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National League (baseball) facts for kids

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National League
MLB National League logo.svg
Sport Baseball
Founded February 2, 1876; 149 years ago (1876-02-02) in New York
Founder William Hulbert
Albert Spalding
President Bill Giles (honorary)
Divisions 3
No. of teams 15
Country
  • United States
Continent North America
Most recent
champion(s)		 Arizona Diamondbacks (2nd title)
Most titles Los Angeles Dodgers (24)

The National League (NL) is one of the two main groups of teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). It's the older of the two, starting way back on February 2, 1876. Because it's so old, people sometimes call it the Senior Circuit. The other group is the American League, which began 25 years later. Both the National League and American League currently have 15 teams each.

The National League faced many challenges from other baseball leagues in the late 1800s. Most of these rival leagues didn't last long. Some of their teams even joined the NL when their own leagues closed down. In 1901, the American League announced it was also a "major league." This led to a "baseball war" between 1901 and 1902. But soon, they made a "peace pact." This agreement meant they recognized each other as real major leagues. They also agreed to respect player contracts and let their champions play in a special series called the World Series. National League teams have won 51 of the 119 World Series played between 1903 and 2023.

For many years, teams in Major League Baseball mostly played against teams from their own league. This made the leagues develop slightly different ways of playing. The National League was seen as more "traditional." For example, the NL often used "smallball" tactics. Also, it didn't use the designated hitter rule, which the American League started in 1973. However, things have changed a lot. Players can now move between leagues more easily. Also, regular season games between the two leagues started in 1997. And in 2022, the NL finally adopted the designated hitter rule. Because of these changes, the way the two leagues play is now very similar.

Even though both leagues agreed to be led by a commissioner in 1920, they stayed separate businesses with their own leaders. This continued until after the 1999 season. Then, the National League officially joined with the American League under Major League Baseball. Now, MLB works much like other big sports leagues in North America. It just happens to have two "leagues" instead of "conferences."

History of the National League

How the National League Started

By 1875, the first professional baseball league, called the National Association, had problems. It didn't have strong control over its teams. Games weren't scheduled well, and teams often joined or left. One team, the Boston Red Stockings, was too dominant. Also, the fee to join was very low, so teams didn't always follow the rules.

William Hulbert, a businessman from Chicago, wanted to create a better baseball league. He was an officer for the Chicago White Stockings team. Hulbert wanted a league with stronger rules and only in bigger cities. He also had a personal reason: some of his star players were in trouble with the old league. So, Hulbert worked to create his own league. On February 2, 1876, the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs was formed in New York City. It started with eight teams:

  • The Chicago White Stockings (now the Chicago Cubs)
  • The Athletic Club of Philadelphia (later removed from the league)
  • The Boston Red Stockings (now the Atlanta Braves)
  • The Hartford Dark Blues (closed after 1877)
  • The Mutual Club of New York (later removed from the league)
  • The St. Louis Brown Stockings (closed after 1877)
  • The Cincinnati Reds (a new team, closed after 1879)
  • The Louisville Grays (a new team, closed after 1877)

The National League's creation meant the end of the old National Association. Its remaining teams either closed or became amateur teams.

The very first game in National League history was played on April 22, 1876. It was in Philadelphia, between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston team. Boston won the game 6–5.

The new league's power was quickly tested. After the first season, the Philadelphia and New York teams refused to travel for games. They preferred to play local teams to make more money. Hulbert showed his authority by removing these teams from the league. This shocked everyone, but it made it clear that teams had to follow the league's schedule.

The National League had only six teams in 1877 and 1878. Over the next few years, many teams joined and left. By 1880, six of the first eight teams had closed down. Only two original teams, Boston and Chicago, are still playing today as the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are the only team that has played continuously in the same city since the league started. In 1883, new teams from New York and Philadelphia joined. These teams are still in the NL today. The Philadelphia team is still the Philadelphia Phillies, and the New York team (later the Giants) is now the San Francisco Giants.

