CLEVELAND -- As the White Sox and Guardians battle in the American League Division Series, it’s fun to look back at the role these two franchises played in the creation of the American League in the first place.
As the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians meet in the American League Division Series, the article explores how both franchises originally helped establish the American League. In the late 1890s, Western League leader Ban Johnson rebranded the competition into the American League and pushed into National League territory, relocating teams to Chicago and Cleveland in 1900 despite stiff opposition from established NL ownership.
After initially operating as a minor league in 1900, the American League declared itself a major league in 1901. Its first official major league game was played between Chicago and Cleveland on April 24, 1901, with the White Stockings defeating Cleveland 8-2 before the two rival leagues eventually signed a peace treaty in 1903.
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