AL Central Division
From BR Bullpen
(Redirected from American League Central)
Between the expansions of 1993 and 1998, Major League Baseball realigned into six divisions in 1994. This created the Central Division in each the American and National League.
The American League Central Division has contained the following teams:
1994-97: Chicago White Sox,Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Minnesota Twins.
1998-present: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Minnesota Twins.
[edit] Past Champions & Post-Season History
- 1994 - Chicago White Sox (67-46)
- 1995 - Cleveland Indians (100-44)
- 1996 - Cleveland Indians (99-62)
- 1997 - Cleveland Indians (86-75)
- 1998 - Cleveland Indians (89-73)
- 1999 - Cleveland Indians (97-65)
- 2000 - Chicago White Sox (95-67)
- 2001 - Cleveland Indians (91-71)
- 2002 - Minnesota Twins (94-67)
- 2003 - Minnesota Twins (90-72)
- 2004 - Minnesota Twins (92-70)
- 2005 - Chicago White Sox (99-63)
- 2006 - Minnesota Twins (96-66)
- The Central division took more than a decade to produce a Wild Card winner. In 1994, the Indians held the Wild Card lead when the season was cancelled due to the strike. Eleven years later, in 2005, after a furious late-season charge, the Indians took a brief Wild Card lead late in September. In fact, Cleveland was tied for the Wild Card lead until Thursday, September 29, but eventually lost its last 3 games of the year and lost the Wild Card to the Boston Red Sox. Finally, the Tigers captured the Wild Card in 2006 (after leading the division most of the season and falling out of first on the season's final day).
- Since the creation of the division in 1994, teams from the Central have played in 19 post-season series, holding a 9-10 record in those series and a 46-44 record in post-season games. The division is 5-6 in the ALDS (22-23), 3-2 in the ALCS (15-13), and 1-2 in the World Series (9-8).
- The White Sox's World Series win in 2005 was the first championship won by any team from the A.L. Central since realignment. The Indians have won the American League twice (1995, 1997), and the Twins have made it to the American League Championship Series once (2002).
