Writers have posited the American League East is the toughest division in MLB;[1][2] during its 46-year presence, an East division team has gone to play in the World Series 25 occasions, and 14 of those teams are crowned World Series champions. Since the 1995 year when the wild-card playoff berth has been introduced, the AL East has generated the wild-card group for the American League in 13 out of the 17 years (the West division three, and the Central branch just one).
After the Major Leagues divide into divisions for the 1969 season, the American League, unlike the National League, split its 12 teams purely on geography. The six teams situated in the Eastern Time Zone were placed in the East branch, and another six were placed in the West branch.
In September 1971, American League owners approved the movement of the second Washington Senators franchise to Arlington, Texas to become the Texas Rangers. The owners then debated whether the Chicago White Sox or Milwaukee Brewers should proceed to the East branch for 1972, with the Rangers moving into the West. The White Sox requested that they are transferred to the East, stating they were an original American League franchise and wanted to play more games from other old-line A.L. teams, five of which were at the East.
The Oakland Athletics objected to moving the White Sox into the East; owner Charlie Finley was a Chicago native who wanted to continue to make three trips per year with his team to the Windy City. The Minnesota Twins went a step further and flocked to alternating either the White Sox or Brewers. The Twins wished to keep nearby Chicago and Milwaukee as division competitions, mentioning the National League’s lack of geographic accuracy in forming its divisions as a reason why the Rangers shouldn’t have been shifted out of the East. The Twins also noted that the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys played in the NFC East.
The White Sox’ pleas fell on deaf ears, along with the Brewers, who started as the Seattle Pilots in 1969, were transferred into the East.
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