What if the Dodgers had stayed in Brooklyn? Further, what if migration in the modern era had never taken place, thereby forcing expansion in Kansas City, San Francisco, and other MLB cities.
My paradigm assumes the following:
- Tampa, Toronto, Arizona, and Montreal do not have teams
- A’s, Braves, Browns, Dodgers, and Senators stay in their original locations
- The Giants move to Minneapolis after the 1957 season.
- Team names reflect the location’s history and lore
- Grizzly Bears: California’s state animal
- Conquistadors: Group claiming Oakland for Spain’s king in the 1770s
- Loggers: Washington state’s rich logging history
- Gold: Northern California’s gold rush in the mid-19th century
- Mountaineers: Georgia’s magnificent mountains
- Astronauts: Houston’s fame as the home of NASA
- Express: Colorado’s key role in America’s railroad history
Expansion teams have their inaugural years in parentheses.
1961-1965
American League
Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Los Angeles Angels (1961)
New York Yankees
Philadelphia Athletics
St. Louis Browns
San Francisco Gold (1961)
Washington Senators
National League
Boston Braves
Brooklyn Dodgers
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Los Angeles Grizzly Bears (1961)
Milwaukee Brewers (1961)
Minnesota Giants
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
1966-1975
American League East
Baltimore Orioles (1966)
Boston Red Sox
Cleveland Indians
Georgia Mountaineers (1966)
New York Yankees
Philadelphia Athletics
Washington Senators
American League West
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals (1966)
Los Angeles Angels (1961)
San Francisco Gold (1961)
St. Louis Browns
Texas Rangers (1966)
National League East
Boston Braves
Brooklyn Dodgers
Cincinnati Reds
Denver Express (1966)
Houston Astronauts (1966)
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
National League West
Chicago Cubs
Los Angeles Grizzly Bears (1961)
Milwaukee Brewers (1961)
Minnesota Giants
St. Louis Cardinals
San Diego Padres (1966)
Seattle Loggers (1966)
1976-Present
American League East
Baltimore Orioles (1966)
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Philadelphia Athletics
Washington Senators
American League Central
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Georgia Mountaineers (1966)
St. Louis Browns
American League West
Kansas City Royals (1966)
Los Angeles Angels (1961)
Oakland Conquistadors (1976)
San Francisco Gold (1961)
Texas Rangers (1966)
National League East
Boston Braves
Brooklyn Dodgers
Miami Marlins (1976)
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
National League Central
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Houston Astronauts (1966)
Milwaukee Brewers (1961)
St. Louis Cardinals
National League West
Denver Express (1966)
Los Angeles Grizzly Bears (1961)
Minnesota Giants
San Diego Padres (1966)
Seattle Loggers (1966)
A version of this article appeared on www.thesportspost.com on November 14, 2016.