MLB History: American League Organizes as Major League
By David Hill
With a few challenges over the years, the National League was Major League Baseball through the turn of the century. On this day in 1901, the American League joined them as part of the Majors.
For the most part, at least through 1900, if a baseball player wanted to be a part of the MLB, they played in the National League. There were challenges from leagues like the Union Association or the Player’s League, but those were shortlived. The National League was the Majors, and if a player did not like their situation, they could go back to the minor leagues and stay there.
However, when Ban Johnson took over and reorganized the American League in 1900, his stated goal was to bring it to the same level as the National League. After spending that year as a minor league, Johnson and the ML made their move on this day in 1901. They formally organized as a Major League, adding teams in Boston and Philadelphia, despite National League teams already being located in those cities.
The American League wasn’t done. They began to sign players from the National League, establishing themselves as a true rival. Team rosters were capped at 14 players, with players bound to their teams for a maximum of five years, as desired by the Player’s Protective Association, an early form of the Player’s Union.
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Naturally, the National League did not take this well. There were several lawsuits designed to stop the American League from raiding their teams, and to attempt to keep them out of their cities. However, those attempts were for nought, as the American League not only held its ground, but flourished.
As the seasons went on, and the American League did not display any signs of slowing down, it became time for the two sides to come to an agreement. The first World Series, with the winners of the American and National League pennants, took place in 1903. Shortly thereafter, the two leagues came together due to the National Agreement.
With only a couple of challenges in the ensuing years, most notably by the Federal League, Major League Baseball would remain the same from that point on. There are still notable differences between the two leagues, primarily involving the usage of the designated hitter, but that period of animosity has faded away into history.
The National League ruled Major League Baseball until this day in 1901. On this day, the American League served notice that it would be a true threat to that monopoly.