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This article refers to the American baseball league. For the English cricket league of the same name, please see National League (cricket).
The term National League generally refers to the organization more properly referred to as the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, the older (founded on February 2, 1876) of the two leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. (The other major league is the American League.) Beginning with the 1903 season, the regular season champions of the two leagues have met in the World Series. (The Series was not played in either 1904 or 1994.)
The National League, which for the first 93 years of its existence competed equally in a single grouping, re-organized into two divisions of 6 teams (East and West) in 1969, with the division champions meeting in the National League Championship Series (an additional round of postseason competition) for the right to advance to the World Series. Beginning with the 1994 season, the league has been divided into three divisions (East, West and Central), with the addition of a Wild Card team (the team with the best record among those finishing in second place) to enable four teams to advance to the preliminary Division Series.
The National League is also known as the Senior Circuit, due to the fact that it has existed 25 years longer than the American League. Often characterized as being a more "traditional" or "pure" league, the National League never adopted the designated hitter rule (as did the AL during the 1970s). This means the role of the manager is more important in terms of actual play and there are perceived to be fewer home runsIn baseball, a home run is a base hit in which the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring a run, with no errors on the play that result in the batter achieving extra bases. Home runs are among the most popular aspects of and big offensive plays due to the presence of the pitcher in the batting order, although this is not always the case.
1 Teams
1.1 Central Division
- Chicago CubsBaseball teams The Chicago Cubs are a Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are in the Central Division of the National League. Founded 1870, as an independent professional club. Joined the National Association in 1871. Became a char
- Houston AstrosBaseball teams The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team based in Houston, Texas. They are in the Central Division of the National League. Founded 1962 ( National League expansion) Formerly known as Houston Colt. 45s ( 1962- 1964). The team chan
- St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals was also the name of a National Football League team based in Saint Louis, Missouri, which moved and became the Phoenix Cardinals (now known as the Arizona Cardinals) in 1988. The St. Louis Cardinals are an American Major League Ba
- Milwaukee BrewersFor the circa-1900 major league baseball team once known as the Milwaukee Brewers see Baltimore Orioles. There was also a 20th-century minor league team named the Milwaukee Brewers . The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball team based in Milwauke
- Pittsburgh PiratesThis article is on the baseball team. For the National Hockey League team ( 1925 1930), see Philadelphia Quakers. Also, the National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers were named the Pirates from 1933 to 1940. The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League
- Cincinnati Reds
The NL Central Division is the only division in either league to have six teams; the others all have fewer.
1.2 West Division
