Last week I wrote an article wishing the National League a Happy Birthday. However, in my negligence I did not wish the American League a happy birthday on its birthday as well. So, with my apologies to American league fans and the American League, I wish the American League a Happy 111th Birthday!
Although officially becoming a major league in 1901, the origins of the American League dates back until 1892. Back in 1982, the Western League was a minor league that went through financial difficulties and was purchased by Charles Comiskey and Ban Johnson.
Comiskey was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds at the time and Johnson was a sports editor of a newspaper in Cincinnati. Johnson became the commissioner of the Western League and began to change the league. At this time, the National League was considered out of control, forcing women and children away from the game and had a lack of popular perception. Over the next few years, the Western League gained fans, increased revenues and began to attract many high-level players away from other leagues, including the National League.
In 1899, the Western league officially changed its name to the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs. After the 1899 season, the Western League owned by Comiskey and Johnson disbanded so that the two men can pursue a major league. In 1901, the men did just that. They removed their league from the National Agreement. The National Agreement was a contract between the National League and minor leagues and once the American League left the agreement, they could become a major league.
As 1901 began, on January 28, the American League (mistakenly called the American Association by the media) created teams in Chicago (owned by Johnson and Comiskey and had a current National League team), Buffalo, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland (former city of a National League team), Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Kansas City. But before the 1901 season was to begin, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Buffalo were disbanded and teams were formed in Baltimore (former city of a National league team), Philadelphia (current location of a National League team) and Boston (current location of a National league team) while the Kansas City franchise relocated to Washington D.C. (former city of a National league team). Those eight teams became the charter members of the American League. The names and history of those teams were:
- Baltimore Orioles moved to New York and became the Yankees in 1913
- Boston Americans were renamed the Red Sox in 1908
- Chicago White Stockings were renamed the White Sox in 1903
- Cleveland Bluebirds were renamed the Indians in 1915
- Detroit Tigers (still in existence)
- Milwaukee Brewers moved to St. Louis (Browns) in 1902 and later moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles in 1954
- Philadelphia Athletics became the Kansas City Athletics in 1955 and once again moved to Oakland in 1968 and kept the name Athletics
- Washington Senators moved to Minneapolis-St. Paul in 1961 and were renamed the Minnesota Twins
The National League did everything it could to fight the promotion of the new American League. The new league was paying its players more. The new league had better attendance and the new league was asked to merge with the National League and would not. In 1902, the National League acknowledged the presence of this new league as a major league and signed an agreement with it so that the winners of each league would play one another in a playoff series. This agreement became known as the World Series.
In 1961, the Los Angeles Angels were granted a franchise and renamed itself mid-season on September 2, 1965. Finally in 2005, the organization renamed itself once again as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
In 1961, a new Washington Senators franchise was granted and that franchise moved to Dallas-Ft. Worth and were renamed the Texas Rangers in 1972.
In 1969, the Seattle Pilots were granted a franchise and in 1970 moved to Milwaukee and were renamed the Brewers.
In 1969, the Kansas City Royals were granted a franchise.
In 1977, the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners were granted franchises.
In 1998, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were granted a franchise and renamed itself “Tampa Bay Rays” in 2005. During the same year, the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to move to the National League so that each league would have even number of teams.
Next year, the Houston Astros will move to the American league giving each league 15 teams and causing interleague play every day if the baseball schedule.
The biggest difference between the two leagues started in 1973 when Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees became the first Designated Hitter in baseball history. The American league started the Designated Hitter as an experiment to increase scoring and attendance. In the first year of the D.H., attendance increased 27% for the American League.
Prior to 1997, the two leagues only met in exhibition games, Hall of Fame games or the World Series. However on June 12, 1997, The Texas Rangers hosted the San Francisco Giants in the first ever interleague game. Since that date, more than 3,700 interleague games have been played with an American League edge of 1939-1773.
So, let’s all wish the American league a belated happy birthday with many, many more to come.