfm =

| access-date = }}</ref>

Ultimately, the league formed as a four–team league, based in two cities.<ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?code=GULL&class=N/A|title=Gulf League (No Classification) Encyclopedia and History|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> The Mobile team and the Acid Iron Earths team were both based in Mobile, Alabama.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1886 Acid Iron Earths Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1886 Mobile Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> The New Orleans team and the Robert E. Lee's team were based in New Orleans, Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1886 New Orleans Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1886 Robert E. Lee's Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/minors-have-long-tradition-of-wacky-names-214927860|title=Minors have long tradition of wacky names|website=MiLB.com}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SUeLiBKyDOAC&dq=%22Robert+E.+Lees%22+baseball+team+1886&pg=PT13|title=Baseball In Mobile|first1=Joe|last1=Cuhaj|first2=Tamra|last2=Carraway-Hinckle|date=January 7, 2004|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=9781439612484 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

On June 16, 1886, J.G. Brien, of the Robert E. Lee's was announced as the Gulf League president; Richard Sheridan of the Acid Iron Earths, vice president; Charles Shaffer of Mobile, treasurer; and F. McKeough, of New Orleans, secretary.<ref name="auto3">{{Citation

| last =Dickinson | first =Charles | author-link = | last2 = | first2 = | author-link2 = | title =Transcribed Pages from the Charles Dickson Papers on Mobile Baseball | journal = | volume = | issue = | pages =6–9 | date =5 July 2018 | orig-date = | year = | language = | url =https://www.southalabama.edu/libraries/mccallarchives/resources/mobilebaseball1868-1910.pdf | jstor = | archive-url = | archive-date = | doi = | id = | mr = | zbl = | jfm = }}</ref>

The "Acid Iron Earth" team was so named because medicine and tonic was being made from the so named "Acid Iron Earth" in Alabama.<ref name="auto3"/> The Acid Iron Earth Company was founded in April, 1886.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_al/700-866|title=Acid Iron Earth Co. :: Alabama (US) :: OpenCorporates|website=opencorporates.com}}</ref> The team was also the first known professional team to travel to another country, playing exhibition games in Cuba.<ref name="auto1"/>

The Gulf League began play on June 20, 1886, with the season ending on Oct 31, 1886.<ref name="auto3"/>

In the final standings, the 1886 Gulf League champion was Acid Iron Earth. They finished with a (20–11) record, finishing 1.0 game ahead of 2nd place Mobile (19–12). They were followed by New Orleans (15–15) and the Robert E. Lees (7–23).<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-GULFL/y-1886|title=1886 Gulf League (GL) Minor League Baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}</ref> In 1887, the Gulf League did not resume play.<ref name="auto2"/> The Mobile Swamp Angels and New Orleans Pelicans teams began play as members of the 1887 Southern League.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1887 Mobile Swamp Angels Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1887 New Orleans Pelicans Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

==Cities represented== *Mobile, Alabama: Acid Iron Earths (1886) *Mobile, Alabama: Mobile (1886) *New Orleans, Louisiana: New Orleans (1886) *New Orleans, Louisiana: Robert E. Lee's (1886)

==Yearly standings== '''1886 Gulf League''' {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" !Team standings!!W!!L!!PCT!!GB!! Managers |- |Acid Iron Earths||20||11||.645||-|| John Kelly |- |Mobile||19||12||.612||1 || J.F. Petty |- |New Orleans||15||15||.500||5½ || Rudolph Lion |- |Robert E. Lee's||7||23||.233||5½ || Conrad Leithman |- |}No Playoffs Scheduled. <ref name="auto"/>

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?code=GULL&class=N/A Gulf League - Baseball Reference]

Category:Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Category:Baseball leagues in Louisiana Category:Baseball leagues in Alabama Category:Sports leagues established in 1886 Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 1886