World Series

World Series refers to the final of the U.S. professional baseball leagues. In the World Series meet annually in October, the winner of the National League and the American League each other. The winner of the World Series is not only American Baseball Champion, but is considered due to the prominent position of the MLB as the world's best team. Once the most important national sporting event in the United States, the series is now back behind the Super Bowl of American football.

History

The first World Series was held in 1903, initially as a supposedly unique arrangement between the two previously warring leagues in the form of a best-of -nine series. Winner of the first clash were the Boston Red Sox, champions of the American League, by a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Since 1905, the World Series is held annually.

1919 sparked a prearranged series, in which players could buy her loss of bookmakers, a notorious scandal of today, the "Black Sox Scandal " - the team was actually purchased the Chicago White Sox. Betting were then severely restricted and all the players involved were banned for life.

1994 eliminated the World Series because the players' union in strike came against the club owners and therefore the season was canceled in August.

Mode and Schedule

The World Series is a best - of-seven series, that is, the first team to win four out of a maximum of seven games, is the winner; other games are no longer played. Only in the years 1903 and 1919 to 1921 was played in best-of -nine - mode, ie until 5 victory of either team.

The games are scheduled for a period of nine days. First two games take place in the home of one of the two teams, then up to three in the stadium of the other; then even if it is established no winners, find the maximum of two remaining games again instead of the first stadium. Up to and including 2006, the games from Saturday found up to Sunday of the following week instead ( with open Monday and Friday as a travel day between the venues ); since 2007 is started on a Wednesday. The leagues alternated year until 2003 from when it comes to the venue where the first games; since the first home right goes to the one league that has the MLB All- Star Game, an annual game in which a selection of the best players in each league compete against each won.

Due to the different handling of the Designated Hitter rule of the two leagues - the American League allowed on the offensive for the pitcher ( pitcher ) a so-called Designated Hitter (spare batsman ) are used in the National League, this is not allowed - had for the World Series, a compromise has to be closed. This provides since 1986, that in each case, the rules of the home stadium; in an American League stadium so is with, played in a stadium of a national league teams without designated hitter. From 1975 to 1985, it was played in even-numbered years, with a designated hitter, in odd years without. The rule has been introduced in the American League in 1973, until 1975 the World Series was played, however, generally without a designated hitter.

Special

Until 1997, teams from the National League and the American could only meet in the World Series, since there was already in the regular season Inter League games, so games between the leagues.

If, during the World Series to the fact that exactly opposite, the two New York teams as finalists, and consequently all the games on the subway, so the New York subway can be reached, then one speaks of the " Subway Series ". This event was for the last time in 2000.

The often-heard claim that the name of the series go back to the newspaper The New York World, which was the first World Series aligned early 20th century, or at least sponsored, has proven to be a legend; such sponsorship did not exist, the name is so well understood as a "world championship", although now plays alongside the U.S. team only one Canadian team in the participating leagues ( 1977 to 2004 there were two Canadian teams). Previously there were only two Canadian victories, in 1992 and 1993 each won the Toronto Blue Jays.

In baseball successes of the professional club teams are the focus of interest, country selections, however, not (as opposed to eg football). Since 2006, this so-called World Baseball Classics, an unofficial world championship of the best national teams in the world. In the sweeps in 2006 and 2009 respectively Japan was able to prevail in 2013 won the Dominican Republic.