American League
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| Current season | MLB 2019 |
| sport | baseball |
| abbreviation | AL |
| Association | Major League Baseball |
| League foundation | 1901 |
| Teams | 15th |
| Country countries |
 United States Canada
|
| Title holder |
 Houston Astros
|
| Record champions |
 New York Yankees (40)
|
The American League is next to the National League one of two leagues in the US Professional Baseball League Major League Baseball . It emerged from the Western League in 1899 and has been considered a major league since 1901. The winners of the National League and American League have been competing for the World Series since 1903 .
History and teams
From its founding as the Major League in 1901, eight teams fought for the title. All eight teams are still active in this league today, but a large number of changes of location and renaming have taken place:
They are still active in the city of origin
But they also count as founding members
- original Baltimore Orioles , from 1903 New York Highlanders, from 1913 New York Yankees (record champions),
- Milwaukee Brewers, from 1902 St. Louis Browns, from 1954 Baltimore Orioles ,
- Philadelphia Athletics, from 1955 Kansas City Athletics, since 1968 Oakland Athletics , as well
- Washington Senators (or Nationals), Minnesota Twins from 1961 .
The multiple identical names easily cause confusion, especially since the teams usually "keep" the previous story (such as the championship title) despite moving and renaming.
Fifteen teams have been playing in the American League since 1977 through various replenishment movements. The so-called expansion teams are the
- Los Angeles Angels (1961–1965 and since 2015), California Angels (1965–1996), Anaheim Angels (1997–2004), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005–2015),
- Washington Senators (1961–1971), Texas Rangers since 1971
- Kansas City Royals (since 1969),
- Seattle Mariners (since 1977),
- Toronto Blue Jays (since 1977, only Canadian team in the American League) and
- Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2007), since 2007 Tampa Bay Rays .
In the year of the most recent addition in 1998, the Milwaukee Brewers , founded in 1969 as Seattle Pilots , became the first and so far only team to move from the American to the National League, among other things to ensure an even number of teams in each league.
In 2013, the Houston Astros , founded in 1962 as the Houston Colt .45s , became the first and so far only team to switch from the National League (Central Division) to the American League (Western Division) to equalize the number of teams in both leagues.
Championships
The record champions are the New York Yankees with 40 titles.
1969 until today
Since 1969 the championship has been held in so-called divisions. The selected according to geographic criteria or East- West Division determined to 1993 each have a Division winner, then in the C hampionship S eries ( ALCS played off the master of AL).
Since 1994 the game has been in three divisions (East, Central and West). The three division winners and the best second (so-called. Wild-card) then determine on a semi-final ( D ivision S eries , ALDS ) and finals (Championship Series) the title holder. For the respective results of the ALDS see World Series .
| year | Winner AL | title | Loser ALCS | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Baltimore Orioles | 3 | Minnesota Twins | 3 - 0 |
| 1970 | Baltimore Orioles | 4th | Minnesota Twins | 3 - 0 |
| 1971 | Baltimore Orioles | 5 | Oakland Athletics | 3 - 0 |
| 1972 | Oakland Athletics | 10 | Detroit Tigers | 3 - 2 |
| 1973 | Oakland Athletics | 11 | Baltimore Orioles | 3 - 2 |
| 1974 | Oakland Athletics | 12 | Baltimore Orioles | 3 - 1 |
| 1975 | Boston Red Sox | 9 | Oakland Athletics | 3 - 0 |
| 1976 | New York Yankees | 30th | Kansas City Royals | 3 - 2 |
| 1977 | New York Yankees | 31 | Kansas City Royals | 3 - 2 |
| 1978 | New York Yankees | 32 | Kansas City Royals | 3 - 1 |
| 1979 | Baltimore Orioles | 6th | California Angels | 3 - 1 |
| 1980 | Kansas City Royals | 1 | New York Yankees | 3 - 0 |
| 1981 | New York Yankees | 33 | Oakland Athletics | 3 - 0 |
| 1982 | Milwaukee Brewers | 1 | California Angels | 3 - 2 |
| 1983 | Baltimore Orioles | 7th | Chicago White Sox | 3 - 1 |
