How Many Baseball Teams Were There In 1950?
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Did you know that there were only 16 Major League Baseball teams in 1950? Today, there are 30 teams in MLB. Learn more about the history of baseball teams in this blog post.
Major League Baseball
There were sixteen Major League Baseball teams in 1950. This included eight teams in the National League and eight teams in the American League.
The American League
In Major League Baseball, the American League (AL) is one of two leagues that make up the sport. It was founded in 1901 as a minor league, and became a major league in 1903. The AL consists of 14 teams, divided into two divisions: the East and the West. Each division has 5 teams.
The AL was originally made up of 8 teams: the Boston Americans (now the Red Sox), the Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs), the Cleveland Blues (now the Indians), the Detroit Tigers, the Milwaukee Brewers (now the Brewers), the Philadelphia Athletics, the St. Louis Browns (now the Cardinals), and the Washington Senators (now the Twins).
The league expanded to 10 teams in 1961 with the addition of the Los Angeles Angels and Washington Senators (expansion franchise). In 1969, with further expansion to 12 teams, two more divisions were added:the East and West. The Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots were also added as expansion franchises. The Pilots only lasted one season in Seattle before moving to Milwaukee and becoming today’s Brewers.
The National League
In baseball, the National League (NL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in America, the other being the American League (AL). Founded in 1876, the NL is composed of 15 teams organized into three divisions: the East Division, the Central Division, and the West Division.
Between 1900 and 2017, there have been 53 different teams that have called themselves “National League” clubs. Of those 53 franchises, only 18 have remained in continuous operation for their entire existence: 8 were original members of the league when it was founded in 1876; 4 joined between 1900 and 1902 as part of Major League Baseball’s first expansion; 6 were added during a second wave of expansion in 1962; and 1 each joined through special circumstances in 1969 (the Montreal Expos), 1977 (the Seattle Mariners), and 1993 (the Colorado Rockies).
Minor League Baseball
The Triple-A Leagues
In 1950, there were three Triple-A baseball leagues: the American Association, the International League, and the Pacific Coast League. Each league had eight teams. The American Association was made up of teams from the Midwest and Central United States, while the International League consisted of teams from the East Coast. The Pacific Coast League was made up of teams from the West Coast.
The Double-A Leagues
In 1950, there were six Double-A leagues: the American Association, the Eastern League, the International League, the Pacific Coast League, the Texas League, and the Western League. These leagues were all located in the United States.
The Single-A Leagues
In 1950, there were three Single-A Leagues: the Central League, the Western League, and the Southwestern League.
The Central League was made up of eight teams: the Springfield S. Padres, Topeka Tapers, Joplin Miners, Tulsa Oilers, Wichita Indians, Oklahoma City 89ers, Muskogee Reds, and Coffeyville Ravens.
The Western League was made up of six teams: the Des Moines Demons, Omaha Packers, Sioux City Soos, Lincoln Chiefs, Denver Bears, and Pueblo Bruins.
The Southwestern League was made up of six teams: the Amarillo Gold Sox, Austin Pioneers, Beaumont Exporters/Port Arthur Seahawks*, El Paso Texans/Broncos*, Ft. Worth Cats*, and Shreveport Sports*.
*The Beaumont Exporters became the Port Arthur Seahawks in mid-season. The El Paso Texans became the El Paso Broncos in mid-season. The Ft. Worth Cats became the Ft. Worth Panthers in mid-season. The Shreveport Sports became the Shreveport Pirates in mid-season.
The Rookie Leagues
Rookie Leagues are the lowest rung on the professional baseball ladder. There are currently three Rookie Leagues, all of which are operated by Major League Baseball. They are:
The Appalachian League, a summer league which began in 1911 and currently has 10 teams;
The Arizona League, a summer league which began in 1988 and currently has 8 teams;
The Gulf Coast League, a summer league which began in 1964 and currently has 11 teams.
These leagues typically feature players who are just out of high school or college, as well as international players who are looking to transition to the American game. The vast majority of players in Rookie Leagues will never make it to the Major Leagues, but for a select few, it will be their first step on the long road to “The Show.”
