Warning:

This entry won't make sense for people outside of the USA

America's baseball teams are more than entertainment. As with most sports teams based on region, they are a symbol of pride. Whole cities rally behind them through failure and success. Since most team structures change rapidly, no team is a loser for long¹ giving every city their due pride.

This entry examines the history and current conditions of these teams.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks first formed as a team in 1998. They set enormous attendance levels, keeping audience levels around three million. Their first season attendance in 1998 was at the astounding level of 3,600,412 people. When the Arizona Diamondbacks had their first game March 31, 1998 at Bank One Ballpark against the Colorado Rockies, fans overflowed the stadium. 50,179 saw the game in a stadium with a capacity of 48,569. They lost to the Rockies 2-9.

In their fourth season, the Diamondbacks advanced to the World Series by defeating the Atlanta Braves on October 21, 2001. They would go against the American League's New York Yankees. The Diamondbacks won their first two games but lost the three subsequent games. They won the sixth game, meaning that whoever won the seventh game would win the series. The Diamondbacks won that game 3-2, making them the quickest expansion team to win a World Series.

There are a few individuals that stand out in the Diamondbacks. Arguably the best player for the Diamondbacks is southpaw pitcher Randy Johnson, whose hometown is Phoenix Arizona. Their mascot is surprisingly not a Diamondback Snake, but rather 'Baxter', a bobcat.

The uniforms of the Diamondbacks are very simple. The shirts are vertical thin stripes with black short sleeves. The caps are black with the logo for the Diamondbacks, a capital 'A' with snake stripes on the left side on it. Of course this is all carefully documented in the bobble-head figurine.

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves have a very long history. They are the longest running team, first joining the national league in 1876. They started as the Boston Red Stockings, but were nicknamed the Braves. The team changed their name in 1886 to the Boston Beaneaters due to some confusion with the Cincinnati Reds. In 1887, Mike 'King' Kelly joined them, the most popular player of his time. In 1907, the team changed their name again to the Doves, after the owners The Dovey Brothers. In 1909, they became the Boston Rustlers. In 1914, they became known as the Miracle Braves when they suddenly went from last place to first. The Doves changed their name again to the Bees in 1936. In 1941, they readopted the nickname of the Braves. In 1953 the Braves moved to Milwaukee. In 1966, the Braves moved to Atlanta and to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. They moved again to Turner Stadium in 1997.

The Braves Played as-


• Boston Red Stockings (1876 - 1882)
• Boston Beaneaters (1883 - 1906)
• Boston Doves (1907, 1908)
• Boston Rustlers (1909, 1910)
• Boston Braves (1911 - 1935)
• Boston Bees (1936 - 1940)
• Boston Braves (1941 - 1952)
• Milwaukee Braves (1953 - 1965)
• Atlanta Braves (1966 - 2002)

In the 1990s, they were arguably the best team in consistent overall performance. Now, the Braves hold a number of awards. They have 17 pennants and 4 world series titles. Today, they have a fair record and are one of the most nationally televised teams. Braves fans are easily identified by their supposedly native chant and waving their hands about their heads.

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago White Stockings were one of the first teams to join the National League by being in the original eight 1876 teams in the league. The White Stockings were first called the Cubs in a 1902 edition of The Chicago Daily News in reference to the team using a larger amount of young players. The baseball club adopted the popular nickname in 1907, making it one of the longest running team names. The Cubs became popular quickly, especially in their home of Chicago.

For the first and only time, in 1908 the Cubs won the World Series. The Cubs continued to play well through the 1900s and 1910s. In the 1919 World Series, the Chicago White Sox conspired to lose the World Series to benefit professional gamblers. This was brought to public attention and several White Sox players were banned from professional baseball.

In the 1930 season, Hack Wilson set a hitting standard. He made 191 runs, 56 of which were homers. They made it to the World Series in 1932 against the New York Yankees and saw Babe Ruth's incredible 'called shot' of Game Three. They lost this Series, four games to none. In 1938 Charles Harnett hit his famous Homer in the Gloamin'. The 'Homer in the Gloamin'' was at a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the end of the ninth inning and the score was tied, Hartnett had two strikes and no one was on base. The view was obstructed by the dusk and despite everything against him, Harnett hit a home run and won the Cubs the Pennant. At the World Series, history repeated itself and the Cubs faced the Yankees again. As with their 1930 World Series appearance, they lost four games to none.

