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National League
From BR Bullpen
The National League (NL) formed in 1876, giving it seniority over the American League (founded in 1901). For this reason, the NL is nicknamed the "Senior Circuit."
At first the two leagues were completely separate, competing leagues linked only by the World Series. In 1920 they were unified under a single commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
Through the years, the leagues have become more similar in rules and style, though the NL maintains a different style of play from the AL by continuing to eschew the designated hitter rule. The NL's style is a game that is less big-offense driven. The difference, arguably, was never so obvious as during the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1997 Radical Realignment almost saw seven NL teams switch to the American League. The plan failed and the NL kept all the teams, as well as gaining the Milwaukee Brewers from the AL.
Also, during that time, many teams played in multi-purpose stadims that doubled as football stadiums. These stadiums often had playing surfaces made of artificial turf--Astroturf--rather than natural grass. By 2005, however, every NL team had eliminated artificial turf in favor of natural grass.
[edit] League Presidents
- Morgan G. Bulkeley: 1876
- William Hulbert: 1877 to 1882
- Arthur Soden: 1882
- Abraham Mills: 1883 to 1884
- Nicholas Young: 1885 to 1902
- Harry Pulliam: 1903 to 1909
- John Heydler: 1909
- Thomas Lynch: 1910 to 1913
- John K. Tener: 1913 to 1918
- John Heydler: 1918 to 1934
- Ford Frick 1934 to 1951
- Warren Giles: 1951 to 1969
- Chub Feeney: 1970 to 1986
- A. Bartlett Giamatti: 1986 to 1989
- Bill White: 1989 to 1994
- Leonard Coleman: 1994 to 1999
The office was eliminated in 1999, although Bill Giles, son of former National League President Warren Giles, currently holds the title of honorary National League president.
[edit] Further Reading
- Donald Honig: The National League: An Illustrated History, Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 1983. ISBN 0517550415
- Tom Melville: Early Baseball and the Rise of the National League, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2001.
[edit] Related Sites
- [1] An article examining the differences between the National and American Leagues over the decades in The Hardball Times, part 1.
- [2] An article examining the differences between the National and American Leagues over the decades in The Hardball Times, part 2.
