Major League Baseball

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from MLB)
Jump to: navigation, search
"MLB" redirects here. For Minor League Baseball, see Minor League Baseball. For other uses, see MLB (disambiguation).
Major League Baseball
Current season or competition:
2013 World Series
Major League Baseball.svg
Sport Baseball
Founded 1869
Commissioner Bud Selig[1]
No. of teams 30[2]
Countries United States (29 teams)
Canada (1 team)
Continent North America
Most recent champion(s) San Francisco Giants (7th title)
Most titles New York Yankees (27 titles)[3]
TV partner(s) Fox
TBS
ESPN/ESPN2
MLB Network
Official website mlb.com

Major League Baseball (MLB) is a North American professional baseball league consisting of teams that play in the American League and National League. The two leagues, dating to 1901 and 1876 respectively as separate legal entities, merged in 2000 into a single organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball.[4]

MLB constitutes one of the four major professional sports leagues of North America. It is composed of thirty teams: twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada. Teams in MLB play 162 games each season over six months (April through September). Five teams in each league advance to a four-round postseason tournament that culminates in the World Series, a best-of-seven-games championship series between the two league champions that dates to 1903.

The organization oversees many minor-league baseball leagues, which operate about 240 teams affiliated with the major-league clubs. With the International Baseball Federation, the league also manages the international World Baseball Classic tournament. MLB has the highest season attendance of any sports league in the world with nearly 75 million spectators in 2012.

Organizational structure

The headquarters of Major League Baseball at 245 Park Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA.[5]

MLB is governed by the Major League Baseball Constitution that has undergone several incarnations since 1875 with the most recent revisions being made in 2012.[6] Under the direction of the Commissioner of Baseball (as of 2013, Bud Selig), MLB hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts.

MLB maintains a unique, controlling relationship over the sport, including most aspects of minor league baseball. This is due in large part to the 1922 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Federal Baseball Club v. National League, which held that baseball is not interstate commerce and therefore not subject to federal antitrust law. This ruling has been weakened only slightly in subsequent years.[7][8] Although there were several challenges to MLB's primacy in the sport between the 1870s and the Federal League in 1916, the last such challenge was the aborted Continental League in 1960.

The chief executive of MLB is the commissioner. The chief operating officer is Rob Manfred. There are six executive vice-presidents in charge of the following areas: baseball development, business, labor relations and human resources, finance, administration (whose vice-president is MLB's Chief Information Officer), and baseball operations.[9]

The multimedia branch of MLB is Manhattan–based MLB Advanced Media, which oversees MLB.com and each of the 30 teams' websites. Its charter states that MLB Advanced Media holds editorial independence from the League, but it is under the same ownership group and revenue-sharing plan. MLB Productions is a similarly structured wing of the league, focusing on video and traditional broadcast media. MLB also owns 67 percent of MLB Network, with the other 33 percent split between several cable operators and satellite provider DirecTV. It operates out of studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, and also has editorial independence from the league.

League organization

As of the 2013 season, MLB is divided into 15 American League (AL) teams and 15 National League (NL) teams.[10] Each league is further subdivided into East, Central, and West divisions. For 60 years, the American and National leagues fielded eight teams apiece. In the 1960s, expansion added eight teams, including the first non-U.S. team (the Montreal Expos). Two teams were also added in the 1970s. From 1969 through 1993, each league consisted of an East and West division. A third division was added in each league in 1994. Through 1996, the two leagues met on the field only during the World Series and the All-Star Game: in 1997, regular-season interleague play was introduced.

In March 1995, two new franchises — the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now known simply as the Tampa Bay Rays) — were awarded by MLB, to begin play in 1998. This addition brought the total number of franchises to 30. In early 1997, Major League Baseball decided to assign one new team to each league: Tampa Bay joined the AL and Arizona joined the NL. The original plan was to have an odd number of teams in each league (15 per league, with 5 in each division). MLB also planned to introduce interleague play in 1997, but with each league having an odd number of teams, interleague play would have had to be used throughout the entire season, to allow every team to play every day. It was unclear, though, if interleague play would continue after the 1998 season, as it had to be approved by the players' union. For this and other reasons, it was decided that both leagues should continue to have an even number of teams; one existing club would have to switch leagues. The Milwaukee Brewers agreed in November 1997 to move from the AL to the NL, thereby making the NL a 16-team league.[11]

Following the 2011 season, MLB announced its plan to move the Houston Astros from the NL Central to the AL West for the 2013 season, resulting in both leagues having three divisions of five teams each and allowing all teams to have a more balanced schedule. (MLB required the Astros to accept this move as a condition of approving their sale to Jim Crane.) Because each league will have an odd number of teams, interleague play will occur throughout the season, so that every team will be able to play every day.[12]

In 1903, the two leagues began to meet in an end-of-year championship series called the World Series. In 1920, the weak National Commission, which had been created to manage relationships between the two leagues, was replaced with the much more powerful Commissioner of Baseball, who had the power to make decisions for all of professional baseball unilaterally. In 2000, the AL and NL were dissolved as legal entities, and MLB became a single, overall league de jure,similar to the National Football League, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League — albeit with two components called "leagues" instead of "conferences".

The same rules and regulations are used in both leagues, with one exception: the AL operates under the Designated Hitter Rule, while the NL does not (preserving the NL's distinction as the only remaining league in professional baseball in the United States that does not follow the DH rule). This difference in rules between leagues is unique to MLB; the other sports leagues of the US and Canada have one set of rules for all teams.

History

Main article: History of baseball in the United States

Founding

In the 1860s, aided by the Civil War, "New York"-style baseball expanded into a national game and spawned baseball's first governing body, The National Association of Base Ball Players. The NABBP existed as an amateur league for twelve years. By 1867, more than 400 clubs were members. Most of the strongest clubs remained those based in the northeastern part of the country. For professional baseball's founding year, MLB uses the year 1869—when the first professional team,[13] the Cincinnati Red Stockings, was established.

A schism developed between professional and amateur ballplayers after the founding of the Cincinnati club. The NABBP split into an amateur organization and a professional organization. The National Association of Professional Baseball Players, often known as the National Association (NA), was formed in 1871.[14] Some consider it to have been the first major league.[by whom?] The modern Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves franchises trace their histories back to the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in the early 1870s. Its amateur counterpart disappeared after only a few years.

In 1876, the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (later known as the National League or NL) was established after the NA proved ineffective. The league placed its emphasis on clubs rather than on players. Clubs could now enforce player contracts, preventing players from jumping to higher-paying clubs. Clubs were required to play the full schedule of games instead of forfeiting scheduled games when the club was no longer in the running for the league championship, which happened frequently under the NA. A concerted effort was made to curb gambling on games which was leaving the validity of results in doubt. The first game in the NL — on Saturday, April 22, 1876 (at the Jefferson Street Grounds, Philadelphia) — is often pointed to as the beginning of MLB.[15][16]

The early years of the NL were tumultuous, with threats from rival leagues and a rebellion by players against the hated "reserve clause", which restricted the free movement of players between clubs. Competitive leagues formed regularly and also disbanded regularly. The most successful was the American Association (1881–1891), sometimes called the "beer and whiskey league" for its tolerance of the sale of alcoholic beverages to spectators. For several years, the NL and American Association champions met in a postseason championship series — the first attempt at a World Series. The resulting bidding war for players led to widespread contract-breaking and legal disputes. One of the most famous involved star second baseman Napoleon Lajoie, who in 1901 went across town in Philadelphia from the NL Phillies to the AL Athletics. Barred by a court injunction from playing baseball in the state of Pennsylvania the following year, Lajoie was traded to the Cleveland team, where he played and managed for many years.[17]

National League Baltimore Orioles, 1896

The war between the AL and NL caused shock waves throughout the baseball world. At a meeting at the Leland Hotel in Chicago in 1901, the other baseball leagues negotiated a plan to maintain their independence. On September 5, 1901, Patrick T. Powers, president of the Eastern League, announced the formation of the second iteration of the NA.[18] While the NA continues to this day (known as Minor League Baseball), at the time Ban Johnson saw it as a tool to end threats from smaller rivals who might some day want to expand in other territories and threaten his league's dominance.

After 1902, the NL, AL and NA signed a new National Agreement which tied independent contracts to the reserve-clause national league contracts. Baseball players became a commodity. The agreement also set up a formal classification system for independent minor leagues that regulated the dollar value of contracts, the forerunner of today's system that was refined by Branch Rickey.[19] The agreement gave the NA great power. The agreement with the NA punished those independent leagues who had not joined the NA and submitted to the will of the "majors". The deal also helped to prevent more pilfering of NA players with little or no compensation for the players' development. Several leagues eventually joined the NA, which grew in size over the next several years.

