[MrNFL_FanIQ]

While scholars still debate many of the finer details, the mid 19th century is generally thought to have been when what would become baseball started to develop. Following the American Civil War, professional clubs and leagues started appearing sporadically regionally across North America. However, most of these leagues lacked cohesion and organization. But it was starting to become clear to government and business leaders across the United States and Canada that professional baseball had the potential to be a massive financial and cultural success.


Towards the end of the 1800s, four true regional “Major Leagues” began to take hold and stabilize as entities: the Eastern League, the Midwest League, the Southern League, and the Western League. But still, the formats and structures for each would fluctuate each season. Despite this, the general population began flocking to ballparks and it became clear that the people wanted baseball.


Leaders representing each league began meeting regularly to try to unify the leagues and create a structure and framework they could all work and thrive under. Naturally, the deliberations were fraught with disagreements and bickering, But progress was gradually made on how to work together and how to grow the great game of baseball.


By the end of the century, two separate Associations were formed. The National Association; made up of the Eastern and Midwest Leagues; and the American Association; with the Southern and Western Leagues. The Associations eventually created Major League Baseball as the unifying sanctioning body. Each league would have 12 teams and 12 “affiliates” in a separate minor league. There would be an amateur draft annually, drawing from the growing collegiate baseball world which had announced the first “College World Series” for 1901. And there would be free agency and player trading as well. One key difference between the Associations would be the AA’s use of the designated hitter rule.


The regular season schedule would be 162 games with each Association being self-contained. The initial postseason format would be the first and second place finishers from each league advancing. The league champion would host the second place finisher from the other league in their Association in a best-of-five with the champ having home-field for the entire series. The winners advance to a best-of-seven Association Championship and those champions move to a best-of-seven MLB championship; later dubbed the “World Series.” The inaugural season under this framework would be in 1901.