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    You are at:Home»February»February 2»February 2, 1876: Major League Baseball Debuts as National League is Formed
    February 2

    February 2, 1876: Major League Baseball Debuts as National League is Formed

    Major DanBy Major DanFebruary 2, 2017Updated:November 21, 2019No Comments3 Mins Read
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    National League

    A Brief History

    On February 2, 1876, the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs was founded, replacing the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, which had been founded in 1871 as a replacement itself for the National Association of Base Ball Players (note no mention of “professional”) which operated from 1869 to 1871.

    Digging Deeper

    Known today as Major League Baseball’s “Senior Circuit” as simply the National League, the original league had 8 teams, including Chicago White Stockings (which actually became the Cubs, not the White Sox!), the Louisville Grays, the Philadelphia Athletics (not the ones that became the American League team), Cincinnati Red Stockings (did not become the Reds), Boston Red Stockings (that became the Boston, then Milwaukee, now Atlanta Braves, not the Red Sox!), the Hartford Dark Blues, St. Louis Brown Stockings and the Mutual of New York.  As you can see, only the Cubs and the Braves can claim to be original National League teams.

    The American League was founded in 1901 as a rival “major” league of professional baseball, and the rivalry was formalized in the advent of the World Series in 1903.  (There was no Series in 1904, but has been since except for the strike shortened 1994 season.  Incredibly, in 1902 there had nearly been a game between the 2 League champions, but the challenge was for a football game between the 2 baseball champs!

    The National League Champion has been bested in 64 of the 112 World Series by the American League Champion, and the New York Yankees have won 27 of those World Series.  The National League team with the most Series wins are the St. Louis Cardinals with only 11 World Series Championships.  The National League has fared better in the 87 All Star Games that have been held, winning 43 games to 42 won by the American League (and 2 ties).

    Both Leagues went to a playoff format in 1969 instead of just crowning the regular season best record posting team as League champ, but when the American League went to the designated hitter rule in 1973 the National League has yet to follow, with this rule remaining the main difference between the Leagues.  In 1997 regular season play between the National and American Leagues became normal, further decreasing the difference between the circuits.  Still, being the “Senior Circuit” does give the NL’ers a certain superior air, justified or not.

    Question for students (and subscribers): Are you an American League or National League fan?  What is your favorite team?  Please share your baseball stories or opinions with us in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information, please see here.

    The featured image in this article, a logo for National League, is protected by copyright. It is believed that the use of low-resolution images on a website intended for educational purposes, hosted on servers in the United States, of logos for certain uses involving identification and critical commentary may qualify as fair use under the Copyright law of the United States.

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    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

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