In the early 1940s, the Cubs played as well and were as popular as ever. However, 1945 marked the last appearance of the Cubs in the playoffs until 1984. Things only got worse. The Cubs traded four important players in the 1950s including Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Rob Santo and Fergie Jenkins. This did nothing to help their post season appearance drought.

In 1981, the Wrigley Family sold its ownership of the Cubs to the Tribune Company for 20.5 million dollars. Finally, started to play better. 1984 marked their first post season appearance in almost 40 years. In the 1990s, the Cubs had some good players again, acquiring Sammy Sosa, Greg Maddux, Ryne Sandberg and others. In 1998, the nation's fascination with Sosa's home run race with Mark McGwire helped ensure good attendance. In 1998, the Cubs saw the post-season again, but didn't secure the World Series.

The Chicago Cubs have long disappointed their fans. They have reached the World Series ten times, but only won once, before the team was even very popular. In 1945, the Cubs started losing and losing until a false hope in 1984, in which they lost again. Even despite the heartbreak and frustration, the Cubs fans never give up.

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Red Stockings were the very first professional baseball team. This meant that their players were paid, and so the Reds were easily able to attract great players from amateur teams. The Reds were baseball juggernauts from 1869 to June 1870. They won 130 consecutive games until they were finally stopped by the Dodgers. This still stands as the longest winning record in baseball. In 1876, the Red Stockings joined the National League, ending their monopoly of professional baseball. Four years later, in 1880, Cincinnatti was expelled from the National League. They were reinstated ten years later.

In 1912, the Redland Field opened for the Reds, replacing League Park. The old park had often been called Redland Field anyway, so owner Herrmann declined naming the field after himself and opted successfully for the name Redland. In 1919, the first Cincinnati World Championship against the Cubs was tarnished when eight of the opposing team threw the series.

In 1934, Redland Field was renamed Crosley Field when Powel Crosley bought the Reds. The first night game against Philadelphia was played at Crosley Field. In January 26, 1937 Cincinnati experienced its worst flood ever, leaving the playing field under 21 feet of water. Famously, two pitchers rowed a boat from Western Avenue over into the Field.

On August 26, 1939 NBC became the first to air a baseball game. The game featured the Reds against the Dodgers. By 1954, integration in baseball was starting. In 1954 seven years behind the Dodger's desegregation, the Reds allowed African American player Chuck Harmon to play.

The 1970s were a busy decade for the Reds. In February 1970, Pete Rose became the first player to earn a six figure salary. They also acquired a new field, Riverfront Stadium in 1970. This was the first stadium to be built with public funding, and many stadiums after would follow the trend. Through the mid and late 1970s, the Reds dominated the game. They won two straight championships 1975 and 1976 earning a nickname 'The Big Red Machine'.

In 1989, Reds slugger Pete Rose is infamously suspended for gambling. From 1985 to 1987 Rose had bet on his own team. He was sentenced to five months in prison. Before this controversy, Rose's stellar performance and records made him a prime candidate to the baseball hall of fame, but it is now very unlikely he will be inducted. In 1996 the first game is postponed when umpire John McSherry becomes the first to die in the middle of a game. In 2000, a famous trade was made by acquiring Ken Griffey Jr from Seattle.

Today, the Reds play at Great American Ballpark. Their current record leaves something to be desired but in general perform okay. Their mascot is a big baseball with a Reds cap.

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are a ten year old team based in Denver. The idea of a team in Denver started out as a long shot, as the National League were awarding two licenses for baseball franchises to two of six possible cities. In 1991, the National League announced that it was expanding and awarding a franchise to Denver. Quickly, Denver began construction on a new stadium, but it was not ready by April 1993 when the team had their first home game. They played in the enormous Mile High Stadium, where they regularly attracted its capacity of 80,000 people and setting many attendance records.

In 1995, the new field, Coors Field was ready for play. After Mile High Stadium set twelve attendance records² Coors Field was upgraded from 43,800 to 50,381 available seats and led the league in attendance as well. Starting June 13 1995, the club had 203 consecutive sold out games.

Most of the history of the Rockies has been uneventful. Most of their records are for attendance levels, and they continually top themselves. Today, the Rockies still have large attendance levels. Their spring training is located in the city of Tucson. The logo of the team is a mountain with a baseball in front of it. This appears on the team's uniforms. Specifically on their caps and shirts.

