Writers have posited the American League East is the toughest division in MLB;[1][2] during its 46-year presence, an East branch team has gone to play in the World Series 25 times, and 14 of those teams are crowned World Series winners. Since the 1995 year once the wild-card playoff berth was released, the AL East has generated the wild-card team for the American League in 13 out of the 17 years (the West branch three, and the Central branch one).
When the Major Leagues divide into divisions for the 1969 season, the American League, unlike the National League, divide its 12 teams strictly on geography. The six teams located in the Eastern Time Zone were put in the East branch, and the other six were placed in the West branch.
In September 1971, American League owners approved the move 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 move to the East branch for 1972, together with the Rangers moving to the West. The White Sox asked that they are moved to the East, saying they had been a first American League franchise and wanted to play games against 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 into the Windy City. The Minnesota Twins went a step farther and objected to alternating either the White Sox or Brewers. The Twins wanted to keep nearby Chicago and Milwaukee as division rivals, citing the National League’s lack of geographic accuracy in forming its divisions as a reason why the Rangers should not have been changed out of the East. The Twins also noted 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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