| 1984 | Detroit Tigers | 9 | Kansas City Royals | 3 - 0 |
| 1985 | Kansas City Royals | 2 | Toronto Blue Jays | 4 - 3 |
| 1986 | Boston Red Sox | 10 | California Angels | 4 - 3 |
| 1987 | Minnesota Twins | 5 | Detroit Tigers | 4 - 1 |
| 1988 | Oakland Athletics | 13 | Boston Red Sox | 4 - 0 |
| 1989 | Oakland Athletics | 14th | Toronto Blue Jays | 4 - 1 |
| 1990 | Oakland Athletics | 15th | Boston Red Sox | 4 - 0 |
| 1991 | Minnesota Twins | 6th | Toronto Blue Jays | 4 - 1 |
| 1992 | Toronto Blue Jays | 1 | Oakland Athletics | 4 - 2 |
| 1993 | Toronto Blue Jays | 2 | Chicago White Sox | 4 - 2 |
| 1994 | not held after players' strike | |||
| 1995 | Cleveland Indians | 4th | Seattle Mariners | 4 - 2 |
| 1996 | New York Yankees | 34 | Baltimore Orioles * | 4 - 1 |
| 1997 | Cleveland Indians | 5 | Baltimore Orioles | 4 - 2 |
| 1998 | New York Yankees | 35 | Cleveland Indians | 4 - 2 |
| 1999 | New York Yankees | 36 | Boston Red Sox * | 4 - 1 |
| 2000 | New York Yankees | 37 | Seattle Mariners * | 4 - 2 |
| 2001 | New York Yankees | 38 | Seattle Mariners | 4 - 1 |
| 2002 | Anaheim Angels * | 1 | Minnesota Twins | 4 - 1 |
| 2003 | New York Yankees | 39 | Boston Red Sox * | 4 - 3 |
| 2004 | Boston Red Sox * | 11 | New York Yankees | 4 - 3 |
| 2005 | Chicago White Sox | 6th | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | 4 - 1 |
| 2006 | Detroit Tigers * | 10 | Oakland Athletics | 4 - 0 |
| 2007 | Boston Red Sox | 12 | Cleveland Indians | 4 - 3 |
| 2008 | Tampa Bay Rays | 1 | Boston Red Sox * | 4 - 3 |
| 2009 | New York Yankees | 40 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | 4 - 2 |
| 2010 | Texas Rangers | 1 | New York Yankees * | 4 - 2 |
| 2011 | Texas Rangers | 2 | Detroit Tigers | 4 - 2 |
| 2012 | Detroit Tigers | 11 | New York Yankees | 4 - 0 |
| 2013 | Boston Red Sox | 13 | Detroit Tigers | 4 - 2 |
| 2014 | Kansas City Royals | 3 | Baltimore Orioles | 4 - 0 |
| 2015 | Kansas City Royals | 4th | Toronto Blue Jays | 4 - 2 |
| 2016 | Cleveland Indians | 6th | Toronto Blue Jays | 4 - 1 |
| 2017 | Houston Astros | 1 | New York Yankees * | 4 - 3 |
* Winner of the wild card
The following overview shows the team's title wins over the past 42 years. As in the overall statistics, the New York Yankees are the undisputed leader. According to this, the league is relatively balanced: Only one of the current 14 teams remained without a title during this time (Seattle Mariners, loser in the ALCS in 1995, 2000 and 2001). With Tampa Bay and Texas in 2008 and 2010 previously unsuccessful teams won their first title.
Overview
| team | Title number
since 1969 |
Title number
total |
Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 11 | 40 | 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009 |
| Oakland Athletics | 6th | 15th | 1972, 1973, 1974, 1988, 1989, 1990 |
| Boston Red Sox | 5 | 13 | 1975, 1986, 2004, 2007, 2013 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 5 | 7th | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1979, 1983 |
| Kansas City Royals | 4th | 4th | 1980, 1985, 2014 , 2015 |
| Detroit Tigers | 3 | 11 | 1984, 2006, 2012 |
| Cleveland Indians | 3 | 6th | 1995, 1997, 2016 |
| Minnesota Twins | 2 | 6th | 1987, 1991 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 2 | 2 | 1992, 1993 |
| Texas Rangers | 2 | 2 | 2010 , 2011 |
| Chicago White Sox | 1 | 6th | 2005 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 1 | 1 | 1982 (meanwhile in NL , there without a title) |
| LA Angels of Anaheim | 1 | 1 | 2002 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 1 | 1 | 2008 |
| Houston Astros | 1 + (1) | 1 + (1) | 2017+ (2005 in the NL ) |
Game operation
American League venues. Divisions:  West,  Central,  East. |
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Since 1994, gaming operations have been divided into three divisions (geographically East, Central and West).
With the addition of Tampa Bay in 1998, the last change in assignment within the American League was necessary: Detroit was transferred from the Eastern to the Central Division after the Milwaukee Brewers moved to the National League .
Most recently, the Houston Astros moved from the National League (Central Division) to the American League (Western Division) in 2013 .
The following overviews show the positions of the teams since then.