Florida Marlins

The Florida Marlins came about in the same way that the Colorado Rockies did. The National League was awarded two franchises to give to two areas. South Florida was given one of the franchises. The team was well planned. Almost two years before the team started, the logo of a Marlin fish was revealed. By 1991, the old football field, Joe Robbie Stadium was being converted to baseball for the new team. It was completed in 1993 and the Marlins played their first game against the LA Dodgers April 5, 1993.

In 1996, Pro Player sports bought the naming rights of Joe Robbie Stadium to call it Pro Player Stadium. On June 10 1997, the Marlins won their first post season appearance. By October 14, the Marlins won a pennant and advanced to the World Series. They won the 1997 World Series against the Atlanta Braves, four games to two.

Today, plans are being made to relocate the team to a downtown Bicentennial Ballpark. This park promises to use a retractable roof and bring in more fans. The unpredictable Florida weather is blamed for low attendance, but the roof can fix this issue.

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros started in 1962 as the Houston Colt .45s (Named for the gun) in the famous Astrodome Stadium. Through the 1960s and 1970s, the Astros enjoyed a great amount of individual achievement, but never finished better than second place. At the turn of the decade, the Astros had some of their finest seasons, earning a place in the playoffs frequently.

The early 1990s were another period of prosperity for the Astros. They had rebounded from a few disappointing seasons in the late 1980s. The mid-1990s celebrated many indiviuals as well. Jeff Bagwell earned the title of Most Valuable Player of the National League in 1994, the first Astro to earn this title. Craig Biggio won the presigious Rawling Gold Glove award three times.

In 1999, the Astros left the Astrodome in honor. They won three straight Central National League division championships. Audience levels for the Astros ended the season at 2.7 million fans - a record for the Astros. By 2001, many players set records for the Astros and the organization finally started to be recognized.

Los Angeles - Brooklyn Dodgers

The Dodgers have a long and interesting history. Their first games were in 1872 as the Brooklyn Atlantics. They played in 1890 Brooklyn with the nickname 'Bridegrooms'. They were named this because seven of their players got married around the same time. Then the team was nicknamed 'Ward's Wonders', for their 1891-1892 coach, 'Foutz's Fillies' named for their 1893-1896 coach and 'Hanlon's Superbas³' named for their 1899-1905 coach. Eventually, the team adopted the nickname the 'Trolley Dodgers' named for the unpredictable Trolleys in Brooklyn. Eventually, the name was shortended to simply the 'Dodgers'.

The Dodgers of the late 1880s and early 1890s played in Washington Park. This park was built on the site of George Washington's army fought the battle of Long Island, hence the name Washington Park. Through the 1890s, the Dodgers became popular and attracted fans and new players. Charles Ebbets, a familiar face from Washington Park had been working menial tasks for the stadium, and used every chance to buy stock in the team. By 1897 Ebbets owned ten percent of the team, and after Charles Byrne, the team president died, Ebbets managed to take his job. Ebbets managed to get many great players to join the Dodgers from Baltimore. Ebbets managed a deal with Baltimore owner Harry Von der Horst to give 30% ownership of the team in exchange for these players.

At the turn of the century, the rival American League formed, and lured away the best talent of Brooklyn. Through the 1900s and 1910s the Dodgers suffered sub-average playing and poor attendance. After the Dodgers started losing, the majority owner of the Dodgers, Harry Von der Horst sold his share to Ebbets, making him the club's owner.

Around the 1910s, a rivalry began heating up between the Manhattan based New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Even the managers of the teams feuded. Whenever the two teams played each other, the stands were packed. This helped attendance records and their popularity peaked. On April 9, 1913 a new 18,000 person capacity field called Ebbets Field was opened to help bring in more fans.

1914 through 1931, Wilbert Robinson, nicknamed 'Uncle Robbie' was manager of the Dodgers. His impact on the team and the organization was so great that they became known as the 'Robins'. In 1917, war began in America but the baseball season continued. The war stopped the 1918 season when many players left to fight.

Games resumed by 1920 to a very successful season. The Dodgers set a personal record by playing their longest game, 26 innings against the Boston Braves. Perhaps more amazing is the Brooklyn and Boston pitchers both pitched all 26 innings. Finally, darkness stopped the game at a 1-1 tie. Another amazing thing for the Dodgers was game five at the 1920 World Series. In this game, the Dodgers performed the only true triple play⁴ in World Series history.

