North American sports organization
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Also known as: MLB
Written by
Adam Augustyn
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: •Article History
Commissioner's Trophy awarded to World Series winners
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- Date:
- 1903 - present
- Areas Of Involvement:
- baseball
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Major League Baseball (MLB), North American professional baseball organization that was formed in 1903 with the merger of the two U.S. professional baseball leagues—the National League (NL) and the American League (AL).
History
The NL and the AL acted as independent organizations from their founding in the 19th century. The two leagues engaged in what was known as the “baseball war” in the years prior to the merger, as the Midwest-based AL moved its teams into the established NL domain of the East Coast and wooed away star players from NL squads. The leagues established a truce in 1903 that resulted in the creation of the World Series, which matched the annual winners of each league to determine a national champion, as well as the National Commission, a three-man governing body that oversaw Major League Baseball but was replaced by a single commissioner of baseball in 1921.
Britannica QuizGreat Moments in Sports QuizThe teams of Major League Baseball are aligned as follows:
National LeagueNL East: Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals
NL Central: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants
AL East: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins
AL West: Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers
MLB Payrolls
World Series results
World Series results are provided in the table.
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| year | winning team | losing team | results |
|---|---|---|---|
| *AL—American League. NL—National League. | |||
| **One tied game. | |||
| 1903 | Boston Americans (AL) | Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) | 5–3 |
| 1904 | no series | ||
| 1905 | New York Giants (NL) | Philadelphia Athletics (AL) | 4–1 |
| 1906 | Chicago White Sox (AL) | Chicago Cubs (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1907** | Chicago Cubs (NL) | Detroit Tigers (AL) | 4–0 |
| 1908 | Chicago Cubs (NL) | Detroit Tigers (AL) | 4–1 |
| 1909 | Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) | Detroit Tigers (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1910 | Philadelphia Athletics (AL) | Chicago Cubs (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1911 | Philadelphia Athletics (AL) | New York Giants (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1912** | Boston Red Sox (AL) | New York Giants (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1913 | Philadelphia Athletics (AL) | New York Giants (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1914 | Boston Braves (NL) | Philadelphia Athletics (AL) | 4–0 |
| 1915 | Boston Red Sox (AL) | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1916 | Boston Red Sox (AL) | Brooklyn Robins (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1917 | Chicago White Sox (AL) | New York Giants (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1918 | Boston Red Sox (AL) | Chicago Cubs (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1919 | Cincinnati Reds (NL) | Chicago White Sox (AL) | 5–3 |
| 1920 | Cleveland Indians (AL) | Brooklyn Robins (NL) | 5–2 |
| 1921 | New York Giants (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 5–3 |
| 1922** | New York Giants (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–0 |
| 1923 | New York Yankees (AL) | New York Giants (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1924 | Washington Senators (AL) | New York Giants (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1925 | Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) | Washington Senators (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1926 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1927 | New York Yankees (AL) | Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) | 4–0 |
| 1928 | New York Yankees (AL) | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | 4–0 |
| 1929 | Philadelphia Athletics (AL) | Chicago Cubs (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1930 | Philadelphia Athletics (AL) | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1931 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | Philadelphia Athletics (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1932 | New York Yankees (AL) | Chicago Cubs (NL) | 4–0 |
| 1933 | New York Giants (NL) | Washington Senators (AL) | 4–1 |
| 1934 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | Detroit Tigers (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1935 | Detroit Tigers (AL) | Chicago Cubs (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1936 | New York Yankees (AL) | New York Giants (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1937 | New York Yankees (AL) | New York Giants (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1938 | New York Yankees (AL) | Chicago Cubs (NL) | 4–0 |
| 1939 | New York Yankees (AL) | Cincinnati Reds (NL) | 4–0 |
| 1940 | Cincinnati Reds (NL) | Detroit Tigers (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1941 | New York Yankees (AL) | Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1942 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–1 |
| 1943 | New York Yankees (AL) | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1944 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | St. Louis Browns (AL) | 4–2 |
| 1945 | Detroit Tigers (AL) | Chicago Cubs (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1946 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | Boston Red Sox (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1947 | New York Yankees (AL) | Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1948 | Cleveland Indians (AL) | Boston Braves (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1949 | New York Yankees (AL) | Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1950 | New York Yankees (AL) | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) | 4–0 |