Defunct major leagues

Several other early defunct baseball leagues are officially considered major leagues, and their statistics and records are included with those of the two current major leagues. These include the Union Association (1884), the American Association (1882–1891, not to be confused with later minor leagues of the same name),[20] the Players' League (1890)[21] and the Federal League (1914–1915).[22][23] Both the UA and NA are considered major leagues by many baseball researchers because of the perceived high caliber of play and the number of star players featured. Researchers dispute the major-league status of the UA by pointing out that franchises came and went and that the St. Louis club was deliberately "stacked"; the St. Louis club was owned by the league's president and it was the only club that was close to major-league caliber.[24]

There were dozens of leagues, large and small, at this time. What made the NL "major" was its dominant position in the major cities, particularly New York City. The larger cities offered baseball teams national media distribution systems and fan bases that could generate more robust revenues, enabling teams to hire the best players in the country.

Dead-ball era

Main article: Dead-ball era
Cy Young, 1911 baseball card

The period between 1900 and 1919 is commonly called the "dead-ball era". Games of this era tended to be low scoring and were often dominated by pitchers, such as Walter Johnson, Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Mordecai Brown, and Grover Cleveland Alexander. The term also accurately describes the condition of the baseball itself. A baseball cost three dollars, equal to $40.39 today (in inflation-adjusted U.S. dollars). Club owners were reluctant to purchase new balls. It was not unusual for a single baseball to last an entire game; by the end of the game, the ball would be dark with grass, mud, tobacco stains, and misshapen from contact with the bat. Balls were replaced only if they were hit into the crowd and lost, and many clubs employed security guards solely to retrieve balls hit into the stands.

Also, pitchers could manipulate the ball through the use of the spitball. (In 1921 use of this pitch was restricted to a few pitchers with a grandfather clause). Additionally, many ballparks had large dimensions, such as the West Side Grounds of the Chicago Cubs, which was 560 feet to the center field fence, and the Huntington Avenue Grounds of the Boston Red Sox, which was 635 feet to the center field fence, thus home runs were rare, and "small ball" tactics such as singles, bunts, stolen bases and the hit-and-run play dominated the strategies of the time.[25] Hitting methods like the Baltimore Chop were used to increase the number of infield singles.[26]

The adoption of the foul strike rule in the early twentieth century quickly sent baseball from a high-scoring game to one where scoring runs became a struggle. Prior to the institution of this rule, foul balls were not counted as strikes: a batter could foul off any number of pitches with no strikes counted against him; this gave an enormous advantage to the batter. In 1901, the NL adopted the foul strike rule, and the AL followed suit in 1903.[27]

World War II era

On January 14, 1942, MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis wrote a letter to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt regarding the continuation of baseball during the war, called the Green Light Letter. In this letter, the commissioner pleaded for the continuation of baseball in hopes for a start of a new major league season. President Roosevelt responds "I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going. There will be fewer people unemployed and everybody will work longer hours and harder than ever before. And that means that they ought to have a chance for recreation and for taking their minds off their work even more than before."[28]

With the approval of President Roosevelt, Major League Baseball began its spring training in 1942 with few repercussions. Although some men were being pulled away from the baseball fields and sent to the battlefield, baseball continued to field teams.

Breaking the color barrier

In the mid-1940s, Branch Rickey, president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, selected player Jackie Robinson from a list of promising Negro leagues players. After obtaining a commitment from Robinson to "turn the other cheek" to any racial antagonism directed at him, Rickey agreed to sign him to a contract for $600 a month. In what was later referred to as "The Noble Experiment", Robinson was the first black baseball player in the International League since the 1880s, joining the Dodgers' farm club, the Montreal Royals, for the 1946 season.[29]

LAret42.PNG
Jackie Robinson's number 42 was retired by the Major League Baseball in 1997.

The following year, the Dodgers called Robinson up to the major leagues. On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his major league debut at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623 spectators, including more than 14,000 black patrons. Black baseball fans began flocking to see the Dodgers when they came to town, abandoning their Negro league teams which they had followed exclusively. Robinson's promotion met a generally positive, although mixed, reception among newspapers and white major league players. Manager Leo Durocher informed his team, "I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a fuckin' zebra. I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What's more, I say he can make us all rich. And if any of you cannot use the money, I will see that you are all traded."[30]

After a strike threat by some players, NL President Ford Frick and Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler let it be known that any striking players would be suspended. Robinson received significant encouragement from several major league players, including Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese who said, "You can hate a man for many reasons. Color is not one of them." That year, Robinson earned the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award (separate NL and AL Rookie of the Year honors were not awarded until 1949).

Less than three months later, Larry Doby became the first African-American to break the color barrier in the American League with the Cleveland Indians. He too faced the same type of discrimination as Robinson and went on to a Hall of Fame career. The next year, a number of other black players entered the major leagues. Satchel Paige was signed by the Indians and the Dodgers added three other black players besides Robinson.

Expanding west, south and north

Main article: Major League Baseball relocation of 1950s-1960s
Dodger Stadium in 2007

From 1903 to 1953, the two major leagues consisted of two eight-team leagues. The 16 teams were located in just ten cities, all in the northeastern and midwestern United States: New York City had three teams and Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and St. Louis each had two teams. St. Louis was the southernmost and westernmost city with a major league team. The longest possible road trip, from Boston to St. Louis, took about 24 hours by railroad. The era of expansion and realignment began in 1953 when the National League's Boston Braves became the Milwaukee Braves. In 1954, the St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles. In 1955, the Philadelphia Athletics became the Kansas City Athletics. These were three of the least successful major league franchises, even though the Braves were usually an above-.500 team, and they and the Browns had each won a league championship during the 1940s. These three moves were not controversial. The next pair of franchise moves is still controversial.

Baseball experts consider the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers' boss Walter O'Malley to be "perhaps the most influential owner of baseball's early expansion era."[31] Before the 1958 Major League Baseball season, he moved the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles.[32] When O'Malley moved the Dodgers from Brooklyn, the story transcended the world of sport and he found himself on the cover of TIME magazine.[33] The cover art for the issue was created by sports cartoonist Willard Mullin,[34] long noted for his caricature of the "Brooklyn Bum" that personified the team. O'Malley was also influential in persuading the rival New York Giants to move west, to become the San Francisco Giants. The Giants were already suffering from slumping attendance records at their aging ballpark, the Polo Grounds. Had the Dodgers moved out west alone, the St. Louis Cardinals—1,600 mi (2,575 km) away[35][36]—would have been the closest National League team. The joint move would make West Coast road trips economical for visiting teams.[37] O'Malley invited San Francisco Mayor George Christopher to New York to meet with Giants owner Horace Stoneham.[37] Stoneham was considering moving the Giants to Minnesota,[38] but he was convinced to join O'Malley on the West Coast at the end of the 1957 campaign. The meetings occurred during the 1957 season and against the wishes of Commissioner of Baseball Ford Frick.[39] The dual moves broke the hearts of New York's National League fans but ultimately were successful for both franchises — and for Major League Baseball.[32] The move was an immediate success as well, because the Dodgers set a major-league, single-game attendance record in their first home appearance with 78,672 fans.[37]

In 1961, the "first" Washington Senators franchise moved to Minneapolis–St. Paul to become the Minnesota Twins. Two new teams were added to the American League at the same time: the Los Angeles Angels (who soon moved from downtown L.A. to nearby Anaheim) and a new "second" Washington Senators franchise. The National League followed suit by adding the Houston Astros and the New York Mets in 1962. The Astros (known as the "Colt .45s" during their first three seasons) became the first southern major league franchise since the Louisville Colonels folded in 1899. The Mets established a reputation for futility by going 40–120 during their first season of play in the nation's media capital—and by playing only a little better in subsequent campaigns—but in their eighth season (1969) the Mets became the first of the 1960s expansion teams to win a World Series.

In 1966, Major League Baseball moved to the "Deep South" when the Braves moved to Atlanta. In 1968, the Kansas City Athletics moved west to become the Oakland Athletics. In 1969, the American and National Leagues both added two expansion franchises. The American League added the Seattle Pilots (who became the Milwaukee Brewers after one disastrous season in Seattle) and the Kansas City Royals. The National League added the first Canadian franchise, the Montreal Expos, as well as the San Diego Padres.