The Dodger momentum slowed down in 1922 and 1923, leaving them in fifth place. But in 1924, the team rallied and came very close to winning the Pennant. In 1925, Charles Ebbets died. Ed McKeever became the President of the club, but when attending Ebbets funeral, he caught a cold and died. Wilbert Robinson assumed the position. The Dodgers fared terribly, landing in sixth for five seasons.

In 1931, Wilbert Robinson's period as manager ended, but he will be remembered as leading the Dodgers to more victories than any other manager. In 18 seasons, 'Uncle Robbie' and the Dodgers won 1,375. After Robinson, four managers of the 1930s led the Dodgers to nothing very good. In 1941, the Dodgers went to the World Series and played a number of classic games against the New York Yankees. In the rest of the early 1940s, the Dodgers failed to advance to the Series, or in fact do much of anything at all.

1947 was arguably a turning point for baseball. Jackie Robinson stepped aboard the Dodgers as the first African American to play outside the 'Negro Leagues'. The general manager of the team, Branch Rickey was looking for an African American for a while, which was evident in his quote 'I'm looking for a ballplayer with guts enough not to fight back.'. This meant that he knew any minority in the major leagues would be abused and taunted, but he hoped that the one he picked would not fight back. He got this with Jackie Robinson. Robinson was not only an exceptional player, he never seemed to pay attention to threats or abuse. Robinson became the first Rookie of the Year in 1947 and the National League Most Valuable Player in 1949.

The Dodgers of the 1950s fared extremely well. They only slipped below second place two years of the 1950s and won a total of 913 games. A group of players called the 'Boys of the Summer' consisted of Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges, Carl Furillo, Don Newcombe, Carl Erskine, Jim Gilliam, Duke Snider, Preacher Roe and Clem Labine and led the team to many victories.

In 1955, the Dodgers won their first best of seven games World Series against the Yankees. Before this it was a best of nine games to win. The Dodgers won the pennant again in 1956 but fell to the Yankees in the World Series.

Through the 1950s, manager O'Malley wanted a new stadium for the Dodgers, but New York City didn't agree. So there was a large buzz about the Dodgers moving to the West Coast. On October 8, 1957 the manager announced that he was moving the Dodgers to Los Angeles after 68 seasons in Brooklyn. They played in the Los Angeles Coliseum. In 1959 the Dodgers won their first World Series for Los Angeles against Chicago.

In 1962 the Dodgers moved into their home of Dodger Stadium. With this, the 1962 season was one of widespread prosperity for the Dodgers, individually and as a team. This year also marked when the first minority was inducted to the hall of fame, Jackie Robinson. The 1963 World Series showed how powerful the Dodgers had become. They faced the Yankees, but beat them quickly and easily. This Series also showcased Sandy Cofax, who was given the Cy Young Award, the League MVP, the World Series MVP and was put in the All Stars Game. Later he would be named player of the decade.

After this, the club would win two pennants and one more World Series in the decade. The next decade was great for the Dodgers. Through the 1970s, they never finished below third place. Individual achievement was also great. The Dodgers made history in 1977 for having four of their players hit 30 or more home runs.

In 1981, the Rookie Fernando Valenzuela pitched the opening game and instantly became very popular. Valenzuela led the Dodgers to many victories and championships. He would win the Cy Young Award and the Rookie of the Year Award. The 1988 season was unforgettable. They came from behind to upset two teams, the Mets and the A's to win the Series.

The 1990 season was the 100th season for the Dodgers in the National League. There were numerous references to this and celebrations. Through the 1990s, the Dodgers won four consecutive Rookie of the Year Awards and led a promising decade. They grew immense popularity and continued to win games.

In 2000, Eric Karros became the LA Dodgers Home Run King with 229 home runs. The Dodgers continue to play well, but their future remains to be seen. Their present however is quite clear. Their current manager is Jim Tracy and owner is Peter O'Malley.

Milwaukee Brewers

In 1970, the Seattle Pilots franchise moved to Milwaukee and was renamed the Brewers because of Milwaukee's association with the brewing industry. On April 7, 1970 the first game was played in their cold, cramped stadium County Stadium. They started in the American League though.