| 1951 | New York Yankees (AL) | New York Giants (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1952 | New York Yankees (AL) | Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1953 | New York Yankees (AL) | Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1954 | New York Giants (NL) | Cleveland Indians (AL) | 4–0 |
| 1955 | Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1956 | New York Yankees (AL) | Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1957 | Milwaukee Braves (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1958 | New York Yankees (AL) | Milwaukee Braves (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1959 | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | Chicago White Sox (AL) | 4–2 |
| 1960 | Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1961 | New York Yankees (AL) | Cincinnati Reds (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1962 | New York Yankees (AL) | San Francisco Giants (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1963 | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–0 |
| 1964 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1965 | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | Minnesota Twins (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1966 | Baltimore Orioles (AL) | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | 4–0 |
| 1967 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | Boston Red Sox (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1968 | Detroit Tigers (AL) | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1969 | New York Mets (NL) | Baltimore Orioles (AL) | 4–1 |
| 1970 | Baltimore Orioles (AL) | Cincinnati Reds (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1971 | Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) | Baltimore Orioles (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1972 | Oakland Athletics (AL) | Cincinnati Reds (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1973 | Oakland Athletics (AL) | New York Mets (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1974 | Oakland Athletics (AL) | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1975 | Cincinnati Reds (NL) | Boston Red Sox (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1976 | Cincinnati Reds (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–0 |
| 1977 | New York Yankees (AL) | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1978 | New York Yankees (AL) | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1979 | Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) | Baltimore Orioles (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1980 | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) | Kansas City Royals (AL) | 4–2 |
| 1981 | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–2 |
| 1982 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | Milwaukee Brewers (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1983 | Baltimore Orioles (AL) | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1984 | Detroit Tigers (AL) | San Diego Padres (NL) | 4–1 |
| 1985 | Kansas City Royals (AL) | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1986 | New York Mets (NL) | Boston Red Sox (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1987 | Minnesota Twins (AL) | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | Oakland Athletics (AL) | 4–1 |
| 1989 | Oakland Athletics (AL) | San Francisco Giants (NL) | 4–0 |
| 1990 | Cincinnati Reds (NL) | Oakland Athletics (AL) | 4–0 |
| 1991 | Minnesota Twins (AL) | Atlanta Braves (NL) | 4–3 |
| 1992 | Toronto Blue Jays (AL) | Atlanta Braves (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1993 | Toronto Blue Jays (AL) | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1994 | not held | ||
| 1995 | Atlanta Braves (NL) | Cleveland Indians (AL) | 4–2 |
| 1996 | New York Yankees (AL) | Atlanta Braves (NL) | 4–2 |
| 1997 | Florida Marlins (NL) | Cleveland Indians (AL) | 4–3 |
| 1998 | New York Yankees (AL) | San Diego Padres (NL) | 4–0 |
| 1999 | New York Yankees (AL) | Atlanta Braves (NL) | 4–0 |
| 2000 | New York Yankees (AL) | New York Mets (NL) | 4–1 |
| 2001 | Arizona Diamondbacks (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–3 |
| 2002 | Anaheim Angels (AL) | San Francisco Giants (NL) | 4–3 |
| 2003 | Florida Marlins (NL) | New York Yankees (AL) | 4–2 |
| 2004 | Boston Red Sox (AL) | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | 4–0 |
| 2005 | Chicago White Sox (AL) | Houston Astros (NL) | 4–0 |
| 2006 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | Detroit Tigers (AL) | 4–1 |
| 2007 | Boston Red Sox (AL) | Colorado Rockies (NL) | 4–0 |
| 2008 | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) | Tampa Bay Rays (AL) | 4–1 |
| 2009 | New York Yankees (AL) | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) | 4–2 |
| 2010 | San Francisco Giants (NL) | Texas Rangers (AL) | 4–1 |
| 2011 | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | Texas Rangers (AL) | 4–3 |
| 2012 | San Francisco Giants (NL) | Detroit Tigers (AL) | 4–0 |
| 2013 | Boston Red Sox (AL) | St. Louis Cardinals (NL) | 4–2 |
| 2014 | San Francisco Giants (NL) | Kansas City Royals (AL) | 4–3 |
| 2015 | Kansas City Royals (AL) | New York Mets (NL) | 4–1 |
| 2016 | Chicago Cubs (NL) | Cleveland Indians (AL) | 4–3 |
| 2017 | Houston Astros (AL) | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | 4–3 |
| 2018 | Boston Red Sox (AL) | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | 4–1 |
| 2019 | Washington Nationals (NL) | Houston Astros (AL) | 4–3 |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | Tampa Bay Rays (AL) | 4–2 |
| 2021 | Atlanta Braves (NL) | Houston Astros (AL) | 4–2 |
| 2022 | Houston Astros (AL) | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) | 4–2 |
| 2023 | Texas Rangers (AL) | Arizona Diamondbacks (NL) | 4–1 |