Facing Other Leagues

The National League met its first strong rival when the American Association started in 1882. The AA played in cities where the NL didn't have teams. They also allowed Sunday games and sold cheaper tickets (25 cents compared to the NL's 50 cents). The NL fought back by adding new teams in Philadelphia and New York in 1883, which were also AA cities.

The National League and American Association played a version of the World Series seven times. These early Series were not as organized as today's. The NL won four times, and the AA won only once.

Starting in 1887, the National League began taking teams from the American Association. This made the AA weaker. Other new leagues, like the Union Association (1884) and the Players' League (1890), also tried to compete. The Union Association lasted only one season. The Players' League was started by players who were unhappy with the NL's rules, like salary limits. Many star players left the NL to join the Players' League. But it also collapsed after one season. The NL then took in teams and players from these failed leagues.

Growing Bigger (1887–1899)

After the American Association closed in 1891, it merged with the NL. The NL then became known as the "National League and American Association." Teams like the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers (originally Brooklyn), Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals had already moved from the AA to the NL or joined with the merger.

So, the National League became a 12-team league. It was the only major baseball league for the rest of the 1890s. But the league had many problems. Player behavior was bad, with fights common during games. Players also argued with umpires and used bad language. One game in 1894 even led to a fire that destroyed many buildings in Boston. Team owners argued among themselves. Players hated the salary cap, which limited their pay. Many teams also had trouble with city rules that banned games on Sundays.

By 1900, fewer fans were coming to games. Many people were tired of the bad behavior.

Working with the American League

After being a 12-team league for eight seasons, the NL went back to eight teams for the 1900 season. It removed teams from Baltimore, Cleveland, Louisville, and Washington. This opened the door for new competition. Three of those cities got teams in the new American League (AL). The AL had been a minor league, but in 1901, it officially declared itself a second major league. The AL also had strict rules for player behavior.

At first, the National League didn't want to recognize the new league. But it soon became clear that having two leagues split the players and money, hurting both. After two years of arguments, a new agreement was signed in 1903. This agreement meant both leagues accepted each other as equals. They also agreed to respect player contracts and to play a championship series after the season: the World Series.

The National League stayed an eight-team league from 1900 to 1952. In 1953, the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee. In 1966, they moved again to Atlanta. In 1958, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants moved to Los Angeles and San Francisco. This brought major league baseball to the West Coast of the U.S. for the first time.

Changes to Divisions

The NL was an eight-team league for over 60 years. In 1962, the NL added two new teams: the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45s (later renamed the Houston Astros). In 1969, the league added the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals). This made it a 12-team league again, for the first time since 1899.

In 1969, because it had 12 teams, the National League was split into two divisions: the National League East and West. The winners of these divisions would then play in the National League Championship Series to decide who would go to the World Series.

In 1993, the league grew to 14 teams, adding the Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins (now the Miami Marlins). In 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks became the league's fifteenth team. Also, the Milwaukee Brewers moved from the American League to the NL. This gave the NL 16 teams for the next 15 seasons.

In 1994, the league was reorganized again into three divisions: East, West, and Central. A third round of playoffs was also added. The three division champions and a "wild card" team (the best second-place team) now play in the National League Division Series.

Before the 1998 season, both the American and National Leagues added a fifteenth team. To make scheduling easier, one team needed to move. So, the Milwaukee Brewers moved from the AL to the NL. This gave the National League 16 teams and the American League 14.

Starting in 2013, the Houston Astros moved from the National League to the American League. Now, both leagues have three divisions with five teams each.

The Designated Hitter Rule

The National League was known for being more "traditional." It didn't use the designated hitter (DH) rule until the shortened 2020 season. The American League had adopted the DH rule in 1973. This meant that in the NL, the pitcher had to bat, which often led to fewer home runs. Many thought this made the manager's job harder in the NL, as they had to think about both pitching and hitting when making changes.

