Major League Baseball History
Major League Baseball is divided into two leagues: the American League and the National League, with 14 and 16 teams, respectively. There is some controversy over the initial establishment of the MLB, although the League itself points to 1869, the date in which the first professional team – the Cincinnati Red Stockings – was formed.
Regardless of the MLB’s particular history, it is quite certain that the first baseball league in the United States was the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBB), which was founded in 1871 and was considered by some the first major league. A few years later, in 1876, the National League of Professional Base Ball Players was formed; unlike the NAPBB, the National League focused on clubs rather than the players. During its early years, the National League suffered through numerous difficulties – league rivalry, rebellion, and problems with the players – whereas the American Association became extremely successful (1881–1891). Despite the leagues’ differences, the National League and the American Association champions met in a postseason championship series for several years, marking the first attempt at a World Series.
Then in 1901, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the NABPL or "NA," was formed. After 1902 all three baseball leagues signed a new National Agreement in which the players became a commodity. In the following years, however, from 1900- 1919, the history of baseball underwent a phase called a “Dead Ball Era,” in which baseball experienced a lull: the ball cost too much, home runs were scarce, and lackluster hits proved more useful during the game.
However, in 1942, in the midst of World World II, Major League Baseball began to experience success; even though some players were sent to the front, the MLB continued forming new teams.
As time passed, baseball began to find its oft-overlooked heroes – influential people who would change important aspects of the league. One of those people was Walter O’Mailley, who in 1957 first moved the Dodgers to Los Angeles and the New York Giants west to become the San Francisco Giants, then created the St. Louis Cardinals. Even though some within the league disagreed with O’Mailley’s moves, the changes proved fruitful in the following seasons.
In the late 1960s, the equilibrium between pitching and hitting shifted in favor of the pitchers. The change became apparent in the success of Carl Yastrzemski, who in the 1968 season won the American League batting title with an average of .301 percent, the lowest in history.
A few years later, in 1973, the American League made further changes to the game. Competition with the National League brought on difficult times; the National League boasted greater attendance, and the American League was suffering for it. In the hopes of attracting a wider audience, the American League increased the scoring possibilities by applying what was called the designated hitter rule, allowing a substitute to bat for the pitche..