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World Series History

This page is dedicated to World Series history.

"WOW!! A Fantastic Source for Baseball History"

Although the World Series as we know it didn't begin until 1903, Major League Baseball had several versions of it before that...So sit back, relax and read on to discover what World Series history has to offer!!

In 1884, the National League's Providence Grays of outplayed the American Association's New York Metropolitan Club in a three game series. This was originally called The Championship of the United States. Several newspapers published the Providence Grays as World Champions and the new title stuck. Over the next six years, different variations took place between the National League and American Association pennant winners.

In 1891 the American Association folded unexpectedly, forcing a suspension of the series. The following year, the National League absorbed four of the American Association's former franchises and expanded to twelve teams but many fans didn't support the new system and in 1893 it was dropped

In 1894, Pittsburgh's owner William C. Temple offered a championship trophy to the winner of a seven game series between the National League's first and second-place teams. The winning team would receive 65% of all ticket sales and the losing team would receive 35%.

"Baseball-Brainiac is a Fantastic Source for Baseball Information"

In 1901, the American League was established and baseball found itself in a sort of civil war. In 1903 a truce, previously known as the National Agreement, was redefined outlining baseball's requirements. This produced the business blueprint for Major League Baseball and resulted in a merger that has lasted to this very day. The top American and National League teams, Boston and Pittsburgh found themselves yet again competing against each another in the first official World Series...creating the start of our journey of the Major League Baseball World Series History!!

major league baseball brainiac - world series history


Major League Baseball World Series History:

1903

First Modern World Series begins, with the Boston American League club playing against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a nine game series. Boston prevailed five games to three, winning the last four....crowning them the first winners in World Series History!

"Baseball-Brainiac is an Excellent Source for Baseball History"

1904

The year after the first World Series created World Series History, as a World Series never actually took place! If held, it would have been between the American League's Boston Americans (Boston Red Sox) and the National League's New York Giants (San Francisco Giants). At that point there was no governing body for the World Series, so there was no requirement that a World Series be played. Thus the Giants' owner, John T. Brush, refused to allow his team to take part in such an event, citing the inferiority of the upstart American League. John McGraw, the Giants' manager, even went on to say that his Giants were already world champions since they were the champions of the "only real major league".At the time of the announcement, their rivals, the New York Highlanders (NY Yankees), were leading the American League, and the thought of facing them did not please the Giants management. Boston won on the last day of the season, and the leagues had previously agreed to hold a World's Championship Series in 1904, but it was not binding, and Brush stuck to his original decision. This ment no baseball World Series for this year...creating World Series History!!

1919

The Chicago White Sox made World Series history by conspiring to throw the 1919 World Series. The only known conspiracy to throw a Major League Baseball game in World Series history. They were promised $100,000 for cooperating, and so proceeded to lose the Series in eight games, pitching poorly, hitting poorly and making many many errors. In an effort to protect the game's integrity, the newly apointed first commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, banned all of the players involved for life...making World Series history!! The Chicago White Sox would not win a World Series again until 2005.

1921-1964

Over this period of 44 years, the New York Yankees played in the World Series 29 times. Although this period reached its best between 1949 and 1964, when the Yankees reached the World Series 14 times in 16 years (only 1954 and 1959 missed), winning nine in total. The year 1949 through to 1953, the Yankees made World Series history by winning the World Series five years in a row. To this date, no other team has won more than three consecutively.

1971

Game 4 of the 1971 World Series made World Series history as it was the first ever World Series to be played under the lights. Afterwards more Series games were scheduled at night, mainy due to television audiences being larger. Game 6 of the 1987 World Series made World Series history as it was the last World Series game played in the daytime!

1976

The National and American Leagues operated under identical rules until 1973, when the American League adopted the designated hitter rule, allowing its teams to use another hitter to bat in place of the usually weak hitting pitcher. The National League did not allow for a dedsignated hitter.

This presented a problem to the Major League Baseball World Series, two league champions playing under different rules. From 1973 to 1975, the World Series did not include a designated hitter.

In 1976, for the first time in World Series history, the World Series allowed for the use of a designated hitter in even numbered years only. Finally, in 1986, baseball adopted the current rule in which the designated hitter is used for World Series games played in the American League champion's park but not the National League champion's.

1989

Game 3 of the 1989 Major League Baseball World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics was post-poned due to the Loma Prieta earthquake occurring (magnitude 6.9), just 30 minutes before the first pitch was scheduled. The only major earthquake in the history of the World Series to have caused major disturbance to a Major League Baseball World Series.

The earthquake caused substantial property and economic damage in the Bay Area and killed 62 people.

"A Fantastic Source for Baseball History"

1994

On August 12, 1994, players went on strike. Baseball franchise owners demanded a salary cap. The Major League Baseball Players Association refused to agree to it. After a month passed with no progress in talks, the rest of the 1994 season was cancelled, including the postseason on Sept. 14. The World Series would not be played for the first time in 90 years, making World Series history!!

The dispute lasted until spring 1995, with owners beginning spring training with replacement players. However, the MLBPA returned to work on April 2, 1995 after a federal judge ruled that the owners had engaged in unfair labor practices. The season started on April 25 and the 1995 World Series would be played as scheduled.

The 1995 Major League Baseball World Series saw Atlanta beating Cleveland four games to two.

2003

Prior to 2003, home-field advantage (the privilege of hosting four games if the Series goes to seven games) in the World Series alternated from year to year between the National League and American League. In 2003, Major League Baseball decided to create World Series baseball history, and began awarding home-field advantage to the league that wins the All-Star Game. So far the American League has won every All-Star Game since the change.

What future lies ahead for the Major League Baseball World Series...what else could make it into the history of the World Series...baseball-brainiac will certainly be here to inform you!!

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Return from World Series History ...to... Major League Baseball


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