Eastern Division
| American League East 1998-2018 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| year | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4th | 5. |
| 1998 | NYY | BOS | GOAL | BAL | TB |
| 1999 | NYY | BOS | GOAL | BAL | TB |
| 2000 | NYY | BOS | GOAL | BAL | TB |
| 2001 | NYY | BOS | GOAL | BAL | TB |
| 2002 | NYY | BOS | GOAL | BAL | TB |
| 2003 | NYY | BOS | GOAL | BAL | TB |
| 2004 | NYY | BOS | BAL | TB | GOAL |
| 2005 | NYY | BOS | GOAL | BAL | TB |
| 2006 | NYY | GOAL | BOS | BAL | TB |
| 2007 | BOS | NYY | GOAL | BAL | TB |
| 2008 | TB | BOS | NYY | GOAL | BAL |
| 2009 | NYY | BOS | TB | GOAL | BAL |
| 2010 | TB | NYY | BOS | GOAL | BAL |
| 2011 | NYY | TB | BOS | GOAL | BAL |
| 2012 | NYY | BAL | TB | GOAL | BOS |
| 2013 | BOS | TB | BAL | NYY | GOAL |
| 2014 | BAL | NYY | GOAL | TB | BOS |
| 2015 | GOAL | NYY | BAL | TB | BOS |
| 2016 | BOS | BAL | GOAL | NYY | TB |
| 2017 | BOS | NYY | TB | GOAL | BAL |
| 2018 | BOS | NYY | TB | GOAL | BAL |
Central Division
| American League Central 1998-2017 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| year | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4th | 5. |
| 1998 | CLE | CHI | KAN | MIN | DET |
| 1999 | CLE | CHI | DET | KAN | MIN |
| 2000 | CHI | CLE | DET | KAN | MIN |
| 2001 | CLE | MIN | CHI | DET | KAN |
| 2002 | MIN | CHI | CLE | KAN | DET |
| 2003 | MIN | CHI | KAN | CLE | DET |
| 2004 | MIN | CHI | CLE | DET | KAN |
| 2005 | CHI | CLE | MIN | DET | KAN |
| 2006 | MIN | DET | CHI | CLE | KAN |
| 2007 | CLE | DET | MIN | CHI | KAN |
| 2008 | CHI | MIN | CLE | KAN | DET |
| 2009 | MIN | DET | CHI | CLE | KAN |
| 2010 | MIN | CHI | DET | CLE | KAN |
| 2011 | DET | CLE | CHI | KAN | MIN |
| 2012 | DET | CHI | KAN | CLE | MIN |
| 2013 | DET | CLE | KAN | MIN | CHI |
| 2014 | DET | KAN | CLE | CHI | MIN |
| 2015 | KAN | MIN | CLE | CHI | DET |
| 2016 | CLE | DET | KAN | CHI | MIN |
| 2017 | CLE | MIN | KAN | CHI | DET |
| 2018 | CLE | MIN | KAN | CHI | DET |
Western Division
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Oakland Athletics
- Seattle Mariners
- Texas Rangers
- Houston Astros (from 2013)
| American League West 1998-2017 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| year | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4th | 5. |
| 1998 | TEX | LAA | SEA | OAK | |
| 1999 | TEX | OAK | SEA | LAA | |
| 2000 | OAK | SEA | LAA | TEX | |
| 2001 | SEA | OAK | LAA | TEX | |
| 2002 | OAK | LAA | SEA | TEX | |
| 2003 | OAK | SEA | LAA | TEX | |
| 2004 | LAA | OAK | TEX | SEA | |
| 2005 | LAA | OAK | TEX | SEA | |
| 2006 | OAK | LAA | TEX | SEA | |
| 2007 | LAA | SEA | OAK | TEX | |
| 2008 | LAA | TEX | OAK | SEA | |
| 2009 | LAA | TEX | SEA | OAK | |
| 2010 | TEX | OAK | LAA | SEA | |
| 2011 | TEX | LAA | OAK | SEA | |
| 2012 | OAK | TEX | LAA | SEA | |
| 2013 | OAK | TEX | LAA | SEA | HOU |
| 2014 | LAA | OAK | SEA | HOU | TEX |
| 2015 | TEX | HOU | LAA | SEA | OAK |
| 2016 | TEX | SEA | HOU | LAA | OAK |
| 2017 | HOU | LAA | SEA | TEX | OAK |
| 2018 | HOU | LAA | SEA | TEX | OAK |
Rule difference to the National League
There is a difference in baseball rules between the leagues . In the American League, the pitcher only needs to be used on the defensive since 1973. An additional batsman, the so-called designated hitter (DH), beats him in the American League .
In contrast, in the National League the pitcher must also be used as a batsman.
| American League |
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| National League |
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