This was the first major professional sports championship for the state of Arizona and the first for a team ( in the four major North American professional sports leagues ) owned or controlled by Colangelo, whose basketball Suns made it to the NBA Finals in 1976 and 1993 but lost both times.

Outside the professional leagues, such as in high school or college baseball, the manager may simply request to the plate umpire to let the batter go to first instead of having the pitcher waste four outside pitches.

This proposal also included the banning of amphetamines, a first for the major North American sports leagues.

He removed the club's Chelsea pensioner crest, improved the youth set-up and training regime, rebuilt the side with shrewd signings from the lower divisions and amateur leagues, and led Chelsea to their first major trophy success – the League championship – in 1954 – 55.

While those two leagues focused on baseball, it may be football that produced the first version of the hobby.

In 2006, Harvey Mudd was also named one of the " new Ivy leagues " by Kaplan and Newsweek, while the mathematics department won the first American Mathematical Society Award for Exemplary Program.

As the first black man to play in the major leagues since the 1880s, he was instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in professional baseball, which had relegated black players to the Negro leagues for six decades.

In 1987, both the National and American League Rookie of the Year Awards were renamed the " Jackie Robinson Award " in honor of the first recipient ( Robinson's Major League Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 encompassed both leagues ).

On April 15, 1997, Robinson's jersey number, 42, was retired throughout Major League Baseball, the first time any jersey number had been retired throughout one of the four major American sports leagues.

However, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Commissioner ( then club owner ) Bud Selig decided another team should have the first chance to switch leagues.

Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League and the NBL, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities.

Once the modern World Series began in 1903, it took the Phillies 77 years from that point ( and 97 years from the club's establishment ) to win their first World Series — longer than any of the 16 teams that made up the major leagues for the first half of the 20th century.

Lasorda was not the first to question Martínez's stature and durability ; in the minor leagues, the then-135-pound pitcher was threatened with a $ 500 fine if he was caught running.

Coming into this " first " game, there was considerable animosity between the two rival leagues, with both of them putting pressure on their respective champions to trounce the other and prove each league's dominance in professional football.

The. 406 batting average was Williams ' first of six batting championships, is still the highest single-season batting average in Red Sox history and the highest batting average in the major leagues since 1924, and the last time any major league player has hit over. 400 for a season.

Moses Fleetwood Walker and his brother, Welday Wilberforce Walker, were the first two black players in the major leagues.

In addition to being the first black manager in the major leagues with the American League's Indians, upon joining the Giants, he also became the first black manager in the National League.

In the early 1920s they introduced professional leagues, the first continental countries to do so.

San Juan Bautista Creek: Juan Crespí, May 1 for the setting of the first international division line between Old or Lower California ( Dominicans ) and New or Upper California ( Franciscans ) five leagues to the north ( Valley of the Médanos ) being established by: Priest Francisco Palóu on 19 August 1773 ( Mojonera of Palou ) in compliance with the instructions put forth on the April 7, 1772 Concordato. Rosarito Historical Society, Baja California A. C. at The Mission, Baja California, on 20 May 1990.

On July 9, 1972, Ryan struck out three batters on nine pitches in the second inning of a 3 – 0 win over the Boston Red Sox ; he became the seventh American League pitcher to accomplish the nine-pitch / three-strikeout half-inning, and the first ( and currently only ) pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the feat in both leagues.

The first Japanese-born everyday position player in the major leagues, Ichiro led the American League ( AL ) in batting average and stolen bases en route to being named AL Rookie of the Year and AL Most Valuable Player ( MVP ).

The team also traded relief pitcher Jose Valverde, who led the major leagues in saves in 2007 with 47, to the Houston Astros for reliever Chad Qualls, RHP Juan Gutiérrez and IF / OF Chris Burke.

Baseball is the leading team sport in both Japan and Cuba, and the top level of play is similarly split between two leagues: Japan's Central League and Pacific League ; Cuba's West League and East League.

During the rough and tumble years of the American-National struggle, player contracts were violated at the independents as well: Players that the team had developed would sign deals with the National or American leagues without any form of compensation to the indy club.

The team with the best overall record in the major leagues, the Cincinnati Reds, failed to win their division in either half of that season and were controversially excluded, as were the St. Louis Cardinals, who finished with the NL's second-best record.

In 2011, Selig also demanded that the Astros move to the American League West as a condition of the sale of the franchise to businessman Jim Crane ; the team will switch leagues in 2013.

" He only acquiesced to joining the AFL when he was guaranteed that the team would become an NFL franchise after the impending merger of the two leagues.

Cy Young played for many amateur baseball leagues during his youth, including a " semi-pro " Carrollton team in 1888.

* Following a touchdown and convert attempt ( successful or not ), play resumes with the scoring team kicking off from its own 35-yard line ( 45-yard line in amateur leagues ).

Joseph, despite being one of the highest-paid players in the NHL, spent part of the season in the minor leagues, but after Hasek was sidelined for the season with an injury, Joseph led the team to the top of the Central Division and the league standings.

Association football is the most prominent team sport for women in several countries, and one of the few women's team sports with professional leagues.

Welsh sides that play in English leagues are eligible, although since the creation of the League of Wales there are only six clubs remaining: Cardiff City ( the only non-English team to win the tournament, in 1927 ), Swansea City, Wrexham, Merthyr Town, Newport County and Colwyn Bay.

In 1892, recognizing that there was no recognition for the best team in all of Canada ( various leagues had championship trophies ), he purchased a decorative bowl for use as a trophy.

They are the only team in the " big four " sports leagues to play in the city of Jacksonville.

In fact, the team payroll, which had previously remained among the league's highest, was sliced in half from $ 40. 5 million in 1994 ( fourth-highest in the major leagues ) to $ 18. 5 million in 1996 ( second-lowest in the major leagues ).

As the two leagues had an unequal number of teams ( under the merger agreement, the NFL expanded by one team to 16, and the AFL by one to 10 ), realignment was advocated by some owners, but was opposed.

In the 1880s, before the major leagues stabilized, it was not unusual for a minor league team to be " promoted " to major league level for awhile.

Since their last Cup win in 1983, they are currently the only team of the four major North American sports leagues ( NHL, NFL, NBA, & MLB ) to win 4 consecutive championships, and hold the NHL record for most consecutive playoff series ' wins at 19 ( 1980 Playoffs-1984 Playoffs ).

Because of this, promotion and relegation can occur ; or, in league systems without promotion and relegation, clubs in professional leagues can have a team in the minor leagues.

This enables them to shuffle players who are not doing well to the minor leagues, which will inspire them to contribute more to the team by playing better.

Each major league team drafted one player from the Negro leagues.