In 1972, the second Washington Senators moved to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex to become the Texas Rangers. In 1977, baseball expanded again, adding a second Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays, as well as the Seattle Mariners. This marked the end of the expansion era: no new teams were added and no teams moved until the 1990s. In 1993, the National League added the Florida Marlins in the Miami area and the Colorado Rockies in Denver. In 1998, the Brewers switched leagues by joining the National League and two new teams were added: the National League's Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix and the American League's Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida.

After the 2001 season, the team owners voted in favor of contraction. The Montreal Expos and the Minnesota Twins were expected to be the two teams which would cease to exist. Due to lawsuits from various parties, this plan was first delayed and finally abandoned in June 2002.

The Expos became the first franchise in over three decades to move when they became the Washington Nationals in 2005. This move left Canada with just one team, but it also returned baseball to the United States capital city after a 33-year absence. This franchise shift, like many previous ones, involved baseball's return to a city which had been previously abandoned. Although there are a number of cities that permanently lost major league baseball in the 19th century, since 1901 all cities, other than Montreal, that have been granted an MLB franchise currently host an MLB team. (This is not counting the short-lived Federal League. However, the two established leagues have only passed over two Federal League markets — Buffalo and Indianapolis.)

Pitching dominance and rule changes

Graph showing, by year, the average number of runs per MLB game

By the late 1960s, the balance between pitching and hitting had swung in favor of the pitchers. In 1968 — later nicknamed "the year of the pitcher"[40] — Boston Red Sox player Carl Yastrzemski won the American League batting title with an average of just .301, the lowest in history of Major League Baseball.[41] Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain won 31 games, making him the only pitcher to win 30 games in a season since Dizzy Dean in 1934.[42] St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Bob Gibson achieved an equally remarkable feat by allowing an ERA of just 1.12.[43]

Following these pitching performances, in December 1968 the rules committee voted to reduce the strike zone from knees to shoulders to top of knees to armpits and lower the pitcher's mound from 15 to 10 inches, beginning in the 1969 season.[44]

In 1973 the American League, which had been suffering from much lower attendance than the National League, sought to increase scoring even further by initiating the designated hitter (DH) rule.[45]

New stadiums and artificial surfaces

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, as baseball expanded, NFL football had been surging in popularity, making it economical for many of these cities to build multi-purpose stadiums instead of single-purpose baseball fields. Because of climate and economic issues many of these facilities had playing surfaces made from artificial turf, as well as the oval designs characteristic of stadiums designed to house both baseball and football.[46] This often resulted in baseball fields with relatively more foul territory than older stadiums. These characteristics changed the nature of Major League Baseball, putting a higher premium on speed and defense over home-run hitting power, since the fields were often too big for teams to expect to hit many home runs and foul balls hit in the air could more easily be caught for outs.

Teams began to be built around pitching - particularly their bullpens - and speed on the basepaths. Artificial surfaces meant balls traveled quicker through the infield and bounced higher so it became easier to hit ground balls "in the hole" between the corner and middle infielders. Starting pitchers were no longer expected to throw complete games; it was enough for a starter to go 6-7 innings and turn the game over to the team's closer, a position which grew in importance over these decades.

As stolen bases increased, home run totals dropped - after Willie Mays hit 52 home runs in 1965 only one player, George Foster, reached that mark until the 1990s. In 1981 MLB's home run leading totals were Mike Schmidt's 31 in the NL and 22 in the AL (4 players tied).

Power age

Routinely in the late 1990s and early 2000s, baseball players hit 40 or 50 home runs in a season, a feat that was considered rare even in the 1980s. It has since become apparent that at least some of this power surge was a result of players using steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Many modern baseball theorists believe that the need of pitchers to combat the rise in power could lead to a pitching revolution at some point. New pitches, such as the mysterious[47] gyroball, could shift the balance of power back to the defensive side. A pitching revolution would not be unprecedented; several pitches have changed the game of baseball, including the slider in the '50s and '60s and the split-fingered fastball in the '70s to '90s. Since the 1990s, the changeup has made a resurgence, being thrown masterfully by pitchers such as Trevor Hoffman, Greg Maddux, Jamie Moyer, Tom Glavine, Johan Santana, Pedro Martínez and Tim Lincecum. Recently, pitchers such as Lincecum, Jonathan Sánchez, and Ubaldo Jiménez have been throwing changeups with a split-finger grip, creating a dropping movement, dubbed the "split change."[48][49][50][51]

Uniforms

Main articles: Major League Baseball uniforms and Baseball uniform
A baseball team and its uniforms in the 1870s.

A baseball uniform is a type of uniform worn by baseball players, and by some non-playing personnel, such as field managers and coaches. It is worn to indicate the person's role in the game and — through the use of logos, colors, and numbers — to identify the teams and their players, managers, and coaches.[52]

The New York Knickerbockers were the first baseball team to use uniforms, taking the field on April 4, 1849, in pants made of blue wool, white flannel shirts (jerseys) and straw hats.[53][54][55] The practice of wearing a uniform soon spread, and by 1900, all major league teams had adopted them. By 1882, most uniforms included stockings, which covered the leg from foot to knee, and had different colors that reflected the different baseball positions.[56] In the late 1880s, the Detroit Wolverines and Washington Nationals of the National League and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the American Association were the first to wear striped uniforms.[57]

Caps, or other types of headgear with eyeshades, have been a part of baseball uniforms from the beginning.[58][59] Baseball teams often wore full-brimmed straw hats or no cap at all since there was no official rule regarding headgear.[60] Completing the baseball uniform are cleats and stockings, both of which had been around since the beginning of baseball.

By the end of the 19th century, teams began the practice of having two different uniforms, one for when they played at home in their own baseball stadium and a different one for when they played away (on the road) at the other team's ballpark. It became common to wear white pants with a white color vest at home and gray pants with a gray or solid (dark) colored vest when away. Most teams also have one or more alternate uniforms, usually consisting of the primary or secondary team color on the vest instead of the usual white or gray. In the past few decades throwback uniforms have become popular.

Traditionally, home uniforms display the team name on the front, while away uniforms display the team's placename. In modern times, however, exceptions to this pattern have become common, with teams using their team name on both uniforms. The Rangers and the Marlins use their placename on both the home and away uniforms, being Texas and Miami respectively, while the Tampa Bay Rays, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim each wear their nickname instead of their location name on their uniform. (In the case of the Angels, it is because of the controversy over whether the location name should be Los Angeles, Anaheim, or otherwise.[51])

Season structure

Main article: Major League Baseball schedule

Spring training

Main article: Spring training
A Grapefruit League game at the former LA Dodgers camp in Vero Beach, Florida

Spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to audition for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play. The teams are divided into two leagues: The Cactus League[61] and the Grapefruit League[62] Spring training has always attracted fan attention, drawing crowds who travel to the warmer climates to enjoy the weather and watch their favorite teams play, and spring training usually coincides with spring break for many college students. Autograph seekers also find greater access to players during spring training.

Spring training typically lasts almost two months, starting in mid February and running until just before the season opening day (and often right at the end of spring training, some teams will play spring training games on the same day other teams have opening day of the season), traditionally the first week of April. As pitchers benefit from a longer training period, pitchers and catchers begin spring training one or two weeks before the rest of the team.[63]

Regular season

The current MLB regular season consists of 162 games per team, which typically begins on the first Sunday in April and ends on the first Sunday in October. Each team's schedule is organized typically into 3-game series, with occasional two- or four-game series.[64] Postponed games or continuations of suspended games can result in an ad hoc one-game or five-game series. A team's series are organized into homestands and road trips that group multiple series together. Teams generally play games five to seven days per week, commonly having Monday or Thursday as an off day. Frequently, games are scheduled at night. Sunday games are generally played during the afternoon, allowing teams to travel to their next destination prior to a Monday night game. In addition, teams will play day games frequently on Opening Day, holidays, and getaway days.

With an odd number of teams in each league (15), it is necessary to have two teams participate in interleague play for most days in the season, except when two or more teams have a day off. Each team plays 20 interleague games throughout the season, usually with just one interleague game per day, but for one weekend in late May all teams will participate in an interleague series. Use of the DH rule is determined by the home team's league rules. Before 2013 interleague play was structured differently: there would be one weekend in mid-May and another period consisting typically of the last two-thirds of June in which all teams played interleague games (save for two NL teams each day), and no interleague games were scheduled outside those dates.

