Category:Leagues

From BR Bullpen

For the past 100 years there have only been the American League and the National League in Major League Baseball, but prior to that there were many more major leagues. Pre-Jackie Robinson's signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946 (and even for a while after), the Negro Leagues existed so that the great African-American players of the day could play professionally. Throughout baseball history there have been the Minor Leagues which support and develop players who are not ready for the Major League Baseball teams. The top tier of the minors (now called AAA) has historically been populated with former major-leaguers or non-prospects who can fill in the majors in case of an injury; young up-and-coming players often are a minority on AAA squads. There are affiliated leagues, independent leagues and foreign leagues in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and elsewhere; many foreign leagues have working agreements with the majors.

[edit] Further Reading

• W. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff (editors): The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball 2nd edition, Baseball America, Durham, 1997