At the time of writing, there are 30 teams in Major League Baseball. These are divided into two leagues: 14 in the American, 16 in the National. Each league is further cut into Eastern, Central, and Western Divisions.

The only major difference between the two leagues is the use of the 'designated hitter,' or 'DH;' the National Leauge doesn't use one. The DH bats for the pitcher. Usually he's a good hitter, but not very good as a fielder. Theoretically, he speeds up the game by keeping the pitcher rested between innings, but mostly the DH exists to add more homerun excitement. Baseball purists argue that the DH is unneccessary, but advocates enjoy the extra pop in the lineup.

A Year of Baseball

Real fans know that baseball begins in March. Teams pack up their equipment and head south for spring training in either Florida or Arizona. Spring training helps players prepare mentally and physically for the season, and also allows managers to look at up-and-coming prospects and newly acquired players. Then a couple of exhibition games are played in other countries, and the season begins in earnest.

Every team plays 162 games from April through September. Most of these games are played within their respective leagues, but for three weeks every season, teams play interleague games. This sets up more state and city rivalries between teams like San Francisco and Oakland, and the Cubs and White Sox.

An All-Star game is played at the mid-point of every season, usually the second weekend in July. This is the time for the best players in each league to compete against each other in a fun, family oriented atmosphere. The starters for the All-Star game are elected by the fans; back up players are selected by the managers of the two World Series teams from the previous year. All the other players get three days off. It's considered a great honor for a player to be selected to the All-Star game.

At the end of the season, four teams from each league enter the playoffs. The four teams consist of the leader of each division plus a 'wild card' team with the best non-leading record. Brackets are drawn up and teams are eliminated until the two best teams from each league meet in the World Series in October.

Baseball stops during the winter months. Most players spend time with their families, but some play winter ball in tropical climates to keep themselves honed. The off-season is also the time for teams to trade players and sign free-agents. If a team thinks it's weak in pitching, they'll trade a couple of minor-leaguers¹ for a proven starter. If they need a strong bat in the line-up, a veteran could be picked up off the market. This helps them get prepared for next season.