Hank Aaron had played on the Milwaukee Braves until they moved, and he was extremely popular. On April 11, 1975, Hank Aaron joined the Brewers again and played his first game as a Brewer on April 11, 1975 to 48,160 fans on Welcome Home Henry Day. He is arguably the best player Milwaukee every had. The next great player for the Brewers was Rollie Fingers, who was the first Relief Pitcher to win the Cy Young award and the Most Valuable Player award in the same season in 1981. With his help, the Brewers made their first playoff appearance in 1981, 11 years after the team started.

In 1982, the Brewers made their first World Series appearance in what was called the 'Suds Series'. This Series was very close and was against the St Louis Cardinals. Through the 1990s, the Brewers didn't win anything great, missing the World Series narrowly. In 1996, the city began construction of the new Miller Stadium. In 1997, the team switched from the American League to the National League. On April 6, 2001 the Brewers had their first game at the great, modern Miller Stadium.

New York Mets

For years, a man named William Shea spearheaded a drive to bring more baseball to New York City. By the late 1950s, the Dodgers and the Giants had left New York, leaving only the Yankees. In 1959, Shea announced that the newly forming Continental League would give a team to New York City. Unfortunately, the league disbanded the following year. But four of the Continental teams were accepted in the other leagues, including New York's team.

In 1961, club owner Joan Payson accepted the nickname for the team as The Mets, a shortened version of the company name, the Metropolitan Baseball Club. They played on the Polo Grounds while Flushing Meadows Stadium was being built. This stadium would later be renamed as Shea Stadium in honor of William Shea.

On April 11, 1962 the Mets played their first National League game, though it wasn't until April 23 when they won their first league win. Finally, in 1964 the Mets played their first game at Shea Stadium.

On April 2, 1966 the Mets acquired the pitcher Tom Seaver purely by luck. Seaver led the 'Loveable Losing Mets' into first place and several championships. In 1969, Seaver helped the Mets win the National League Pennant and they went into the World Series for the first time, against the Baltimore Orioles. The Mets triumphed in their first World Series or playoff appearance and became World Champions.

The following years had two very important trades. They acquired the great Willie Mays in 1972 but lost Tom Seaver in 1977. The Mets were sold for an estimated 21.1 million dollars in 1980. After this, they signed Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden and Gary Carter.

The Mets season of 1986 will always be remembered. They managed to get into the World Series against Boston. Game Six of the 1986 World Series is legendary. The Mets were one out away from losing the Series, but miraculously, they came from behind two runs behind and won the game. They won the 1986 World Series, their second World Championship in about 20 years.

In 1995, the Mets traded for catcher Mike Piazza. Piazza is one of the best players on the Mets and probably the best known Met. Piazza has made over 300 hits, only a handful of players can say that. Perhaps the only better known Met is their mascot, who is a big baseball with a Met cap.

Today, the Mets have fallen into a similar pattern of their early days as the 'Lovable Losing Mets', but still excite fans despite this.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are the oldest team to stay in one city with one name. Since 1883, when the team was formed, they have been the Philadelphia Phillies. They started when the Worcester Ruby Legs were disbanded and moved to Philadelphia. The name Phillies comes from the nickname for Philadelphia, 'Philly'.

The Phillies did not do well in early seasons. In their first season, they only won 17 games of 98, a meager percent. In 1884, manager Harry Wright helped the Phillies gain notoriety and respect, while still not winning very much. Eventually, great players came along, such as Charlie Ferguson and Ed Delahanty. Sam Thompson and Billy Hamilton became known as great players as well. Thompson was a home run king, once hitting 20, which was an enormous amount in that time. Hamilton led in stolen bases. Billy Sunday even played for the Phillies before becoming a famous evangelist.

In 1887, they moved from Recreation Park to Philadelphia Park. This park was thought to be the nicest in the country, and held 12,500 fans. A fire destroyed it in 1894 and it was rebuilt while they played in the University of Pennsylvania. When it was rebuilt, it was even better, holding 18,800 and more modern, less flammable building techniques.

At the turn of the century, the Phillies were doing extremely well and could have easily had a Pennant, but the American League formed in 1901, signing many of the best players away from the National League. The best talent of the team left.

They slipped in the standings, but recovered with some good players such as Chick Fraser. By 1910, the Phillies climbed the National League standings. In 1915, the powerful Phillies advanced against the Boston Red Sox in the World Series for the first time, but Boston won the championship easily four games to one.

