July 10, 1968 – The National League of Major League Baseball announced that it would split into 2 divisions of six teams each for the 1969 season. The decision came after the American League separated its teams into divisions in a similar fashion. Warren Giles, President of the NL stated that New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St Louis, and the expansion team from Montreal would comprise one group. At the same time, San Francisco, LA, San Diego, Cincinnati, Houston, and Atlanta would round out group 2.
As a compromise, the American League increased their scheduled games to 162 from 156 to match the NL so that consistency would be between the two opposing Leagues. The NL would move to three geographical divisions in 1994 as the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins had been recently added and the Milwaukee Brewers moved over from the AL.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Sports History On This Day: April 16
April 16, 1912 – The Pittsburgh Pirates turned in a fielding rarity of a 5-3-7
Good Friday 1972 (Bloody ‘Bedlam’ at the Civic Centre
Over the years, there have been many instances in hockey arenas in which a
Sports History On This Day: April 15
April 15, 1911 – 4 Ks in one inning? We all know that aside is
Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams vs. Titans): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXXIV, which was held on January 30, 2000, at
Sports History On This Day: April 14
April 14, 1969 – A historic day indeed as the first Major league baseball game
NHL’s Battle of Quebec and the Good Friday Massacre
As the Easter weekend approaches, it always calls to mind the decades of the
Remembering Mark “The Bird” Fidrych (1954 – 2009)
MLB All-Star Mark Fidrych passed away in a truck accident on April 13, 2009.
Sports History On This Day: April 13
April 13, 1942 – Talk about a tightly contested match. At the 9th US Masters