Over the course of a season, teams compete for one of the five playoff berths in their league. They can win one of these berths by either winning their division, or by capturing a wild card spot.[65]

Infrequently, after the conclusion of the 162-game season, an additional tie-breaking game (or games) may be needed to determine postseason participation.[66]

All-Star Game

Main article: Major League Baseball All-Star Game
President John F. Kennedy throwing out the first pitch at the 1962 All-Star Game at DC Stadium.

In early-to-mid July, just after the midway point of the season, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is held during a four-day break from the regular-season schedule. The All-Star game features a team of players from the National League (NL)—led by the manager of the previous NL World Series team—and a team of players from the American League (AL), similarly managed, in an exhibition game. From 1959 to 1961, two games were held, one in July and one in August. The designated-hitter rule was used in the All-Star game for the first time in 1989. Following games used a DH when the game was played in an AL ballpark. Since 2010, the DH rule has been in effect regardless of venue.[67]

The first All-Star Game was held as part of the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois, and was the brainchild of Arch Ward, then sports editor for The Chicago Tribune.[68] Initially intended to be a one-time event, its great success resulted in making the game an annual one. Ward's contribution was recognized by Major League Baseball in 1962 with the creation of the "Arch Ward Trophy", given to the All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player each year.[69] (In 2002, this was renamed the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award.)

Beginning in 1947, the eight position players in each team's starting lineup have been voted into the game by fans.[70] The fan voting was discontinued after a 1957 ballot-box-stuffing scandal in Cincinnati: seven of the eight slots originally went to Reds players, two of whom were subsequently removed from the lineup to make room for Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. Fan voting was reinstated in 1970 and has continued ever since, including Internet voting in recent years.

The 2002 contest in Milwaukee controversially ended in an 11-inning tie. Since 2003, the league which wins the All-Star game gets home-field advantage in the World Series: the league champion hosts the first two games at its own ballpark as well as the last two (if necessary). The National League did not win an All-Star game and thus gain home-field advantage until 2010; it was able to overcome this disadvantage and win in three of the seven World Series from 2003 to 2009.[71][72]

From the first All-Star Game, players have worn their regular team uniforms, with one exception: In the first game, the National League players wore uniforms made for the game, with the lettering "National League" across the front of the shirt.[73][74]

Postseason

Main article: Major League Baseball postseason
World Series Records
Team Number
of Series
won		 Last
Series
won		 Series
played
(pennants)
New York Yankees † (AL) 27 2009 40
St. Louis Cardinals † (NL) 11 2011 19
Oakland Athletics † (AL) 9 1989 15
San Francisco Giants † (NL) 7 2012 22
Boston Red Sox † (AL) 7 2007 12
Los Angeles Dodgers † (NL) 6 1988 21
Cincinnati Reds (NL) 5 1990 9
Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) 5 1979 7
Detroit Tigers (AL) 4 1984 11
Atlanta Braves † (NL) 3 1995 9
Baltimore Orioles † (AL) 3 1983 7
Minnesota Twins † (AL) 3 1991 6
Chicago White Sox † (AL) 3 2005 5
Chicago Cubs (NL) 2 1908 10
Philadelphia Phillies (NL) 2 2008 7
Cleveland Indians † (AL) 2 1948 5
New York Mets (NL) * 2 1986 4
Toronto Blue Jays (AL) * 2 1993 2
Miami Marlins † (NL) * 2 2003 2
Kansas City Royals (AL) * 1 1985 2
Arizona Diamondbacks (NL) * 1 2001 1
Los Angeles Angels † (AL) * 1 2002 1
San Diego Padres (NL) * 0   2
Texas Rangers † (AL) * 0   2
Milwaukee Brewers † (AL to NL, 1998) * 0   1 [AL]
Houston Astros † (NL to AL, 2013) * 0   1 [NL]
Colorado Rockies (NL) * 0   1
Tampa Bay Rays † (AL) * 0   1
‡ Seattle Mariners (AL) * 0   0
‡ Washington Nationals † (NL) * 0   0
AL=American League (62 victories)
NL=National League (46 victories)
* joined the Major Leagues after 1960
(9 victories in 19 World Series out of 48 since 1960)
† Totals include a team's record in a previous city or under another name
(see franchise list below).
‡ Have not yet played in a World Series.
More detail at World Series and List of World Series champions
Source: MLB.com

When the regular season ends after the first Sunday in October (or the last Sunday in September), ten teams enter the postseason playoffs. Six teams are division champions; the remaining four "wild-card" spots are filled by the two teams in each league that have the best record but are not division champions. Four rounds of series of games are played to determine the champion:

  1. Wild Card Game, a one game playoff between the two wild-card teams in each league
  2. American League Division Series and National League Division Series, each a best-of-five-games series.
  3. American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series, each a best-of-seven-games series played between the surviving teams from the ALDS and NLDS. The league champions are informally referred to as the American and National League pennant winners.
  4. World Series, a best-of-seven-games series played between the pennant winners of each league.

Within each league, the division winners are the #1, #2 and #3 seeds, based on win–loss records. The team with the best record among non division winners will be the first wildcard and the #4 seed. The team with the second best record among non division winners will be the second wildcard and the #5 seed. In the wildcard round, the #5 seed will play at the #4 seed in a one game playoff. For the division series, the matchup will be the #1 seed against the Wild Card Game winner and the #2 seed against the #3 seed.[75] The team belonging to the league that won the mid-season All-Star Game receives home-field advantage in the World Series.

Because each postseason series is split between the two teams' home fields, home-field advantage theoretically does not play a significant role unless the series goes to its maximum number of games, in which case the final game takes place on the field of the team holding the advantage. Home-field advantage, however, can play a role, if the team with home-field advantage wins the first two games (at home),[76] thereby gaining some momentum for the rest of the Series.[77]

Use of the DH rule in the World Series is determined by the home team's league rules.[78]

International play

Since 1986, a team of Major League Baseball All-Stars has made a biennial end-of-the-season tour of Japan, playing exhibition games against the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Stars in the MLB Japan All-Star Series. Starting in 1992 and continuing intermittently, several Major League Baseball teams have played exhibition games against Japanese teams.[79]

In 2008, Major League Baseball played the MLB China Series in the People's Republic of China. It was a series of two spring-training games played by the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. The games were an effort to popularize baseball in China.[80]

In November 2011, Major League Baseball played the MLB Taiwan Series in Taiwan. It was a series of five exhibition games played by a team made up of MLB players called the MLB All-Stars and the Chinese Taipei National Team. The MLB All-Stars swept the series, five games to zero.[81]

At the end of the 2011 season, it was announced that the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics would play their season openers in Japan.[82]

On September 10, 2013, it was announced that the Arizona Diamondbacks will open the 2014 season against Los Angeles Dodgers with two games on March 22, and 23, at Sydney, Australia's historic Sydney Cricket Ground, with a seating capacity of 36,000. It will be the first regular-season games played in that country. The games will count as home games for the Diamondbacks, giving them 79 home games at Chase Field.[83]

Steroid policy

See also: Banned substances in baseball in the United States and List of Major League Baseball players suspended for performance-enhancing drugs
Rafael Palmeiro (batter), one of the Major League Baseball players suspended for steroid use.[84]

The original steroid policy, in effect from 2002 to 2005, provided for a 10-game suspension for a first positive test, a 30-game suspension for a second positive test, a 60-game suspension for a third positive test, a one-year suspension for a fourth positive test, and a penalty at the commissioner's discretion for a fifth positive test. Players were tested at least once per year, with the chance that several players could be tested many times per year.[85]

A former Senate Majority Leader, federal prosecutor, and ex-chairman of The Walt Disney Company, George Mitchell was appointed by Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig on March 30, 2006[86] to investigate the use of performance-enhancing drugs in MLB.[87] Mitchell was appointed during a time of controversy over the 2006 book Game of Shadows by San Francisco Chronicle investigative reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada, which chronicles alleged extensive use of performance enhancers, including several different types of steroids and growth hormone by baseball superstars Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, and Jason Giambi. The appointment was made after several influential members of the U.S. Congress made negative comments about both the effectiveness and honesty of MLB's drug policies and Commissioner Selig.[87]

According to the report, after mandatory random testing began in 2004, HGH Treatment for Athletic Enhancement became popular among players, as HGH is not detectable in tests, though the Mitchell report was careful to point out that HGH is likely a placebo with no performance enhancing effects.[88] Also, at least one player from each of the thirty Major League Baseball teams was involved in the alleged violations.[89]