The Federal League came about and got some of the important players of the Phillies. The Federal League folded one year after it began, but World War I was a new problem. The Phillies traded one of their best players who had been drafted for the army, fearing he wouldn't come back from battle. In 1916, they set an attendance record of 515,365 fans in one season, a record that stood for many years.

Through the 1920s, the Phillies had some great individual achievement, especially with home run slugger Cy Williams. They also led the league in home runs. But as a team in general, they did not do well in general. They often lost 100 home runs and was in last place more often. In 1928, the Phillies found Chuck Klein, who would go on to become one of the best players that the team ever had. In 1929, the Phillies finished fifth, their best since 1917. In the 1930s, the Phillies had some outstanding hitters. Chuck Klein, Dick Bartell and Don Hurst were some of the heaviest hitters and they regularly setting team and league records.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On April 30, 1887 the Pittsburgh Alleghenies played their first game, before 10,000 people in Recreation Park. In 1889, the Alleghenies were renamed the 'Pirates', a name that would stick until present. In 1891, the Pirates moved to Exposition park. In 1900, Barney Dreyfuss who owned a disbanded team from Louisville bought the Pirates and brought many players from his old team. One of these players was Johannes 'Honus' Wagner, who would eventually be among the first five people to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

By 1901, the Pirates started winning, led by Wagner. They won the National League Pennant in 1901, 1902 and again in 1903. The 1903 season took them to the World Series for the first time, but they lost to the powerful Boston Americans. In 1909, the Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers for their first World Series title.

The Pirates and the Phillies were the first teams to be broadcast over the radio. On August 5, 1921 the KDKA radio station the Pirates 8-5 win. So the Pirates were the first to win over the radio. The 1920s were a great decade for the Pirates. They won a World Series in 1925 and won the 1927 Pennant. In 1935, an honor for the Pirates and for their stadium, Forbes Field was to witness the last three homers of Babe Ruth's career. The last one hit by Ruth was actually the first to clear the right field roof.

In 1954, seven years after Jackie Robinson debuted as the first African American in baseball, Curt Roberts was the first African American Pirate. On May 26, 1959, Pirates pitcher Harvey Haddix threw 12 perfect innings against the Braves. This was arguably the best pitching performance ever. Unfortunately, the Pirates lost the game 1-0 in the 13th inning.

On July 16th, 1970 the Pirates played their first game at the new Three Rivers Stadium. On August 9, 1976, the Pirates Pitcher John Candelaria threw the team's first no hitter, no run game. It also happened to be Three Rivers Stadium's 500th game that day. Through the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, Pirate performance was nothing great, but at the same time, they didn't do terribly. In February 1996, Kevin McClatchy and his associates saved the Pirates from moving out of Pittsburgh by buying it. On April 9, 2001, the Pirates had their first game at their newest stadium, PNC Park. As for now, the Pirates seem destined to live in the middle rankings.

San Diego Padres

On May 27 1968, San Diego was awarded a baseball franchise. Their first game was April 8 1969, in San Diego Stadium. The 1970s entertained some great acheivements. Several pitching and hitting acheivements were made, several no hitters and near-no hitters were made. In the mid-1970s, the Padres almost moved to the state of Washington, but Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds bought them and they stayed in San Diego.

The 1970s had some of the best individual acheivement for the Padres. Pitching especially was well honoured. Randy Jones received the 1976 Cy Young Award for the National League. Bob Owchinko and Gaylord Perry were also honoured pitchers. The 1980s were somewhat dull until 1984. In that year, they won the National League Pennant, coming from behind 3-0 against Chicago. They made it to the World Series for the first time, but lost four games to one against the Detroit Tigers.

The 1990s were actually very boring. Tony Gwynn was one of their best players, and regularly made it to the All-Stars Game. In 1994, Gwynn finished with a .394 batting average, one of the best since 1941. On May 28, 1995, the Padres tied a record with 9 runs in one inning. By 1995, the team made a dramatic, noticeable improvement from their 1994 season. In the 1995 season, they hit nine grand slams, a tie with Chicago in 1929. In 1998, they made it to the World Series for the second time, but lost to the powerful Yankees.

In 1999, Tony Gwynn hit his 3,000 career hit, which only a handful of players have done, he was the 22nd player to do this. In 2001 Gwynn played his last season, ending a long relationship with the Padres. The 2001 season and after has had some satisfactory acheivements, but the Padres have not done anything great lately. The greatest acheivement of the Padres lately was Dave Winfield being the first Padre to enter the Hall of Fame.

