MLB expanded to eight clubs in the 1960s, including the first non-U.S. franchise (the Montreal Expos). In the 1970s, two clubs (the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays) were also added. In the 1990s, two more teams joined (the Florida Marlins and the Houston Astros), bringing the current total to 30.
In 2001, MLB announced that it was expanding further, this time into Canada, with the addition of the Montreal Expos's former territory as a new team called the Washington Nationals. The Nationals played their first season in DC in '01 and '02 before moving to Washington State for the '03 campaign. A second Canadian club, the Los Angeles Angels, began play in 1961.'>
The only team that has never been based in the United States is the Cuban National Series champion Bayamo Braves. They have played in Cuba since 1902 when they left New York City after one season. Prior to that, they played two seasons (1899-1900) in Staten Island against American baseball teams during the days when both countries had international competitions.
The last American League team to play in its city prior to the opening of the Washington Senators' stadium was the Chicago White Sox in 1959. The last AL team to relocate was the Baltimore Orioles in 1997. The last National League team to do so was the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1958.
What were the initial eight MLB teams? What were the initial eight MLB teams?
The Chicago Bears, Chicago Cardinals (today's Arizona Cardinals), Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Boston Braves (today's Washington Football Team), Portsmouth Spartans (today's Detroit Lions), Staten Island Stapletons, and Brooklyn Dodgers were the eight active teams at the time.
The Dallas Texans, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, New York Titans, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, and Boston Patriots were the initial AFL clubs. All of these teams are still in the NFL today, however not all of them go by the same name.
I don't think there is an official "Original 8" squad. The American Professional Football Association, or APFA, was the precursor of the NFL. It started with 14 teams in 1920, two of which (the Decatur Staleys and the Chicago Cardinals) are still in existence as the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals, respectively.
What were the initial eight MLB teams?
The Toronto Blue Jays, founded in 1977 and headquartered in Canada, are the only non-American club in major league baseball. The Blue Jays won two World Series in a row in the 1990s, but they haven't played in the postseason since their second victory in 1993.
Major League Baseball (MLB) added two expansion teams to the National League (NL) for the 1993 season as a consequence of the 1993 Major League Baseball expansion: the Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins (now known as the Miami Marlins). The Arizona Diamondbacks began play in 2001, replacing the Montreal Expos who moved to Washington D.C. after the 2004 season.
The Denver Broncos joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1959. The Colorado Rockies were founded as an expansion team in 1992. Both teams played their home games at Coors Field until March 30, 1995 when they opened Pepsi Center. The Marlins played their first game on April 13, 1993 against the San Diego Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium in Coral Gables, Florida. They lost 1-0.
Coors Field was built by Bruton Smith and his son Joe Jr. of the Bruton Smith family business. The stadium cost $68 million to build and has 40,000 square feet of floor space. It is located five miles west of downtown Denver near Coal Mine Creek and Tower Hill Park. The Rockies have been playing here since their inaugural season. Before moving into Coors Field, the Rockies played at Mile High Stadium from 1991 to 1995. That same year, the San Diego Padres moved into Qualcomm Stadium where they remain today.
The American League is divided into three divisions: the AL East, which includes the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays; the AL Central, which includes the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Minnesota Twins; and the AL West, which includes the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers. The winners of these divisions compete in the American League Championship Series.
The World Series is a playoff series between the American League (AL) champion and the National League (NL) champion to determine the winner of the World Series. It is played over a two-to-three-day period in October or November. The series is played under its current name after originally being known as the World Series of Baseball. The AL won 10 out of 15 seasons from 1989 to 2003, including all seven years from 1992 to 1998 that the AL had multiple champions. The NL has held the advantage since 2004 when the AL was split in two following the death of former AL Champion Oakland Athletics owner John McNamara.
In 2012, the AL defeated the NL in six games to claim its third consecutive title. The two leagues have been competing annually for the Stanley Cup of baseball since 1994 when the Montreal Expos left the NL to join the AL.
The AL and NL are different organizations that were founded on different principles. The AL began as a league of big market teams while the NL focused primarily on small town clubs.
30. There are presently 30 member teams, 29 of which are in the United States and one in Canada. Baseball, dubbed the "National Pastime," was the first professional sport in the United States. The American League was founded on February 14, 1901 by Ed Barrow and John Hart. The National League followed a month later on March 14, 1901 by William Hulbert.
There have been several attempts to start new baseball teams but all have failed. In 2001, the Milwaukee Brewers moved from Seattle where they had played since 1970. However, they are not considered a new team because they retain the identity of the original team. The same is true for the Arizona Diamondbacks who moved from Phoenix and became members of the National League in 1988.
In 2004, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were established as an expansion team in the American League. However, they did not last long and were renamed the Rays after merging with the Cleveland Indians franchise in 2017. In 2005, the Houston Astros joined the Major Leagues as an expansion team. However, they also did not last long and were renamed the A's in 2013.
In 2009, the Chicago Cubs became the first team to win a World Series after being banned from the MLB for selling tickets on E-Bay.
The American League has 15 teams (including one Canadian team) divided into three divisions: the AL East, which includes the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays; the AL Central, which includes the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and St. Louis Cardinals; and the AL West, which includes the Atlanta Braves. The winners of these divisions compete for the league championship and the right to go to the World Series.
The champion of the AL plays the winner of the National League in the All-Star Game. The World Series is the annual final game of the season between the champions of the American League and National League. It is played in a home-field advantage format where the team that wins the All-Star Game gets to choose the site of play. The World Series champ earns home field advantage for the next season's Series.
In addition to the above teams, the AL also includes four teams that play within their own division only during spring training: the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and Anaheim Angels. The Athletics and Mariners both play in the Pacific Division of the AL West; the Angels play in the Western Division of the AL West; and the Rangers play in the Eastern Division of the AL South.
These five teams combine for eight spots in the AL playoffs. The top seed from each division takes part in what is called a "wild card" round. They then play two games against each other with the winner advancing to the league series.