The National League began in 1876 and the American League started in 1901. The Cincinnati Reds were the first professional team founded in 1869 and were known as the Red Stockings back then.
The first major league in baseball was the National Association whose first year was 1871.
In 1901, when the American League was formed and joined with the National League to become Major League baseball, in original teams were: American League - Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Cleveland and Milwaukee. National League - Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, St. Louis, Boston, Chicago, New York and Cincinnati. They are listed in the order of finish in each league that season. There was no World Series played that year.
In 1845
The Brooklyn Dodgers, winner of the National League, defeated the New York Yankees, American League Champions, four games to three to become World Champions in 1955.
There are three divisions in each the American and National League. Four teams make the playoffs in each league. The winner of each division plays in the postseason, and the team with the best record in ecah league that came in second place wins the Wild card spot in the playoffs.
1967
It was never illegal in football.
The first professional football league in the United States was formed in 1920 and was called the American Professional Football Association. Two years later the name was changed to National Football League.
The Steelers began life as the football Pirates of Pittsburgh in 1933 in the National Football League. The Patriots began as the Boston Patriots in the American Football League in 1960.
In 1869, the Cincinnati Baseball Club, better known as the Red Stockings, became the first all professional team. Two years later the National Association, the first major league of baseball, was formed.
It became a national symbol because everyone new about baseball and it just became world famous
Expansion to 10 teams came to the American League in 1961, with the addition of the Los Angeles Angels the Minnesota Twins. The National League expanded to 10 teams in 1962 with the addition of the New York Mets and the Houston Colt 45's. The next round of expansion, and the introduction of divisonal play, came in 1969, as each league expanded to 2 divsions of 6 teams each. New teams were the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots (soon to move and become the Milwaukee Brewers) in the American League, and the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres in the National League.