American vs National League
Baseball is one of the most loved sports in the US, and there are some who say that it is the national pastime looking at the craze and popularity of the game among the loyal fans. There are two major leagues called The National League and the American League that together comprise the Major League Baseball. To a casual onlooker, the two leagues and the games might look similar, but the fact is that there are many differences between the two leagues starting from teams that take part, players, rules of playing, jerseys, and of course the diehard fans. This article takes a closer look at these differences.
American League
The American League is often referred to as Junior Circuit as it became a major league 25 years after the formation of the National League in 1901. Actually, it advanced to become a major league from a minor league called the Western League that was being played among the Great Lake states in the country. There are at present 14 teams in the American League though there will be 15 teams from the 2013 season. The winner of the American League plays World Series against the champion team of the National League. The New York Yankees has been the most successful team of the league having won the championship 40 times. The American League has three divisions in the form of East, Central, and West with the east division having a team from Canada called Toronto Blue Jays.
The National League
The National League is considered the oldest professional team sport leagues in the world having been founded in 1876. It is one of the two major leagues that make up the Major League Baseball (MLB) in the country. The national League is divided into Eastern, Central, and Western divisions with the total number of teams in the league being 16 at present. Being the senior of the two major league teams, the National League is often referred to as the Senior Circuit. Despite being seniors, the National League champions have lost out to American league champions 62 times out of 107 World Series titles.
What is the difference between American and National League?
• The biggest difference between the National League and the American league lies in the use of Designated Hitter by the American League. This is a player who is designated as a hitter, and though he does not take a position on the field, he can hit in place of the weakest player of the team (normally the pitcher) who does not hit that well. In the National League, there is no concept of DH, and all players have to bat for themselves. This is one rule why games in the American League are so high scoring in comparison to the games in the National League.
• The second difference between the two major leagues lies in the number of teams. While both are divided into East, Central, and West divisions, there are 14 teams in the American League while there are 16 teams in the National League. There is also a team from Canada in the Eastern division of the American League.
• The national League was founded in 1876 while the American League came up 25 years later in 1901. This is why national League is also referred to as the Senior Circuit while the American League is labeled as the Junior Circuit.