On December 12, 2007, the day before the report was to be released, Bud Selig said, regarding his decision to commission the report, "I haven't seen the report yet, but I'm proud I did it."[90][91]

According to ESPN, some people questioned whether Mitchell being a director of the Boston Red Sox created a conflict of interest, especially because no "prime [Sox] players were in the report." Mitchell described his role with the team as that of a "consultant".[92] Despite the lack of "prime" Boston players, the report had named several prominent Yankees who were parts of World Series clubs. This made some people feel that there was a conflict of interest on Mitchell's part, due to the fierce rivalry between the two teams. Cleveland Indians pitcher Paul Byrd, along with his teammates, felt the timing of publicizing Byrd's alleged use was suspicious, as the information was leaked prior to the deciding Game 7 of the 2007 American League Championship Series between the Indians and the Red Sox.[93] Former U.S. prosecutor John M. Dowd also brought up allegations of Mitchell's conflict of interest. Dowd, who had defended Senator John McCain of Arizona during the Keating Five investigation in the late 1980s, cited how he took exception to Mitchell's scolding of McCain and others for having a conflict of interest with their actions in the case and how the baseball investigation would be a "burden" for him when Mitchell was named to lead it.[94] After the investigation, Dowd later told the Baltimore Sun that he was convinced the former Senator has done a good job.[95] The Los Angeles Times reported that Mitchell acknowledged that his "tight relationship with Major League Baseball left him open to criticism".[96] Mitchell responded to the concerns by stating that readers who examined the report closely "will not find any evidence of bias, of special treatment of the Red Sox".[96]

The current MLB drug policy provides for a 50-game suspension for a first positive test, a 100-game suspension for a second positive test, and a lifetime suspension for a third positive test.[97]

Since the opening of the 2009 season, Major League Baseball and its fans have been rocked by the steroid allegations against Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz and the positive test result and 50-game suspension of Manny Ramirez, three of baseball's biggest stars. In early April 2011, Manny Ramirez retired from baseball rather than face a 100 game suspension for his second positive steroid test.[98]

On January 10, 2013, MLB and the players union reached an agreement to add random, in-season human growth hormone and to a new test to reveal the use of testosterone. Testing began in the 2013 season.[99]

Major League Baseball in media

Blackout policy

Main article: Major League Baseball blackout policy
See also: Syndication exclusivity
MLB Blackout map in the United States
Canadian MLB Blackout map

Major League Baseball has several blackout rules.[100] A local broadcaster has priority to televise games of the team in their market over national broadcasters. For example, at one time TBS showed many Atlanta Braves games nationally and internationally in Canada. Fox Sports Networks also show many games in other areas. If the Braves played a team that FSN or another local broadcaster showed, the local station will have the broadcast rights for its own local market, while TBS would have been blacked out in the same market during the game. A market that has a local team playing in a weekday ESPN or ESPN2 game and is shown on a local station will see ESPNews, or, in the past, another game scheduled on ESPN or ESPN2 at the same time (if ESPN or ESPN2 operates a regional coverage broadcasting and operates a game choice), or will be subject to an alternative programming feed.[101] MLB's streaming Internet video service is also subject to the same blackout rules.

Television

Main article: Major League Baseball television contracts

Since 2008, Fox Sports has broadcast MLB games on Fox Saturday Baseball throughout the entire season; Fox previously only broadcast games from May to September.[102] Fox also holds rights to the All-Star Game each season. Fox also alternates League Championship Series broadcasts, broadcasting the American League Championship Series (ALCS) in odd-numbered years and the National League Championship Series (NLCS) in even-numbered years. Fox broadcasts all games of the World Series. ESPN continues to broadcast MLB games through 2013 as well, beginning with national Opening Day coverage.[91] ESPN broadcasts Sunday Night Baseball, Monday Night Baseball, Wednesday Night Baseball, and Baseball Tonight. ESPN also has rights to the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game each July.

TBS airs Sunday afternoon regular season games (non-exclusive) nationally. In 2007, TBS began its exclusive rights to any tiebreaker games that determine division or wild card champions; it also airs exclusive coverage of the Division Series round of the playoffs.[103] TBS carries the League Championship Series that are not included under Fox's television agreement; TBS shows the NLCS in odd-numbered years and the ALCS in even-numbered years.[104]

In January 2009, Major League Baseball launched the MLB Network, featuring news and coverage from around the league, and airing 26 live games in the 2009 season.[105] Each team also has local broadcasts for all games not carried by Fox on Saturdays or ESPN on Sunday nights. These games are typically split between a local broadcast television station and a local or regional sports network (RSN), though some teams only air local games through RSNs or through their own team networks. As Canada only contains one team, Sportsnet broadcasts Toronto Blue Jays games nationally. The channel is owned by Rogers Communications, who is also the parent company of the Blue Jays.[106] Additionally, it also airs Fox's Saturday afternoon games, other regular season games, and the post-season.

Radio

Main article: Major League Baseball on the radio

ESPN Radio holds national broadcast rights and broadcasts Sunday Night Baseball weekly throughout the season in addition to all playoff games.[107] The rights to the World Series are exclusive to ESPN.

In addition, each team employs its own announcers, who broadcast during the regular season. Most teams operate regional networks to cover their fan base; some of these supposedly regional networks (such as the New York Yankees Radio Network) have a national reach with affiliates located across the United States.[108]

Major League Baseball has an exclusive rights deal with XM Satellite Radio, which includes the channel MLB Home Plate and live play-by-play of all games.[109]

Internet

All games are available via subscription to MLB.tv at Major League Baseball's website, MLB.com.[110] Blackout rules are still applied.

International broadcasting

  • ESPN America televised a large number of games in Europe, but the channel ceased to air on July 31, 2013.
  • ESPN India broadcasts a large number of games live both in SD and HD format in India.
  • ESPN Deportes televises a large number of Major League Baseball games in Spanish and Portuguese, which air throughout Latin America.[111]
  • Five previously screened MLB on Sunday and Wednesday in the United Kingdom, (including the All-Star Game and the postseason games, but not including spring training) usually starting at 1 am BST. It was most recently presented by Johnny Gould and Josh Chetwynd as "MLB on Five".[112] Their coverage began on the channel's opening night in 1997, but for financial reasons, the decision was made not to pick up MLB for the 2009 season. As of June 2009, no decision has been made by Five about the 2010 season.[113] As of July 2009, no free-to-view channel in the UK shows MLB.
  • ESPN UK show live and recorded games several times a week — it is available with BT Sport and (on a subscriber-basis) Virgin Media in the UK.
  • Sportsnet televises Toronto Blue Jays games in Canada as well as numerous other regular season Major League Baseball games, the All-Star Game, most playoff games, and the World Series.
  • TSN2 carries ESPN Sunday Night Baseball in Canada.
  • MLB Network.
  • In Australia, MLB games are regularly shown on ESPN Australia (subscription), Fox Sports (subscription) and One HD (free-to-air).
  • Digital+ broadcasts several matches (mostly delayed) a week in Spain.
  • Wapa 2 In Puerto Rico.
  • MBC and MBC Sports+ broadcast live and taped games (usually involving teams with Korean players) in South Korea.
  • Fox Sports Asia broadcasts in SD, And in HD In Whole Asian Continent, Even In Chinese-Speaking Countries In Taiwan.

