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Major League Baseball (MLB)

Major League Baseball, MLB, "the big leagues", "the show" - all are different names for the pinnacle of North American baseball. Major League Baseball's origins date back to 1871. The National League was founded February 2, 1876 and replaced the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (1871-1875). The American League grew out of the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states. It was renamed the American League in 1899, and acquired major league status in 1901. The current joint organizational structure where MLB is divided into the American League and the National League has existed since 1903.

In the early days of professional baseball, the season varied in length from 70 games to 154 games in the period 1876 through 1919. In 1919, baseball adopted a 154 game schedule that went into effect with the 1920 season. It remained that way until 1961 when the current 162 game schedule was introduced.

MLB At-A-Glance

Season: 162 games (April through October)
Teams: 30 (14 American League, 16 National League)
Events:

Spring training (February - Early April)
All-Star Game (played in July)

Championship: The World Series
Most recent champion: 2007 - Boston Red Sox
Major League Baseball 2007 Playoffs
Hall of fame: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, New York

See: Visiting the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York

MLB web site: http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp

Major League Baseball All-Star Game

The All-Star Game, or "Midsummer Classic", was first played in 1933 as part of the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois. It has been played every year since, with the exception of 1945 because of World War II travel restrictions, at the mid-point of the season in July.

Players for the All Star Game are currently selected by fan popular vote. In addition, pitchers and one back-up player for each position are elected by the players. The managers for each of the all-star teams are typically the managers of the two teams who faced each other in the preceding year's World Series. The league who wins the All-Star Game also gets the initial home-field advantage in the World Series for that year.

Major League Baseball Playoffs and the World Series

The first World Series between the American League and the National League was played in 1903 between the the Boston Pilgrims (now the Boston Red Sox) and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pilgrims won the first World Series 5 games to 3. No World Series was played in 1904 as the New York Giants boycotted the game - which would have been played against the Pilgrims. Since then, the World Series has been played every year with the exception of 1994, when it was cancelled because of the players strike.

From 1903 to the advent of the League Championship Series (LCS) in 1969, the top team from each league played each other in the World Series. In 1969 each league was reorganized into two divisions. The winners of each division would meet in the League Championship Series to determine who would play in the World Series. From 1969 though 1984, the League Championship Series was a best-of-5 game series. Starting in 1985 the LCS adopted its current best-of-7 game format (2-3-2 home field pattern).

In 1994 each league was again reorganized into the current 3 divisions. This necessitated the introduction of a "wild card" team making the playoffs and introduced the Division Series, which is a best-of-5 game series (now a 2-2-1 home field pattern). The new playoff structure was first used in 1995 as there were no playoffs and World Series in 1994.

The format of the World Series has varied some throughout its history, as follows:

1903 - Best-of-9 game series
1905-1918 - Best-of-7 game series
1919-1921 - Best-of-9 game series
1922-present - Best-of-7 game series

The current 2-3-2 home field pattern was established in 1924

MLB Teams

Major League Baseball consists of 30 teams organized into two Leagues, the American League with 14 teams, and the National League with 16 teams. Each League is organized into three Divisions, the East, Central, and West.