San Francisco Giants

In 1883, John B. Day and Jim Mutrie formed a team called the New York Gothams. Their first game was at a Polo yard on May 1. Day and Mutrie owned the American Association's New York Metropolitans team and managed to lure away some talent from the Metropolitans over to the Gothams. In 1885, Jim Murtie called his team 'the Giants' as a description of their performance. This became the team's new nickname.

After only five years, the Giants managed to win the 1888 World championship title by defeating the St Louis Browns. In 1889, the team was evicted from the Polo grounds because of the formation of the Players' League. They went around various fields until they went back to the Polo grounds in 1891. Their second World championship win in 1889 against the Boston Beaneaters started a long rivalry with the Boston club.

In 1892, the American Association League folded and two years later the National League had to pit two of its teams against each other⁵, the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Giants. Despite odds against them, the Giants swept the first place Orioles.

In 1902, after the American League formed and stole some talent, the Giants were desperate and horrible. They signed John McGraw as manager, who would lead the team for 29 years. He nurtured the pitching of Christy Matthewson, who would later become a Hall of Fame player. McGraw also made history with his work with Luther Taylor, who was deaf and mute. He had all of the players learn sign language, which was the origin of 'signs' in the game. Today, catchers and pitchers signal as well as managers signalling plays.

McGraw lured good players from the American League to help the Giants become a great team again. They rose to the top of the league in 1904 but refused to play in the newly formed World Series against the American League champion because they considered the American League a minor league team. In 1905, they agreed to play and defeated the Philadelphia Athletics easily. This was due in large part to the pitching of Christy Matthewson who allowed only 14 hits through the entire series.

In 1911, the Giants' Polo Grounds were destroyed by a fire. The Giants played at Hilltop Park while it was being rebuilt. The 1911 Giants won the Pennant, but lost to Philadelphia. In 1912, after the Polo Grounds were rebuilt, they won the Pennant but lost to the Red Sox. In 1913, the Giants earned their third straight Pennant, but lost for the third time straight to Philadelphia.

1916 saw an impressive 26 game winning streak for the Giants, and they won the Pennant again. Somehow, they lost to Chicago, their fourth straight World Series loss. In 1921, they won the World Series against the rival Yankees to end their World Series losing streak. This was also the first 'Subway Series', where two New York teams played in a World Series. When the Giants won, the Yankees, who were sharing the field facilities, were evicted from the Polo Grounds, leading to the construction of Yankee Stadium.

The 1920s were a hot season for the Giants. They won the 1922 World Series against the Yankees, but their New York neighbors won their first world Championship against the Giants in 1923. They lost the 1924 Series, but stayed at the top. In 1930, they set a league record with a team batting average of .319. The same year, Bill Terry set an astounding .401 average, which was a record.

In 1932, John McGraw gave up his title as manager, after several decades in the job. He completed one of the most prosperous periods of the team, and handed the reigns over to Bill Terry, who was the team's first baseman. The 1933 Giants won the World Series after a small slump. The later years of the 1930s were a bad decade for the National League. Time and time again, the Giants lost to the American League, losing the World Series.

In 1942, the manager role went to power hitter Mel Ott. The next season, he led the Giants to a miserable war-time record. After the war, in 1946 the new Mexican League lured some of the best Giants. In 1948, the manager became Leo Durocher who would lead the team to success. In 1949, the Giants integrated. Their first African American players were Monte Irvin and Hank Thompson.

Perhaps one of the most famous home runs ever 'The Shot Heard 'Round the World' was in 1951. The Giants were behind by 2 runs against Brooklyn. There were two runners on base and Bobby Thompson hit a three run home run, winning the Pennant for the Giants. The Giants advanced to the World Series, but narrowly lost the Championship to the Yankees. 1951 also saw the start of the legendary Willie Mays.

In 1954, Willie Mays led the Giants to a World Series, their first in a while. In 1957, the Giants decided to move to the San Francisco, following the Dodgers example, they were the second New York team to move to the West Coast. They officially moved in 1958, and San Francisco had a large parade to greet them at Seals Stadium. In 1960, they moved again, this time to a new stadium, the modern Candlestick Park.