Current franchises

Main article: Current Major League Baseball franchises
Division Team City/Area Stadium Founded Joined Notes
American League
East Baltimore Orioles [note 1] Baltimore, MD Oriole Park at Camden Yards 1894 1901 [114]
Boston Red Sox [note 2] Boston, MA Fenway Park 1901 [115]
New York Yankees [note 3] New York, NY Yankee Stadium 1901 [116]
Tampa Bay Rays [note 4] St. Petersburg, FL Tropicana Field 1998 [117]
Toronto Blue Jays Toronto, ON Rogers Centre 1977 [118]
Central Chicago White Sox [note 5] Chicago, IL U.S. Cellular Field 1894 1901 [119]
Cleveland Indians [note 6] Cleveland, OH Progressive Field 1894 1901 [120]
Detroit Tigers Detroit, MI Comerica Park 1894 1901 [121]
Kansas City Royals Kansas City, MO Kauffman Stadium 1969 [122]
Minnesota Twins [note 7] Minneapolis, MN Target Field 1894 1901 [123]
West Houston Astros [note 8] Houston, TX Minute Maid Park 1962 (NL) 2013 (AL) [124]
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim [note 9] Anaheim, CA Angel Stadium of Anaheim 1961 [125]
Oakland Athletics [note 10] Oakland, CA O.co Coliseum 1901 [126]
Seattle Mariners Seattle, WA Safeco Field 1977 [127]
Texas Rangers [note 11] Arlington, TX Rangers Ballpark in Arlington 1961 [128]
National League
East Atlanta Braves [note 12] Atlanta, GA Turner Field 1871 1876 [129]
Miami Marlins [note 13] Miami, FL Marlins Park 1993 [130]
New York Mets New York, NY Citi Field 1962 [131]
Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia, PA Citizens Bank Park 1883 [132]
Washington Nationals [note 14] Washington, D.C. Nationals Park 1969 [133]
Central Chicago Cubs Chicago, IL Wrigley Field 1870 1876 [134]
Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati, OH Great American Ball Park 1882 1890 [135]
Milwaukee Brewers [note 15] Milwaukee, WI Miller Park 1969 (AL) 1998 (NL) [136]
Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh, PA PNC Park 1882 1887 [137]
St. Louis Cardinals [note 16] St. Louis, MO Busch Stadium 1882 1892 [138]
West Arizona Diamondbacks Phoenix, AZ Chase Field 1998 [139]
Colorado Rockies Denver, CO Coors Field 1993 [140]
Los Angeles Dodgers [note 17] Los Angeles, CA Dodger Stadium 1883 1890 [141]
San Diego Padres San Diego, CA Petco Park 1969 [142]
San Francisco Giants [note 18] San Francisco, CA AT&T Park 1883 [143]
Notes
  1. ^ Former Milwaukee Brewers (Western League 1894–1899) 1900–1901; St. Louis Browns 1902–1953
  2. ^ Known as the Boston Americans until 1907
  3. ^ Former Baltimore Orioles 1901–1902; New York Highlanders 1903–1912
  4. ^ Known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays until 2008
  5. ^ Former Sioux City Cornhuskers (Western League) 1894; St. Paul Saints (WL) 1895–1899; played in AL West 1969–1993
  6. ^ Former Grand Rapids Rustlers (Western League) 1894–1899; Cleveland Blues 1900–1902; Cleveland Naps 1903–1914; played in AL East 1969–1993
  7. ^ Former Kansas City Blues (Western League) 1894–1900; Washington Senators 1901–1960; played in AL West 1969–1993
  8. ^ Renamed from Houston Colt .45's in 1965; played in NL West 1969–1993, NL Central 1994-2012, moved to AL West in 2013 as part of realignment
  9. ^ Known as the Los Angeles Angels from 1961–1965; California Angels from 1965–1996; Anaheim Angels from 1997–2004
  10. ^ Previously located in Philadelphia through 1954 and in Kansas City from 1955–1967
  11. ^ Former Washington Senators, played in AL East 1969–71
  12. ^ Originally Boston until 1952. In Boston, they were called the Braves from 1912–35 & from 1941–52 and the Bees 1936–40; before 1912 they were known as the Red Stockings, Red Caps, Beaneaters, Doves, and Rustlers; Milwaukee from 1953–1965; played in NL West 1969–1993
  13. ^ Known as the Florida Marlins until 2011
  14. ^ Former Montreal Expos relocated after 2004 season; owned by Major League Baseball from 2002–2004
  15. ^ Former Seattle Pilots (AL West) 1969; played in AL West through 1971, AL East 1972–1993, AL Central 1994–1997
  16. ^ Former St. Louis Brown Stockings 1882 (American Association); St. Louis Browns 1883–1898 (AA 1883–1891); St. Louis Perfectos 1899
  17. ^ Located in Brooklyn, New York until 1957. Before 1931, they were known as the Atlantics, Grays, Bridegrooms, Grooms, Superbas, Trolley Dodgers, Dodgers, and Robins.
  18. ^ Located in New York until 1957

