BJ's life with Baseball
My whole life I have played and watched baseball. My playing days including many years on a Little League team, Junior High School team, JV team and four years playing at the varsity level in High School, Babe Ruth Leagues, American Legion baseball and one year on the UVM baseball team in college. In Florida, I played four years (and also managed a team) in the Stan Musial League. Also, I had over ten years of slow pitch softball and over twenty years I was a season ticket holder for spring training for the Marlins, Expos and finally the Nationals. That is lots of baseball.
When I first retired from my job after 34 years, I generated a spreadsheet containing information on my life. I called it BJ Facts. For example, there were 48 states when I was born and at two years old, we went to 50. There have been seven Popes in my life so far but only one British Monarch. I did have a column for World Series winners each year; it was the Milwaukee Braves the year I was born in 1957.
Then I got to thinking about how MLB has changed throughout my life. There are currently 30 teams, 15 in the American League and 15 in the National League. Each League has three Divisions with 5 teams: East, Central, and West. What was it like when I was born?
When I was born, here were two Leagues (American and National) and no Divisions. Each League had 8 teams for a total of 16 teams. MLB has almost doubled the number of teams in my life.
When I first retired from my job after 34 years, I generated a spreadsheet containing information on my life. I called it BJ Facts. For example, there were 48 states when I was born and at two years old, we went to 50. There have been seven Popes in my life so far but only one British Monarch. I did have a column for World Series winners each year; it was the Milwaukee Braves the year I was born in 1957.
Then I got to thinking about how MLB has changed throughout my life. There are currently 30 teams, 15 in the American League and 15 in the National League. Each League has three Divisions with 5 teams: East, Central, and West. What was it like when I was born?
When I was born, here were two Leagues (American and National) and no Divisions. Each League had 8 teams for a total of 16 teams. MLB has almost doubled the number of teams in my life.
American League:
- New York Yankees
- Chicago White Sox
- Boston Red Sox
- Detroit Tigers
- Baltimore Orioles
- Cleveland Indians
- Kansas City Athletics
- Washington Senators
National League:
- St Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Chicago Cubs
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Milwaukee Braves
- Brooklyn Dodgers
- Cincinnati Redlegs
- New York Giants
The teams in Bold still exist today with the same name and in the same city. The farthest west team was Kansas City. Then, the year I turned 1 (1958), the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, and the Giants moved from New York to San Francisco, where they remain today.
In 1959 (now I am 2), the Redlegs became, and still are, the Reds of Cincinnati.
In 1961 (now I am 4), the American League added two teams, the Los Angeles Angels and the Minnesota Twins.
In 1962 (now I am 5), the National League added two teams, the Houston Colt .45s and the New York Mets.
In 1965 (now I am 8), the Los Angeles Angels became the California Angels. The Houston Astros replaced the Colts .45s, I guess a team named after a gun was not going to last.
In 1966 (now I am 9), the Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta, where they remain today.
In 1968 (now I am 11), the Athletics moved from Kansas City to Oakland, where they remain today.
In 1969 (now I am 12), man landed on the moon and each league added two more teams. Now there are 24 teams, a 50% increase from when I was born. The new teams include:
In 1972 (now I am 15), the Washington Senators move to Texas and become the Rangers.
In 1977 (now I am 20 and at UVM), the American League adds two more teams:
In 1998 (now I am 41), the Milwaukee Brewers switch from the AL to the NL. The AL add the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The NL add the Arizona Diamondbacks. Now there are 30 teams but the AL has only 14 and the NL has 16.
In 2005 (now I am 48), the Montreal Expos are sold and become the Washington Nationals. I was a spring season holder for the Expos and keep my three seats on the home team dugout for the Nationals. Also, the Angels are renamed from Anaheim to Los Angeles.
In 2008 (now I am 51), the Tampa Bay Devil Rays become just the Tampa Bay Rays. Some kind of exorcism, but the team actually plays in St. Petersburg at Tropicana Field.
In 2012 (now I am 55 and starting to think about retirement), the Florida Marlins become the Miami Marlins.
In 2013 (now I am 56), the Houston Astros switch from the NL to the AL. Each League now has 15 teams, 5 each in the East, Central and West Divisions.
In 2014 (now I am 57), I do retire and I get to throw out the first pitch at a game between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros.
Now it is 2018, and the postseason for the current year has begun. Two Divisions had a tie so a tie-breaker was played to see who got to be Division winners. The losing two teams got to play the wild card game to decide the fourth team for the playoffs. Getting too complicated. The four teams play a best of 5 series and those two winners play a best of 7 series to see who wins the League. Those two teams play in the World Series.
The year I was born, the two seasonal winners of the League met in the World Series. It was a simpler time. If you got this far in this post, send me an email: bj.provoncha@gmail.com to tell me...
In 1959 (now I am 2), the Redlegs became, and still are, the Reds of Cincinnati.
In 1961 (now I am 4), the American League added two teams, the Los Angeles Angels and the Minnesota Twins.
In 1962 (now I am 5), the National League added two teams, the Houston Colt .45s and the New York Mets.
In 1965 (now I am 8), the Los Angeles Angels became the California Angels. The Houston Astros replaced the Colts .45s, I guess a team named after a gun was not going to last.
In 1966 (now I am 9), the Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta, where they remain today.
In 1968 (now I am 11), the Athletics moved from Kansas City to Oakland, where they remain today.
In 1969 (now I am 12), man landed on the moon and each league added two more teams. Now there are 24 teams, a 50% increase from when I was born. The new teams include:
- AL: Kansas City Royals
- AL: Seattle Pilots
- NL: Montreal Expos
- NL: San Diego Padres
In 1972 (now I am 15), the Washington Senators move to Texas and become the Rangers.
In 1977 (now I am 20 and at UVM), the American League adds two more teams:
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Seattle Mariners (like that better than the Pilots)
In 1993 (now I am 36 and living in Florida), the National League adds two teams to match the AL. There are now 28 teams in MLB including the two new ones:
- Florida Marlins
- Colorado Rockies
In 1997 (now I am 40 {OMG}), the California Angels become the Anaheim Angels.
In 1998 (now I am 41), the Milwaukee Brewers switch from the AL to the NL. The AL add the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The NL add the Arizona Diamondbacks. Now there are 30 teams but the AL has only 14 and the NL has 16.
In 2005 (now I am 48), the Montreal Expos are sold and become the Washington Nationals. I was a spring season holder for the Expos and keep my three seats on the home team dugout for the Nationals. Also, the Angels are renamed from Anaheim to Los Angeles.
In 2008 (now I am 51), the Tampa Bay Devil Rays become just the Tampa Bay Rays. Some kind of exorcism, but the team actually plays in St. Petersburg at Tropicana Field.
In 2012 (now I am 55 and starting to think about retirement), the Florida Marlins become the Miami Marlins.
In 2013 (now I am 56), the Houston Astros switch from the NL to the AL. Each League now has 15 teams, 5 each in the East, Central and West Divisions.
In 2014 (now I am 57), I do retire and I get to throw out the first pitch at a game between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros.
Now it is 2018, and the postseason for the current year has begun. Two Divisions had a tie so a tie-breaker was played to see who got to be Division winners. The losing two teams got to play the wild card game to decide the fourth team for the playoffs. Getting too complicated. The four teams play a best of 5 series and those two winners play a best of 7 series to see who wins the League. Those two teams play in the World Series.
The year I was born, the two seasonal winners of the League met in the World Series. It was a simpler time. If you got this far in this post, send me an email: bj.provoncha@gmail.com to tell me...
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