Major League Baseball (MLB) | History, Teams, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

What is the oldest MLB team? ›

The Cincinnati Red Stockings made their mark as the first openly professional baseball club in 1869. Members of the team would go on to form a club that still plays ball today, the Atlanta Braves.

The 30 teams in MLB are divided into two leagues: American and National. Each league is divided into three divisions: East, Central, West. Since the 2013 season, each division has had five teams.

From 1901 to 1960, the American and National Leagues fielded eight teams apiece. In the 1960s, MLB expansion added eight teams, including the first non-U.S. team (the Montreal Expos).

After the season, Veeck cut a deal with Miles to move the Browns to Baltimore. Under the plan, Veeck would remain as principal owner, but would sell half of his 80% stake to a group of Baltimore investors headed by Miles.

In a way, it's also the story of professional baseball in America. In fact, the franchise that started as the Boston Red Stockings in the 1870s and is now known as the Atlanta Braves is the only one of today's 30 Major League franchises to have fielded a team every season professional baseball has been in existence.

Fenway Park

Boston's professional baseball stadium is home to the infamous Green Monster. That's the nickname for the nearly 40-foot-high left-field wall in Fenway Park, the oldest major league ballpark still in use by a professional team. The Boston Red Sox have called Fenway home since it opened in 1912.

There are 8 states that have more than one MLB team (California, with 5; Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Texas, all with 2 each).

The Philadelphia Phillies have the most losses, with 11,280, while the Tampa Bay Rays have the fewest, with 2,133. With 22,161 games played, the Chicago Cubs have played more games than any other MLB club. Conversely, Tampa Bay has played the fewest (4,176).

The NFL settled it by having Modell turn the Browns' franchise back in, and then gave him a new one to move the organization and form the Baltimore Ravens. This had the effect of keeping the history of the Cleveland Browns continuous, once the NFL sold the franchise to new owners in Cleveland.

What team was originally the Montreal Expos? ›

The Nationals have won one World Series and one NL pennant (both 2019). Headquarters: Washington, D.C. The franchise was based in Montreal and known as the Expos (after Expo 67, the world's fair held in the city in 1967) for the first 36 years of its existence.

The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee Braves). Then in 1966 they were relocated to Atlanta, where they were renamed the Atlanta Braves.

The original teams of the National League were the Boston Red Stockings (now the Atlanta Braves), Chicago White Stockings (now the Chicago Cubs), Cincinnati Red Stockings (now the Cincinnati Reds), Hartford Dark Blues, Louisville Grays, Mutual of New York, Philadelphia Athletics, and the St.

Count the three-time Cy Young Award-winning Verlander among the many human beings cheering for someone to sign the 44-year-old Hill. If no one does, with the retirements of Nelson Cruz and Adam Wainwright, it's Verlander who will stand as the oldest active MLB player.

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Arizona Diamondbacks are the current youngest MLB teams as they were both established in 1998.