See also

Portal icon Baseball portal

References

  1. ^ "Selig Given 3-Year Contract Extension". rpl.edu. Retrieved 2008-09-08. [dead link]
  2. ^ "Team-by-team information". mlb.com. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 
  3. ^ "World Series Winners". ESPN. Retrieved 2008-07-27. 
  4. ^ "Year In Review: 2000 National League". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 2008-09-05. 
  5. ^ "Major League Baseball New York, NY United States". Copyright © 2012, Hoover's Inc., All Rights Reserved. Retrieved 2012-05-11. 
  6. ^ "MLB Constitution". Retrieved 17 October 2013. 
  7. ^ "Policy Debate: Should the antitrust exemption for baseball be eliminated?". www.swlearning.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  8. ^ "The Role of Antitrust Laws in the Professional Sports Industry From a Financial Perspective". Howard Bartee, Jr. The Sport Journal. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  9. ^ MLB.com (2011). "MLB Executives". MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved 2011-10-19. 
  10. ^ "ESPN: MLB Baseball Teams". Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  11. ^ At the same time, the Detroit Tigers agreed to move from the AL East to the AL Central (to replace Milwaukee), with the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays joining the AL East. "Brewers switch leagues, join Reds in NL Central". The Kentucky Post (Associated Press) (E. W. Scripps Company). 1997-11-06. Archived from the original on 2005-05-05. . See also Milwaukee Brewers#1994–98: Realignment / "We're taking this thing National".
  12. ^ "Astros' sale finalized; 2 more for playoffs". ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. 2011-11-17. Retrieved 2011-11-17. 
  13. ^ History: Legend of the Cincinnati Red Stockings webpage. 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Vintage Base Ball Team website (2007). Cincinnati Vintage Base Ball Club. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  14. ^ "National Association of Professional Base Ball Players". britannica.com. Retrieved 2008-09-10. 
  15. ^ Noble, Marty (September 23, 2011). "MLB carries on strong, 200,000 games later: Look what they started on a ballfield in Philadelphia in 1876". MLB.com. Retrieved 2011-09-30. "[B]aseball is about to celebrate its 200,000th game — [in the division series on] Saturday [October 1, 2011] ...." 
  16. ^ Events of Saturday, April 22, 1876. Retrosheet. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
  17. ^ "The National Pastime". Doc Heritage. Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-09-10. 
  18. ^ "Minor League Baseball History". roadsidephotos.sabr.org. Retrieved 2008-09-10. 
  19. ^ "1903 National Agreement". minorleaguebaseball.com. Retrieved 2008-09-10. 
  20. ^ "Baseball-Reference: American Association (19th Century)". Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  21. ^ "Baseball-Reference: 1890 Players' League". Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  22. ^ "Baseball-Reference: 1914 Federal League". Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  23. ^ "Baseball-Reference: 1915 Federal League". Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  24. ^ Silver, Nate (2007). "NerdFight: League Quality Adjustments". Baseball Prospectus. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 
  25. ^ Daniel Okrent, Harris Lewine, David Nemec (2000) "The Ultimate Baseball Book", Houghton Mifflin Books,ISBN 0-618-05668-8 , p. 33.
  26. ^ Burt Solomon (2000) "Where They Ain't: The Fabled Life And Untimely Death Of The Original Baltimore Orioles", Simon and Schuster, ISBN 0-684-85917-3 Excerpt.
  27. ^ Baseball Reference Bullpen Foul strike rule, Baseball-Reference.com
  28. ^ Roosevelt, Franklin. "Green Light Letter". January 15, 1942.
  29. ^ "The Jackie Robinson Foundation". Jackierobinson.org. Retrieved 2013-07-04. 
  30. ^  . "Leo Durocher". SABR. Retrieved 2013-07-04. 
  31. ^ "Veterans elect five into Hall of Fame: Two managers, three executives comprise Class of 2008". National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. 2007-12-03. Archived from the original on 2007-12-04. Retrieved 2008-01-19. 
  32. ^ a b Murphy, Robert (2009). After many a summer: the passing of the Giants and Dodgers and a golden age in New York baseball. New York: Sterling. ISBN 978-1-4027-6068-6. 
  33. ^ "Walter O'Malley". TIME (Time, Inc.). 1958-04-28. Retrieved 2008-04-28. 
  34. ^ "Sporting Cartoons". TIME (Time, Inc.). 1958-08-25. Retrieved 2008-04-30. 
  35. ^ "Worldwide Timetable" (PDF). American Airlines. 2007-11-01. Retrieved 2007-11-24. 
  36. ^ "Identifying Locations". colostate.edu. Archived from the original on 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2007-11-24. 
  37. ^ a b c "Walter in Wonderland". TIME (Time, Inc.). 1958-04-28. Retrieved 2008-04-28. 
  38. ^ "Metropolitan Stadium / Minnesota Twins / 1961–1981". Ballpark Digest. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-16. 
  39. ^ "Scoreboard". TIME (Time, Inc.). 1957-05-20. Retrieved 2008-04-30. 
  40. ^ "1968 – The Year of the Pitcher" Sports Illustrated, August 4, 1998.
  41. ^ "Year by Year Leaders for Batting Average". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 
  42. ^ Bailey, Mary (2000). "When Denny McLain stood baseball on its ear". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 
  43. ^ "Bob Gibson Statistics". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 
  44. ^ William Leggett (1969-03-24). "From Mountain To Molehill". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2009-03-09. 
  45. ^ Merron, Jeff (2003). "Blomberg first permanent pinch-hitter". ESPN. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 
  46. ^ "Timeline: Artificial turf in Major League Baseball". Bleacher Report. 24 September 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  47. ^ Passan, Jeff (2006). "Searching for baseball's Bigfoot". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2008-09-06. 
  48. ^ Mazzoni, Wayne (1995). "What makes Greg Maddux so good and can we teach it?". findarticles.com. Retrieved 2008-09-09. 
  49. ^ Kalk, Josh (2007). "Anatomy of a player: Tom Glavine". hardballtimes.com. Retrieved 2008-09-09. 
  50. ^ Curry, Jack (2008-03-03). "Santana’s Changeup: Hitters Never See It Coming". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-09. 
  51. ^ a b Shaikin, Bill. "Anaheim Sues the Angels". Retrieved 28 June 2013. 
  52. ^ Riles, Robert (April 8, 2008). "History of Baseball Uniforms". Americanchronicle.com. Retrieved June 13, 2011. 
  53. ^ "Date when the New York Knickerbockers wore the first baseball uniforms and what they were made of". iterpret.co.za. Retrieved 2008-06-30. 
  54. ^ "History Of Baseball Uniforms In The Major Leagues". interpret.co.za. Retrieved 2008-05-02. 
  55. ^ "The history of the baseball uniform at the National Baseball Hall of Fame". exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org. Retrieved 2008-06-14. 
  56. ^ "The history of the baseball uniform at the National Baseball Hall of Fame". exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org. Retrieved 2008-05-11. 
  57. ^ "National Baseball Hall of Fame — Dressed to the Nines — Uniform Database". exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org. Retrieved 2008-05-02. 
  58. ^ "A short history of the baseball cap.(The Home Forum) – The Christian Science Monitor — HighBeam Research". www.highbeam.com. Retrieved 2008-05-02. 
  59. ^ "Happy 50th, baseball caps". BBC News. 2004-04-27. Retrieved 2008-05-02. 
  60. ^ "Celebrating the rich history of baseball caps". mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved 2008-06-29. 
  61. ^ "Cactus League". Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  62. ^ "Florida's Grapefruit League". Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  63. ^ "MLB: Spring Training". Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  64. ^ "MLB Schedule". Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  65. ^ "MLB: Regular Season". Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  66. ^ "MLB: Playoff Tiebreaker Rules". Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  67. ^ "Rosters Expanded For the All-Star Game". The New York Times. 2010-04-28. Retrieved 2010-05-12. 
  68. ^ "All-Star Game History". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 2008-09-07. 
  69. ^ Newman, Mark (July 10, 2006). "All-Star MVP Awaits Your Vote". MLB.com. Retrieved June 13, 2011. 
  70. ^ "All-Star Game". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 2008-09-06. 
  71. ^ "2003 World Series (4–2): Florida Marlins (91–71) over New York Yankees (101–61)". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-09-06. 
  72. ^ "2006 World Series (4–1): St. Louis Cardinals (83–78) over Detroit Tigers (95–67)". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-09-06. 
  73. ^ Lamont, Buchanan (1951). The World Series and Highlights of Baseball. E. P. Dutton & Co. p. 120. 
  74. ^ Okkonen, Marc (1991). Baseball uniforms of the 20th century: The official major league baseball guide. Sterling Pub. Co. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-8069-8490-2. 
  75. ^ "MLB Playoff Format 2013: Tiebreaker Scenarios, Wild Card Games and Seedings". Bleacher Report. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  76. ^ World Series, sec. 3.2.2 (Game-by-Game), note 2; As of 2008, the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers are the last team to win a World Series after losing the first two games on the road.
  77. ^ "Major League Baseball announces revamped postseason schedule". mlb.com. 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-07. 
  78. ^ "Official Rules: 6.00 The Batter". Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  79. ^ See Professional baseball in Japan#International play.
  80. ^ "MLB, China Baseball League Team to Tour China", Mar. 3, 2005. Voice of America
  81. ^ "Resilient Taiwan drop All-Stars series finale 6-4", Taipei Times, November 7, 2011
  82. ^ "Seattle Mariners open 2012 season in Japan vs. Oakland Athletics". MLB. September 28, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2013. 
  83. ^ "D-backs' trip Down Under highlights '14 schedule: Arizona opens next season against Los Angeles at Sydney Cricket Ground". MLB.com. September 10, 2013. 
  84. ^ "Players suspended under baseball's steroids policy". ESPN. 2006-06-07. Retrieved 2007-07-20. 
  85. ^ "MLB Owners, Players Reach Deal On Steroid Testing". wnbc.com. 2005. Retrieved 2008-09-06. 
  86. ^ Bloom, Barry (December 13, 2007). "Mitchell Report to be released today". MLB.com. Retrieved June 13, 2011. 
  87. ^ a b Wilson, Duff; Schmidt, Michael (December 13, 2007). "Baseball Braces for Steroid Report From Mitchell". The New York Times. Retrieved June 13, 2011. 
  88. ^ "Mitchell Report" (PDF). p. SR2. Retrieved 2007-12-13. 
  89. ^ "Mitchell report: Baseball slow to react to players' steroid use". ESPN. 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2007-12-13. 
  90. ^ Phil Rogers (2007-12-12). "Mitchell report will assess the damage done". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2007-12-13. 
  91. ^ a b Quinn, T.J.; Mark Fainaru-Wada (2007-12-13). "Sources: Players, owners to share blame in Mitchell report". ESPN. Retrieved 2007-12-13. 
  92. ^ "Mitchell Report" (PDF). p. A1. Retrieved 2007-12-31. 
  93. ^ Ken Rosenthal (2007-10-23). "Mitchell investigation raises questions". Fox Sports. Retrieved 2007-12-24. 
  94. ^ Mike Dodd (2006-03-31). "Is George Mitchell independent enough?". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-12-24. 
  95. ^ Childs Walker (2007-12-11). "Some question Mitchell as report draws near". Baltrimore Sun. Retrieved 2007-12-24. [dead link]
  96. ^ a b Greg Johnson (2007-12-14). "Mitchell cites unbiased history". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2007-12-21. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  97. ^ Gurnick, Ken (2009-05-08). "Manny suspended 50 games for PED use". MLB.com. Retrieved 2011-05-22. 
  98. ^ "Rays' Manny Ramirez to retire". ESPN. 10 April 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2013. 
  99. ^ "Baseball to Expand Drug-Testing Program". New York Times. Retrieved 10 January 2013. 
  100. ^ "MLB.com FAQ's: Blackout Policy". Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  101. ^ Helyar, John (May 15, 2007). "Singin' the 'Baseball Blackout Blues'". ESPN. Retrieved 25 September 2012. 
  102. ^ "Fox, TBS have seven-year, $3 billion TV deal with MLB". ESPN. 2006. Retrieved 2008-09-06. 
  103. ^ Michael Hiestand (2006-07-11). "TBS drops Braves games, joins Fox in rich TV deal". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-09-06. 
  104. ^ Barry M. Bloom (2006). "TBS signs on to air LCS games". mlb.com. Retrieved 2008-09-06. 
  105. ^ Dave Sheinin (2007-05-18). "MLB Network Closer to Fruition". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-12-21. 
  106. ^ "Sportsnet will carry all 162 games for Blue Jays". Larry Milson, MLB.com. 22 March 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  107. ^ "ESPN’s Star-Studded 2013 Sunday Night Baseball Schedule". ESPN. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  108. ^ "New York Yankees Radio Network". Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  109. ^ "MLB Network Radio". Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  110. ^ "MLB.com: MLB.tv". Retrieved 13 October 2013. 
  111. ^ "ESPN Deportes' Multimedia Coverage of Major League Baseball All-Star Game and Events". hispanicprwire.com. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 
  112. ^ Gould, Jonny (2008-08-08). "Jonny Gould". baseballfan.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 
  113. ^ "Customer Services FAQ — Major League Baseball". 2009-06-30. Retrieved 2009-07-07. 
  114. ^ "Oriole Park at Camden Yards". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  115. ^ "Fenway Park". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  116. ^ "Yankee Stadium". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-12-03. 
  117. ^ "Tropicana Field". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  118. ^ "Rogers Centre". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  119. ^ "U.S. Cellular Field". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  120. ^ "Progressive Field". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  121. ^ "Comerica Park". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  122. ^ "Kauffman Stadium". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  123. ^ "Target Field". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2009-10-12. 
  124. ^ "Minute Maid Park". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  125. ^ "Angel Stadium of Anaheim". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  126. ^ "McAfee Coliseum". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  127. ^ "Safeco Field". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  128. ^ "Rangers Ballpark in Arlington". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  129. ^ "Turner Field". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  130. ^ "Miami Ballpark". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2011-11-11. 
  131. ^ Citi Field, ballparks.com, retrieved on November 2, 2008.
  132. ^ "Citizens Bank Park". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  133. ^ "Nationals Park". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-12-03. 
  134. ^ "Wrigley Field". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  135. ^ "Great American Ball Park". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  136. ^ "Miller Park". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  137. ^ "PNC Park". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  138. ^ "Busch Stadium". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  139. ^ "Chase Field". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  140. ^ "Coors Field". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  141. ^ "Dodger Stadium". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  142. ^ "Petco Park". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
  143. ^ "AT&T Park". ballparks.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 

