American League (1901-1999)

The American League was a major professional baseball league in the United States and Canada. The league was founded in 1901 with eight teams in the United States. The league had since expanded to 14 teams in the United States and Canada by the time of its merger with the National League to form Major League Baseball in 2000.

Map

Final Teams (1999)

DivisionTeamVenueMunicipality
Central DivisionChicago White SoxGuaranteed Rate FieldChicago
Cleveland IndiansProgressive FieldCleveland
Detroit TigersTiger StadiumDetroit
Kansas City RoyalsKauffman StadiumKansas City, Missouri
Minnesota TwinsHubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeMinneapolis
Eastern DivisionBaltimore OriolesOriole Park at Camden YardsBaltimore
Boston Red SoxFenway ParkBoston
New York YankeesYankee Stadium (1923)Bronx, New York
Tampa Bay Devil RaysTropicana FieldSt. Petersburg, Florida
Toronto Blue JaysRogers CentreOld Toronto, Toronto
Western DivisionAnaheim AngelsAngel Stadium of AnaheimAnaheim, California
Oakland AthleticsOakland-Alameda County ColiseumOakland, California
Seattle MarinersT-Mobile ParkSeattle
Texas RangersChoctaw StadiumArlington, Texas

Franchise Histories

  • Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) → New York Highlanders (1903) → New York Yankees (1904-1907) → New York Highlanders (1908-1909) → New York Yankees (1910-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Boston Americans (1901) → Boston Puritans (1902-1907) → Boston Red Sox (1908-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Chicago White Stockings (1901) → Chicago White Sox (1902-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Cleveland Blues (1901) → Cleveland Bronchos (1902) → Cleveland Bluebirds (1903) → Cleveland Naps (1904-1914) → Cleveland Indians (1915-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Detroit Tigers (1901-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Milwaukee Brewers (1901) → St. Louis Browns (1902-1905) → St. Louis Ravens (1906-1907) → St. Louis Browns (1908-1953) → Baltimore Orioles (1954-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954) → Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967) → Oakland Athletics (1968-1971) → Oakland A’s (1972-1980) → Oakland Athletics (1981-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Washington Senators (1901-1904) → Washington Nationals (1905-1956) → Washington Senators (1957-1960) → Minnesota Twins (1961-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Los Angeles Angels (1961-mid-season 1965) → California Angels (mid-season 1965-1996) → Anaheim Angeles (1997-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Washington Senators (1961-1971) → Texas Rangers → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Kansas City Royals (1969-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Seattle Pilots (1969) → Milwaukee Brewers (1970-1997) → Transferred to National League
  • Seattle Mariners (1977-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Toronto Blue Jays (1977-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball
  • Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-1999) → Transferred to Major League Baseball

Seasons and Champions

SeasonAmerican League Championship
1901Chicago White Stockings
1902Philadelphia Athletics
1903Boston Puritans
1904Boston Puritans
1905Philadelphia Athletics
1906Chicago White Sox
1907Detroit Tigers
1908Detroit Tigers
1909Detroit Tigers
1910Philadelphia Athletics
1911Philadelphia Athletics
1912Boston Red Sox
1913Philadelphia Athletics
1914Philadelphia Athletics
1915Boston Red Sox
1916Boston Red Sox
1917Chicago White Sox
1918Boston Red Sox
1919Chicago White Sox
1920Cleveland Indians
1921New York Yankees
1922New York Yankees
1923New York Yankees
1924Washington Nationals
1925Washington Nationals
1926New York Yankees
1927New York Yankees
1928New York Yankees
1929Philadelphia Athletics
1930Philadelphia Athletics
1931Philadelphia Athletics
1932New York Yankees
1933Washington Nationals
1934Detroit Tigers
1935Detroit Tigers
1936New York Yankees
1937New York Yankees
1938New York Yankees
1939New York Yankees
1940Detroit Tigers
1941New York Yankees
1942New York Yankees
1943New York Yankees
1944St. Louis Browns
1945Detroit Tigers
1946Boston Red Sox
1947New York Yankees
1948Cleveland Indians after tiebreaker:
Cleveland Indians 8-3 Boston Red Sox (single-elimination) at Fenway Park, Boston
1949New York Yankees
1950New York Yankees
1951New York Yankees
1952New York Yankees
1953New York Yankees
1954Cleveland Indians
1955New York Yankees
1956New York Yankees
1957New York Yankees
1958New York Yankees
1959Chicago White Sox
1960New York Yankees
1961New York Yankees
1962New York Yankees
1963New York Yankees
1964New York Yankees
1965Minnesota Twins
1966Baltimore Orioles
1967Boston Red Sox
1968Detroit Tigers
1969Baltimore Orioles 3-0 Minnesota Twins (best-of-five)
1970Baltimore Orioles 3-0 Minnesota Twins (best-of-five)
1971Baltimore Orioles 3-0 Oakland Athletics (best-of-five)
1972Oakland A’s 3-2 Detroit Tigers (best-of-five)
1973Oakland A’s 3-2 Baltimore Orioles (best-of-five)
1974Oakland A’s 3-1 Baltimore Orioles (best-of-five)
1975Boston Red Sox 3-0 Oakland A’s (best-of-five)
1976New York Yankees 3-2 Kansas City Royals (best-of-five)
1977New York Yankees 3-2 Kansas City Royals (best-of-five)
1978New York Yankees 3-1 Kansas City Royals (best-of-five)
1979Baltimore Orioles 3-1 California Angels (best-of-five)
1980Kansas City Royals 3-0 New York Yankees (best-of-five)
1981New York Yankees 3-0 Oakland Athletics (best-of-five)
1982Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 California Angels (best-of-five)
1983Baltimore Orioles 3-1 Chicago White Sox (best-of-five)
1984Detroit Tigers 3-0 Kansas City Royals (best-of-five)
1985Kansas City Royals 4-3 Toronto Blue Jays (best-of-seven)
1986Boston Red Sox 4-3 California Angels (best-of-seven)
1987Minnesota Twins 4-1 Detroit Tigers (best-of-seven)
1988Oakland Athletics 4-0 Boston Red Sox (best-of-seven)
1989Oakland Athletics 4-1 Toronto Blue Jays (best-of-seven)
1990Oakland Athletics 4-0 Boston Red Sox (best-of-seven)
1991Minnesota Twins 4-1 Toronto Blue Jays (best-of-seven)
1992Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 Oakland Athletics (best-of-seven)
1993Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 Chicago White Sox (best-of-seven)
1994Season not finished (best record: New York Yankees 70-43)
1995Cleveland Indians 4-2 Seattle Mariners (best-of-seven)
1996New York Yankees 4-1 Baltimore Orioles (best-of-seven)
1997Cleveland Indians 4-2 Baltimore Orioles (best-of-seven)
1998New York Yankees 4-2 Cleveland Indians (best-of-seven)
1999New York Yankees 4-1 Boston Red Sox (best-of-seven)