The 1960s were a great time for Giants baseball. 1962 saw a dramatic, successful race for the World Series. Juan Marichal began to shine in 1963. Several important awards were won during the 1960s as well, including Willie Mays' second MVP in 1965 and Mike McCormick's Cy Young award in 1967.

In the 1970s, the Giants consistently lost the Pennant. However, many players had great acheivements, such as Player, Pitcher and Rookie of the year. In 1976, the Giants almost moved to Toronto, but a group led by Bob Lurie purchased the team to prevent a move.

The 1980s were a sudden change from good to bad. 1984 saw a season with 98 losses. However, 1984 also had a strange new development to attract interest. With many teams getting mascots, the Giants hopped on the bandwagon and adopted 'Crazy Crab' as their mascot. The only difference was that Crazy Crab was intended to be hated. The character was supposed to annoy fans and be hated. And it worked. But the Crab's appearances were cancelled when it worked too well and fans abused him. He didn't appear again the next season. In 1985, the season was worse with only nine wins.

The 1987 Giants did much better. Manager Roger Craig almost led the team to the World Series, but lost. After almost three decades, the Giants finally made it the World Series in 1989. They played against the Oakland Athletic (The A's), another team near San Francisco. This was the first San Francisco Bay Series. But in Game 3, about a half an hour before the game started, the stadium started to rumble. A 7.1 earthquake hit San Francisco and Candlestick park received some minor damage. The game was delayed ten days before play started again. The Giants lost the series to Oakland in seven games.

In 1992, the Giants were almost relocated to Florida, but a local group saved the team. They also attracted Barry Bonds to play for the Giants, a major acquisition. In 1993, the Giants played very well, and Bonds received a League MVP award, but they ended up as second place in the National League. 1994 had a players strike that made the season incomplete. The 1996 season was miserable, and the Giants lost 94 games. They came in last place. The best part of the season was that Barry Bonds joined the exclusive 300-300 club, having stolen at least 300 bases and hit 300 home runs. In 1997, some good trades were made and the Giants almost won a trip to the World Series. They made it to the playoffs in 1998, but again didn't get to the World Series.

In 1999, they didn't make it to the playoffs, but did get a new ballpark. 1999 was the last season in Candlestick Park. In 2000, they moved to Pacific Bell Park. The Giants still have promising players and a generally good team. Most wouldn't be surprised to see a World Series appearance soon.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Brown Stockings, nickamed the Browns were incorporated in 1876 as a National League team. After the first season, in 1877, owner John Lucas took his team out of professional baseball and into the amatuer leagues. In 1881, the team came back to the professional leagues as an American Association team and they performed very well. They moved to Sportsman's Park that year as well. From 1885, to 1888, they won four consecutive pennants. Their first World Championship came in 1886, when they defeated Chicago.

In 1892, the American Association folded and the Browns joined the National League. In 1893, they moved to the League Park in a on April 27. In 1898, the corporation owning the Browns went bankrupt and Frank and Stanley Robinson bought the team. In 1899, the team was renamed the Perfectos. They wore red uniforms, and sportwriter Willie McHale used the term A lovely shade of cardinal in his column. The nickname of the Cardinals was used by McHale, and in 1900, the nickname was adopted.

In 1902, an American league called the Browns moved to St Louis and took their old stadium. In 1914, the team finished in its highest National League place since 1877, finishing in third place. In 1920, Sam Breadon became the President of the club and helped the team out of financial difficulties. One of his decisions was to go back to the old Sportsmans Park and be tenants to their American League opponents, the Browns.

Around this time, Roger Hornsby became one of the greatest players of the team by finishing the 1924 season with a .424 batting average. In 1925, Hornsby became the manager of the club and helped find great players and bring the team out of more financial problems.

In 1926, the Cardinals made it to their first World Series and won. In 1928, the Cardinals made it to the World Series again, but lost to the Yankees, who were led by Babe Ruth. Again in 1930, they made it to the World Series, but lost. In 1931, they won their third World Championship in seven games. During the 1930s, the team built up a great roster, to create a group nicknamed the 'Gas House Gang'. They led the Cardinals to the 1934 Pennant and World Series win.

The late 1930s and early 1940s were played reasonably well but the seasons went by uneventfully. But in 1942, the Cardinals came from behind to win the Pennant and the World Series. The 1942 Cardinals are considered one of the best professional teams ever. They lost the championship to the Yankees in 1943, but won against the other St Louis team in 1944.