Further reading

  • Banner, Stuart. The Baseball Trust: A History of Baseball's Antitrust Exemption. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.
  • Bouton, Jim. Ball Four: My Life and Hard Times Throwing the Knuckleball in the Major Leagues. World Publishing Company, 1970.
  • Buchanan, Lamont, The World Series and Highlights of Baseball, E. P. Dutton & Company, 1951.
  • Cohen, Richard M., Neft, David, Johnson, Roland T., Deutsch, Jordan A., The World Series, 1976, Dial Press.
  • Deutsch, Jordan A., Cohen, Richard M., Neft, David, Johnson, Roland T., The Scrapbook History of Baseball, Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1975.
  • King, Corretta. Jackie Robinson. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.
  • James, Bill. The Historical Baseball Abstract. New York: Villard, 1985 (with many subsequent editions).
  • Lanigan, Ernest, Baseball Cyclopedia, 1922, originally published by Baseball Magazine.
  • Lansch, Jerry, Glory Fades Away: The Nineteenth Century World Series Rediscovered, Taylor Publishing, 1991. ISBN 0-87833-726-1.
  • Murphy, Cait. Crazy '08: How a Cast of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads, and Magnates Created the Greatest Year in Baseball History. New York: Smithsonian Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0-06-088937-1.
  • Okkonen, Marc. Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century: The Official Major League Baseball Guide, 1991.
  • Ritter, Lawrence. The Glory of their Times. New York: MacMillan, 1966. Revised edition, New York: William Morrow, 1984.
  • Ross, Brian. "Band of Brothers". Minor League News, April 6, 2005. Available at Minor League News.
  • Seymour, Harold. Baseball: The Early Years. 2v. New York: Oxford University Press, 1960. ISBN 0-19-500100-1.
  • Turkin, Hy, and Thompson, S.C., The Official Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1951, A.S. Barnes and Company
  • Tygiel, Jules. Past Time: Baseball as History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 0-19-514604-2.
  • The New York Times, The Complete Book of Baseball: A Scrapbook History, 1980, Bobbs Merrill.

External links

Find more about Major League Baseball at Wikipedia's sister projects
Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews
Major League Baseball (2013)
AL East Central West
Baltimore Orioles Chicago White Sox Houston Astros
Boston Red Sox Cleveland Indians Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
New York Yankees Detroit Tigers Oakland Athletics
Tampa Bay Rays Kansas City Royals Seattle Mariners
Toronto Blue Jays Minnesota Twins Texas Rangers
NL East Central West
Atlanta Braves Chicago Cubs Arizona Diamondbacks
Miami Marlins Cincinnati Reds Colorado Rockies
New York Mets Milwaukee Brewers Los Angeles Dodgers
Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres
Washington Nationals St. Louis Cardinals San Francisco Giants
Postseason: World Series (Champions) · NL (NL Champions · NLCS · NLDS· NLWC) · AL (AL Champions · ALCS · ALDS · ALWC)
All-Star Game · World Baseball Classic · Records · MLB awards · Hall of Fame · Executive Management (Winter Meetings · Hot stove league · MLB Draft (First year player · Rule 5)) · MLBPA · TV contracts · Highest paid players · Instant Replay · MLB logo · Seasons · Minor leagues · History (NL · AL) · Tie-breakers · Rivalries · Interleague play · Schedule · Stadiums · Civil Rights Game · Spring training · Lockouts
Timeline of Major League Baseball · Dead-ball era · Live-ball era · Relocation of the 1950s–1960s · Expansion (1969 · 1977 ·1993 · 1998)
Commissioner: Bud Selig · League Presidents (NL · AL)
Organization
Parent League: Major League Baseball • Partner League: American League • National League President: Bill Giles
Current teams
Former, Relocated and Disestablished Teams
19th-century National League teams • Boston Beaneaters/Braves (1883-1953) • Milwaukee Braves (1954-1965) • Brooklyn Dodgers (1889-1957) • New York Giants (1883-1957) • Houston Colt .45s/Astros (1962-2012) • Montreal Expos (1969-2004)
Championship play
Related articles
Organization
Parent league: Major League Baseball • Partner league: National League • Origins: (History • Western League) • American League president: Jackie Autry
Current teams
Former and relocated teams

Baltimore Orioles (1901–1902) • Kansas City Athletics (1955–1967) • Milwaukee Brewers I (1901) • Milwaukee Brewers II (1970–1997) • Seattle Pilots (1969)

St. Louis Browns (1902–1953) • Washington Senators I (1901–1960) • Washington Senators II (1961–1971)
Championship play
Related articles
Histories of teams in Major League Baseball
AL East – Baltimore Orioles • Boston Red Sox • New York Yankees • Tampa Bay Rays • Toronto Blue Jays
Central – Chicago White Sox • Cleveland Indians • Detroit Tigers • Kansas City Royals • Minnesota Twins
West – Houston Astros • Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim • Oakland Athletics • Seattle Mariners • Texas Rangers
NL East – Atlanta Braves • Miami Marlins • New York Mets • Philadelphia Phillies • Washington Nationals
Central – Chicago Cubs • Cincinnati Reds • Milwaukee Brewers • Pittsburgh Pirates • St. Louis Cardinals I · II · III · IV
West – Arizona Diamondbacks • Colorado Rockies • Los Angeles Dodgers • San Diego Padres • San Francisco Giants
Relocated Teams
Milwaukee Brewers (1902) • Baltimore Orioles (1903) • Boston Braves (1953) • St. Louis Browns (1954) • Philadelphia Athletics (1955) • New York Giants (1958) • Brooklyn Dodgers (1958) • Washington Senators (1961) • Milwaukee Braves (1966) • Kansas City Athletics (1968) • Seattle Pilots (1970) • Washington Senators (1972) • Montreal Expos (2005)
Disestablished Teams
New York Mutuals (1876) • Athletic of Philadelphia (1876) • Hartford Dark Blues (1875–1876) • St. Louis Brown Stockings (1876–1877) • Louisville Grays (1876–1877) • Indianapolis Blues (1878) • Milwaukee Grays (1878) • Syracuse Stars (1878) • Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876–1880) • Worcester Worcesters (1880–1882) • Providence Grays (1878–1885) • Buffalo Bisons (1879–1885) • Cleveland Blues (1879–1884) • Troy Trojans (1879–1885) • St. Louis Maroons (1885–1886) • Kansas City Cowboys (1886) • Detroit Wolverines (1881–1888) • Indianapolis Hoosiers (1887–1889) • Washington Nationals (1886–1889) • Cleveland Spiders (1887–1899) • Baltimore Orioles (1892–1899) • Louisville Colonels (1892–1899) • Washington Senators (1891–1899)
Pre-modern era
Beginnings
Competition
NL monopoly
Modern era
Deadball era
Liveball era
World War II
Postwar
First expansion
Birth of division play
Wildcard begins
Wildcard expansion
See also
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Major_League_Baseball&oldid=578200679"