April 24, 1901 – The first game ever played in baseball’s American League occurred as the Chicago White Stockings took on the Cleveland Blues. Poor weather delayed other scheduled games to debut the new league founded by Ban Johnson as contests in Philadelphia and Detroit had rain postponements.
The AL was new and improved after a reorganizational meeting in January 1901 as the White Stockings were the defending champions of the predecessor conference of ball clubs. You see in 1900, the Western League changed its name to the American League and it was still technically a minor league, subject to the governing National Agreement and an underling of the National League until that January 28, 1901 meeting. By the way, Chicago won the game and the White Stockings won the AL in 1901 too.
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