1. 1900–1909
-Sports in the United States grew up and matured in this decade.
-Sports became a social force used by leaders and politicians.
-Sports became a marketing device for businesses and the media.
-Sports entered into the public mainstream in ways only dreamed of years before and helped shape American national identity.

2. Baseball
1901 – American League is formed by Bancroft “Ban” Johnson.
Made up of 8 original teams: (Baltimore Orioles, Boston Americans, Chicago White Stockings, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Athletics, and the Washington Senators)
The initiation of a Championship between the two leagues winners called the “World Series,” began in 1903.

3. ‘YANKEES’. The Yankees are Born
The AL gained consent for a team in NYC. Frank J. Ferrell and William S. Devery were these original owners.
The Baltimore franchise moved to Hilltop Park in northern Manhattan in 1903.
The Highlanders operated out of Hilltop Park for 10 years before moving to the Polo Grounds and renaming themselves the
‘YANKEES’.

4. 1903 – 1st World Series VS. NL Champion – Pittsburgh Pirates
led by batting champion Honus Wagner
VS.
AL Champion – Boston American League Baseball Club
AKA: The Boston Americans (with a roster including Cy Young)
Deciding game between the National and American leagues in 1903

5. 1903 – 1st World Series Best of 9 series
The Pirate’s fielder Jimmy Sebring hits the first WS home run
In Game 5 Boston hit 5 ground-rule triples due to an overflow crowd that had spilled onto the field
AL Boston Americans win the first WS in 8 games
*1904 WS threatened to be cancelled if the NL’s Champion NY Giants were to play the AL’s Champion NY Highlanders (later known as the Yankees)*. This occurred anyway as the Boston Americans won the AL pennant and the NL’s champion NY Giants claimed the AL Champion was inferior.

6. The ‘Brush Rules’ of Baseball - 1904
Named after NY Giants owner John T. Brush
10% of all gross revenues from the WS would go to the National Commission
2 teams would split 40% of the remaining gross, but only from the first 4 games of the series
(This ensured that players did not “fix” games in order to make more money by playing an extended series)
The winning team received 3/4 of the money, the losers earned 1/4
Management of the 2 clubs would split the remaining money

7. The ‘Brush Rules’ of Baseball - 1904
Under the Brush Rules a lottery system determined the host team for the first 3 games of the WS, and if a 7th game became necessary as the National Commission held the power to decide where to hold that game.
Also under this system, the WS is born, 2 league champions MUST play to determine an overall champion.

8. World Series Continued…
Christy Mathewson’s
New York Giants of the National League
1905
Vs.
Philadelphia Athletics of the American League
1906
NL Chicago Cubs
Vs.
AL Chicago White Sox
The Chicago Cubs dynasty made it to 5 WS in a row winning 3
1907
NL Chicago Cubs
Vs.
Ty Cobb’s Detroit Tigers
1908
NL Chicago Cubs
Vs.
Ty Cobb’s Detroit Tigers, AGAIN
1909
NL Chicago Cubs
Vs.
Ty Cobb’s Detroit Tigers, yet AGAIN!!!
Winning Team is Underlined

9. Fred Merkle's Bone Head Play
On September 23 McGraw's Giants played against Chance's Cubs in New York
In the bottom of the 9th inning with the score tied, rookie Giant 1st baseman Fred Merkle singled to right field with two outs and a runner on first. The next batter, singled to centerfield, scoring the man from 3rd. When Merkle saw him cross the plate, he headed for the Giant clubhouse in center field.
Cub’s second baseman saw that Merkle had not gone on to touch 2nd (as required by the rules), he called for the ball, tagged second, and appealed to umpire Bob Emslie, who did not see whether Merkle had actually touched 2nd. He appealed to home-plate umpire Hank O'Day, who granted the appeal and called Merkle out due to the force play.

10. Race in Baseball
The 1900s marked the second decade of African American exclusion from major-league baseball.
Negro Baseball League’s saw the rise of black entrepreneurship and continued success in team formation and level and skill of play.
Andrew “Rube” Foster created the barnstorming model from 1907–10, which would successfully establish him as the leading entrepreneur in black baseball.

11. Race in Baseball
In 1909 Foster and his Leland Giants gained an opportunity to play an exhibition series against the National League's Chicago Cubs after winning their league title.
They lost the series, but equality in sports was certainly on the horizon.
Foster proceeded to put together what he considered the finest team ever assembled for the following season.
There is no record of any white major-league teams lining up to play against this 1910 team, which was loaded with players respected by their white peers as great players.

12. Major League Baseball Divisions 2016
NL East Atlanta Braves Miami Marlins New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Washington Nationals
NL Central
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins 
AL West
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
Houston Astros

13. Timeline of Major League Baseball
The 1st line is the formation chart linked below is of the National League in 1876, while
the 2nd is the transformation of the American League to a major league in 1901.
The 3rd line is the beginning of the expansion era in All are linked below:
Dead-ball era Live-ball era
Relocation of the 1950s–1960s Expansion Years (1993 · 1998)