The National League went back to its old batting rules for the 2021 season. But starting in 2022, they permanently adopted the designated hitter rule. This means pitchers no longer have to bat in either league.

Regular Season Games Between Leagues

For the first 96 years, National League teams only played American League teams in special games like the All-Star Game or the World Series. But starting in 1997, "interleague games" began during the regular season. These games count in the standings.

In 1999, the separate offices for the American and National League presidents were closed. All power went to the Commissioner's office. The leagues now have "honorary" presidents who do ceremonial things, like giving out trophies. Also, umpires are no longer split between the AL and NL; they all work for MLB. With these changes and interleague play, there are very few differences left between the two leagues.

In 2023, National League teams played 46 regular season interleague games against all 15 American League teams.

Champions

As of the end of the 2023 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won the most NL pennants (league championships), with 24. When playing against the American League in the World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals have won the most titles (11). The San Francisco Giants have won 8, the Dodgers 7, and the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds each have 5.

National League Teams

Here are the teams that have been part of the National League.

Original Teams (1876)

The eight teams that started the National League were:

Teams from 1878–1892

Many other teams joined and left the league during these years. Some of them were:

The "Classic Eight" Teams (1900-1952)

From 1900 to 1952, the National League had the same eight teams. All of these teams are still in the league today, though some have moved cities:

Changes and New Teams (1953–Present)

Current National League Teams

National League East

Shea Crowded
Shea Stadium before a New York Mets game in 2008.
  • Atlanta Braves: This is the oldest team in North American sports that has been playing continuously. They started in Boston, moved to Milwaukee (1953), and then to Atlanta (1966).
  • Miami Marlins: Started in 1993 as the Florida Marlins, changed to Miami Marlins in 2012.
  • New York Mets: Started in 1962.
  • Philadelphia Phillies: Started in 1883. They are the oldest team to continuously play in the same city with the same name in American professional sports.
  • Washington Nationals: Started in 1969 as the Montreal Expos. They moved to Washington, D.C., in 2005.

National League Central

  • Chicago Cubs: Started in 1870. They are the oldest continuously active team in its original city in Major League Baseball. They joined the National League in 1876.
  • Cincinnati Reds: Started in 1882 in the American Association, then joined the National League in 1890.
  • Milwaukee Brewers: Started in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots in the American League. They moved to Milwaukee in 1970 and then to the National League in 1998.
  • Pittsburgh Pirates: Started in 1882 in the American Association, then joined the National League in 1887.
  • St. Louis Cardinals: Started in 1882 in the American Association, then joined the National League in 1892.

National League West

National League Presidents

Morgan G Bulkeley
Morgan Bulkeley, the first president of the National League
Key
dagger Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
Name Year(s) Ref(s)
Bulkeley, MorganMorgan Bulkeleydagger 1876
Hulbert, WilliamWilliam Hulbertdagger 1877–1882
Soden, ArthurArthur Soden 1882
Mills, Abraham G.Abraham G. Mills 1883–1884
Young, NicholasNicholas Young 1885–1902
Pulliam, HarryHarry Pulliam 1903–1909
Heydler, JohnJohn Heydler 1909
Lynch, ThomasThomas Lynch 1910–1913
Tener, John K.John K. Tener 1913–1918
Heydler, JohnJohn Heydler 1918–1934
Frick, FordFord Frickdagger 1934–1951
Giles, WarrenWarren Gilesdagger 1951–1969
Feeney, ChubChub Feeney 1970–1986
Giamatti, A. BartlettA. Bartlett Giamatti 1986–1989
White, BillBill White 1989–1994
Coleman, Jr., Leonard S.Leonard S. Coleman, Jr. 1994–1999

Honorary President

After the 1999 season, the American and National Leagues joined with Major League Baseball. The job of league president was removed. In 2001, Bill Giles was named the honorary president of the NL. Honorary presidents only do special jobs, like giving out championship trophies.

See also

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